What is Accounting?
North Carolina is an excellent location to become a CPA. While the national 10 year growth projection for the profession is 10 percent, in North Carolina it's a robust 16.1 percent, making becoming a CPA a very good for future CPAs.
Like other states, in North Carolina you'll be required to pass the national Certified Public Accountant CPA Exam prior to becoming a CPA, which is considered to be one of the toughest professional exams in the country. You must meet specific educational requirements before becoming eligible to sit for the CPA Exam. In North Carolina you must have 150 credit hours of accounting. Unlike other states, you may sit for the CPA Exam as soon as you earn your BS degree in an accounting subject, (but may not become licensed until you fulfill the mandatory 150 credit hour requirement) as long as you've passed all of the required accounting courses. This is an advantage as you can conceivably earn your degree, take the CPA Exam, and begin fulfilling the experience requirement while completing the required college courses.
Top Ranked Campus & Online Accounting Programs in North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Score: 92.75
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,989
- Out-of-State:$39,330
- Net Price: $10,614
- Acceptance Rate: 17%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 31,705
- Undergrad Students: 20,029
- Graduate Students: 11,676
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Score: 90.02
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,895
- Out-of-State:$31,767
- Net Price: $14,852
- Acceptance Rate: 47%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 36,700
- Undergrad Students: 26,254
- Graduate Students: 10,446
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Wake Forest University
Score: 87.93
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $64,758
- Out-of-State:$64,758
- Net Price: $26,197
- Acceptance Rate: 21%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 90%
- Total Enrollment: 8,963
- Undergrad Students: 5,447
- Graduate Students: 3,516
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
North Carolina A&T State University
Score: 80.03
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,748
- Out-of-State:$20,408
- Net Price: $9,189
- Acceptance Rate: 56%
- Retention Rate: 74%
- Graduation Rate: 57%
- Total Enrollment: 13,487
- Undergrad Students: 11,833
- Graduate Students: 1,654
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Score: 78.78
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,214
- Out-of-State:$21,876
- Net Price: $13,951
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 29,551
- Undergrad Students: 23,461
- Graduate Students: 6,090
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Appalachian State University
Score: 75.86
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,541
- Out-of-State:$24,537
- Net Price: $13,084
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 20,436
- Undergrad Students: 18,558
- Graduate Students: 1,878
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
East Carolina University
Score: 74.89
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,361
- Out-of-State:$23,638
- Net Price: $14,410
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 27,151
- Undergrad Students: 21,688
- Graduate Students: 5,463
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Winston-Salem State University
Score: 73.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,735
- Out-of-State:$17,391
- Net Price: $14,097
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 5,004
- Undergrad Students: 4,513
- Graduate Students: 491
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Meredith College
Score: 72.75
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $43,936
- Out-of-State:$43,936
- Net Price: $23,259
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 1,587
- Undergrad Students: 1,322
- Graduate Students: 265
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Western Carolina University
Score: 71.65
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,532
- Out-of-State:$8,532
- Net Price: $13,022
- Acceptance Rate: 85%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 61%
- Total Enrollment: 11,635
- Undergrad Students: 9,956
- Graduate Students: 1,679
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Elon University
Score: 71.46
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $44,536
- Out-of-State:$44,536
- Net Price: $41,527
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 7,123
- Undergrad Students: 6,337
- Graduate Students: 786
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Score: 70.78
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,593
- Out-of-State:$23,339
- Net Price: $10,979
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 58%
- Total Enrollment: 17,978
- Undergrad Students: 14,198
- Graduate Students: 3,780
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Wingate University
Score: 70.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,196
- Out-of-State:$40,196
- Net Price: $18,823
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 57%
- Total Enrollment: 3,396
- Undergrad Students: 2,510
- Graduate Students: 886
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Elizabeth City State University
Score: 70.56
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,412
- Out-of-State:$7,412
- Net Price: $4,120
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 42%
- Total Enrollment: 2,149
- Undergrad Students: 2,033
- Graduate Students: 116
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Queens University of Charlotte
Score: 70.36
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $43,285
- Out-of-State:$43,285
- Net Price: $29,459
- Acceptance Rate: 71%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 1,873
- Undergrad Students: 1,317
- Graduate Students: 556
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Guilford College
Score: 69.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $41,140
- Out-of-State:$41,140
- Net Price: $23,882
- Acceptance Rate: 84%
- Retention Rate: 66%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 1,167
- Undergrad Students: 1,129
- Graduate Students: 38
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Fayetteville State University
Score: 68.93
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,969
- Out-of-State:$7,969
- Net Price: $6,355
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 6,787
- Undergrad Students: 5,748
- Graduate Students: 1,039
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Score: 67.53
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,461
- Out-of-State:$24,809
- Net Price: $14,730
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 59%
- Total Enrollment: 2,914
- Undergrad Students: 2,914
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $58,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Campbell University
Score: 67.48
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,410
- Out-of-State:$40,410
- Net Price: $24,280
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Total Enrollment: 5,272
- Undergrad Students: 2,965
- Graduate Students: 2,307
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Catawba College
Score: 67.36
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $33,400
- Out-of-State:$33,400
- Net Price: $19,701
- Acceptance Rate: 67%
- Retention Rate: 65%
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Total Enrollment: 1,172
- Undergrad Students: 1,094
- Graduate Students: 78
- Grads Salary: $63,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Greensboro College
Score: 66.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $20,400
- Out-of-State:$20,400
- Net Price: $19,581
- Acceptance Rate: 84%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 40%
- Total Enrollment: 826
- Undergrad Students: 730
- Graduate Students: 96
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
University of Mount Olive
Score: 66.73
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $25,950
- Out-of-State:$25,950
- Net Price: $17,878
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 63%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 2,239
- Undergrad Students: 2,019
- Graduate Students: 220
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Gardner-Webb University
Score: 66.33
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $33,450
- Out-of-State:$33,450
- Net Price: $22,339
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 66%
- Graduation Rate: 52%
- Total Enrollment: 3,144
- Undergrad Students: 1,812
- Graduate Students: 1,332
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Score: 65.8
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $30,900
- Out-of-State:$30,900
- Net Price: $21,843
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 51%
- Total Enrollment: 2,354
- Undergrad Students: 1,529
- Graduate Students: 825
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
North Carolina Central University
Score: 65.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,542
- Out-of-State:$19,578
- Net Price: $13,708
- Acceptance Rate: 84%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 7,553
- Undergrad Students: 5,634
- Graduate Students: 1,919
- Grads Salary: $62,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Online Accounting Education in North Carolina
North Carolina CPA licensure is overseen by the NC State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners (NCCPA) and accepts degrees from the following accreditation associations, so your first step in becoming a CPA should be to make sure your school is accredited:
- Council on Occupational Education (formerly Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Occupational Education Institutions)
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Technical & Career Institutions
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission
- Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission of Colleges & Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities
Your concentration in accounting must be a minimum of 30 credit hours of accounting courses at the undergraduate level with the following stipulations:
No more than six credit hours of accounting principles and no more than three credit hours of business law
Or
A minimum of 20 graduate accounting courses exclusive to graduate students
Or
A combination of undergraduate and graduate courses can be equivalent to one of the above. If you're combining undergraduate and graduate courses one semester hour of accounting graduate study will be considered the equivalent of one and one-half undergraduate semester hours of the same.
The following are examples of required accounting core subjects:
- Auditing
- Business law
- Cost accounting
- Fund accounting
- Managerial accounting
- Taxation
In addition CPA candidates need to complete the North Carolina Accountancy Statutes and Rules course.
Of the 150 credit hours required, 24 credit hours must include a three semester hours from eight of the following subjects:
- Communications
- Computer technology
- Economics
- Ethics
- Finance
- Humanities/social science
- International environment
- Law
- Management
- Statistics
If you have earned a Master's degree in accounting, economics, tax law, business administration, finance, or law you have probably completed this requirement.
Other sample subjects you may use to complete the 150 hour requirement are:
- Business finance
- Business management
- Computer science
- Economics
- Writing skills
- Accounting internships
Unlike most states, North Carolina does not have any specific business course requirements to qualify to sit for the CPA Exam. That being said, the CPA Exam covers many business topics so CPA candidates should plan on including a wide range of accounting related business subjects in the 150 credit hour requirement.
Online Associates (AS)
At this degree level, you will learn things like the accounting cycle, spreadsheets, financial components and documents, accounting systems, and business communication. When you choose to earn an associate degree in accounting, it’s important to understand that the degree will give you access only to entry-level positions in smaller companies. For greater access to positions and better salaries, you’ll need to earn at least a bachelor’s.
Online Bachelors (BS, BAcc or B.Acy)
With a bachelor's degree you are eligible to become a CPA. During a bachelor's degree program, you will explore financial information systems, accounting practices, taxation, and auditing, as well as financial reports and more complex documentation. This degree will provide access to entry-level positions in all types of accounting firms and company’s accounting departments, along with the chance for promotion. You may need to earn certification to continue to improve in your career, but you won’t necessarily need to earn any other degree.
Online Masters (MS, MAcc or M.Acy)
The master's program will explore more in-depth the accounting field including topics like data modeling, managerial finance, and corporate taxation. You can also specialize in something like forensic accounting or managerial accounting if you have a specific future career trajectory in mind. With this degree you will have access to any position, all the way to the C-suites. You’ll also be ready become a Certified Public Accountant CPA license or any other certification you need throughout your career.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
This is the highest accounting degree you can earn. You can use this degree to become a CPA as well. You will learn things like modern economic theory, as well as other financial theories and more in this expert level curriculum. Most companies do not require their accountants to earn this level of degree, but you might choose to if you wish to enter an academic setting.
Online Degree in Accounting
Many North Carolina colleges offer online accounting degree programs from associate level through advanced degrees, including North Carolina State University and Franklin University of NC. There are new online courses and programs being created all the time, so check with your school of choice to see if there’s an online program available for you.