Accelerated online accounting degrees can help you fast-track your way into a stable new career path. They mainly appeal to hardworking students seeking efficient, flexible study opportunities.
Schools often market these programs to nontraditional students, like working professionals. In other cases, they offer accelerated access to high-performing students in conventional programs.
A regularly paced online bachelor's in accounting typically demands about four academic years of full-time study. By definition, accelerated online accounting degrees reduce this timeline. Accelerated program lengths vary, but they offer paths to graduation in three years or less.
Accelerated program course structures support faster-paced learning. Degree completion programs, on the other hand, have course structures designed for students who come in transferable credits or an associate degree. Degree completion programs may or may not offer accelerated pacing.
This program guide explains the features and benefits of accelerated online accounting programs. It also includes a ranked list of top-rated accelerated degrees. Use it to guide your research and explore your learning options.
Popular Online Accounting Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Top Accounting Accelerated Online Programs
#1 Best Accelerated Online Accounting Degrees 2024
Illinois College
- Jacksonville, IL
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Cost per Credit:
In-State | $375
Out-of-State | $375
Credits to Graduate: 120
IC's online BA in accounting features a 42-credit accounting core, which you can complete in as little as 15 months. By maximizing the program's 88-credit transfer limit, you could graduate in just over a year.
The program's accelerated coursework combines accounting fundamentals with business classes. This structure helps learners build versatile skills that translate well to many professional environments.
Courses follow an interactive but asynchronous learning model. You can study wherever and whenever convenient, with self-pacing options adding further flexibility.
Percent Online Enrollment
7%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Higher Learning Commission
#2 Best Accelerated Online Accounting Degrees 2024
Hiram College
- Hiram, OH
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Cost per Credit:
In-State | $540
Out-of-State | $540
Credits to Graduate: 120–123
Students in Hiram's online accounting and financial management degree can choose a three-year degree-completion plan. You won't have to meet any special admission requirements, and you can save on tuition with Hiram's summer discount. By graduation, you could save more than $25,000 in tuition fees.
The online program uses an asynchronous model. Notably, coursework combines complete coverage of accounting and financial management topics with intensive writing components. This feature helps students build communication skills that support long-term career success.
Percent Online Enrollment
21%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Higher Learning Commission
#3 Best Accelerated Online Accounting Degrees 2024
University of Maine at Presque Isle
- Presque Isle, ME
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Cost per Eight-Week Term:
In-State | $1,500
Out-of-State | $1,500
Credits to Graduate: 120–123
UMPI's online BA in accounting puts you in control of your learning pace. The program uses a competency-based model, allowing you to advance by mastering core course concepts.
UMPI also charges a flat tuition rate for each eight-week session, with no limit to the number of classes you can take each term. This policy creates savings opportunities for fast-paced learners.
To qualify for admission, you'll need a high school diploma plus some college coursework or relevant work experience. You must also be at least 20 years old as of your application date.
Percent Online Enrollment
65%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
New England Commission on Higher Education
#4 Best Accelerated Online Accounting Degrees 2024
Campbell University
- Buies Creek, NC
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Programmatic Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (BBA track only)
Cost per Credit:
In-State | $450
Out-of-State | $450
Credits to Graduate: 124
Campbell's 100% online accounting program uses an intensive schedule and compact eight-week terms to expedite your graduation timeline. You can choose from bachelor of business administration (BBA) and bachelor of applied science (BAS) tracks.
The BBA track blends accounting and business coursework, while the BAS track offers a more intensive accounting core. You'll need an associate degree in business or applied science to enter the BAS track. Relevant science coursework from an accredited military school can also qualify.
Percent Online Enrollment
27%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Why Pursue an Online Accelerated Accounting Degree?
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Time and Cost Savings: Accelerated accounting degrees take less time to complete, which means fewer semesters spent in school. If you choose a school that charges tuition on a per-semester rather than per-credit basis, you can potentially save thousands of dollars.
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Flexibility and Convenience: Accounting translates very well to the asynchronous structures that online programs often use. Asynchronous course delivery models allow you to set your own schedule and study at the most convenient times. This, in turn, helps you balance learning with life outside school, making things easier and more convenient.
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Expedited Professional Development: Bachelor's accounting students often plan to seek licensure as a certified public accountant (CPA) or certified management accountant (CMA) designations. Accelerated programs can help you reach your professional goals faster, which also improves the long-term returns on your educational investment.
Trade-Offs in Getting Your Online Accounting Bachelor's Faster
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Challenging Workloads: Accelerated online accounting degrees cover the same material as regularly paced programs. They just take less time. Thus, you'll need to work harder to succeed. If you find certain concepts difficult, you'll have less time to work through them if you want to stay on schedule.
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Rigid Program Structures: Due to their fast pacing, accelerated accounting programs often have rigid structures. If you're seeking to balance a full-time job with schooling, or if you might need to move between part-time and full-time learning, you may find accelerated programs too demanding or restrictive.
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Eligibility Restrictions: The demands of accelerated learning aren't for everyone. As such, schools may limit eligibility for accelerated programs to students meeting highly specific profiles. For instance, you may need extensive prerequisites, relevant work experience, or exceptional grades. If you don't make adequate progress in the accelerated program, you may face reassignment to a regularly paced alternative.
What to Expect From a Short Online Accounting Program
Like regularly paced programs, accelerated online accounting degrees usually cover about 120 credits. However, accelerated programs use a variety of tools to move students through those credit requirements more quickly. Examples include:
- Compact term lengths
- Self-paced, asynchronous delivery models
- Customized degree plans
- Competency-based assessments, which allow you to move ahead as soon as you can exhibit proficiency with essential concepts
Accelerated programs vary in length. Some trim the typical graduation timeline from about four years to three. Others support paths to graduation in as little as 12–15 months.
The shorter an online program is, the more demanding its entry requirements tend to be. For example, accelerated degrees with one-year completion timelines may require professional accounting experience, transferable college credits, or both.
If you lack one or more of the necessary qualifications, you may not have access to the shortest possible completion pathway.
How Does an Accelerated Online Accounting Degree Differ From an On-Campus Bachelor's?
In a campus-based program with regular pacing, full-time students usually take five courses per semester or 10 per academic year. Semesters typically continue for about 15 weeks and end with examination periods.
You'll proceed through a structured degree plan as you pass your courses, gradually moving from introductory to intermediate to advanced material.
Accelerated online programs can deviate from these standards. For instance, you may not follow traditional 15-week semesters. Instead, accelerated programs often distill learning into more compact schedules in the range of about 5-8 weeks. Or, you may follow a standard 15-week semester structure, but with an overloaded schedule that exceeds the usual full-time course load.
Some programs also use alternative models, focusing course content on highly specific concepts and allowing students to move on as soon as they master those concepts.
Schools often refer to these structures as competency-based or proficiency-based learning. They essentially allow you to take the equivalent of a final exam as soon as you're ready and earn credit for the course as soon as you pass.
The following table summarizes the major structural differences between traditional campus-based and accelerated online accounting degrees:
Comparing Online Accelerated and On-Campus Bachelor's in Accounting Degrees
| Factor |
Online Accelerated Program |
On-Campus Program |
| Admission Requirements |
Special or additional admission requirements, such as academic prerequisites, relevant professional experience, or exceptional academic achievement may apply |
Programs are open to high school graduates who meet the necessary GPA and SAT/ACT requirements |
| Term/Semester Length |
As short as 5–8 weeks |
Usually 15 weeks |
| Program Length |
1–3 years |
Four years |
| Credit Requirements |
About 120 credits |
About 120 credits |
Sources: University of Holy Cross, University of Maine, University of North Dakota, Illinois College
Compact term lengths, shorter program timelines, and the potential for elevated admission requirements all separate accelerated programs from standard programs.
While accelerated learning offers many advantages, many students find it demanding. You'll need focus and commitment to succeed.
Delivery Formats for Accelerated Online Accounting Degrees
Accelerated online accounting degrees usually feature 100% online structures. However, some schools offer accelerated campus-based programs, opening up hybrid learning opportunities for students living locally.
Fully online degrees maximize convenience and flexibility while optimizing costs. Hybrid programs might appeal to you if you're seeking the social and networking aspects of the traditional campus experience.
Online courses follow either synchronous or asynchronous schedules. Synchronous classes meet at set times and involve live lectures and interactions.
Asynchronous classes deliver course content via pre-recorded lectures. You engage with the material on your own schedule, and your peer and faculty interactions often do not occur in real time.
Synchronous learning allows live engagement with your cohorts and instructors, which can add value to your learning experience. But it offers less flexibility than asynchronicity.
To maintain the accelerated pace, you'll need to follow a tight learning schedule that assumes ongoing full-time enrollment. However, schools often recognize that students may need to move between accelerated and regular learning rates at varying times.
As such, you may have the flexibility to shift into a regularly paced program, either temporarily or permanently. You might also have the option to take classes at an accelerated pace but on a part-time schedule. In either case, you'll likely need to work on a customized degree plan with an academic advisor.
How Much Do Online Accelerated Bachelor's Programs Cost?
Accelerated online programs often work out to be one of the most affordable paths to a bachelor's accounting degree. Some schools extend tuition discounts to learners in their accelerated programs, while others apply lower per-credit or per-course rates to online classes.
Ultimately, though, schools set tuition policies and rates individually. Your accelerated online accounting degree could cost the same on a per-credit basis as a traditional campus-based program, or it could cost less.
The universally relevant financial advantage of accelerated learning relates to the degree completion timeline. Accelerated programs support faster workforce entry, helping you get credentialed and earning a full-time salary more quickly. This feature alone tends to give accelerated programs a superior cost-benefit profile.
You'll still qualify for federal financial aid if you need it. Major examples include scholarships, fellowships, study grants, and loans. The links below offer further information about popular sources of aid.
Common Questions About Quick Accounting Degrees
What is the fastest way to finish an accounting degree?
Accelerated programs offer the most efficient path to graduation. By definition, they reduce the usual four-year timeline by at least one year. If you have the necessary professional and/or academic background, you can graduate even faster.
Can you complete an online accounting degree in one year?
Yes, some accelerated online accounting degrees have completion timelines as short as 12 months. However, conditions apply. To graduate in one year, you'll likely need transferable college credits and professional accounting experience. You'll also need to optimize your graduation timeline with intensive full-time study.
Is an accelerated accounting degree worth it?
Accelerated programs support faster workforce entry and built-in savings opportunities, which students often find advantageous. However, these benefits come with trade-offs that may include fast, demanding pacing and heavy course loads. These features create challenges, which you'll need to consider alongside the potential benefits.
Is a two-year online degree worth it?
A standard two-year degree usually leads to an associate-level credential, which may qualify you for entry-level work and position you for further study. However, you'll likely have lower earning power and you won't meet the academic requirements for CPA or CMA licensure.
The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by Accounting.com. Page last reviewed Feb. 28, 2024.
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