Accounting Bachelor Degree Programs in Arizona

There are several Great Value Accounting Bachelor Degree Programs in Arizona. Accounting is one of the fastest growing areas of professional practice in business. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects demand for accountants in all areas to grow at a rate of 13 percent through 2022. That rate can be expected to increase as the general health of the economy improves. The average salary for accountants was more than $63,000 in 2012, making it an attractive profession for many adults but also requiring caution in how much students pay to achieve the degree. The degree programs listed below qualify as great value programs based on accreditation and tuition.

Grand Canyon University

Ken Blanchard College of Business

Grand Canyon University is one of Arizona’s leading private schools. It is a Christian university founded in 1949 and maintains close focus on biblical ethics and Christian doctrine. Grand Canyon University has more than 31,000 students but still maintains small classes. Grand Canyon administration is proud of its 16-1 student-faculty ratio. U.S. News and World Report included Grand Canyon University on its 2014 list of Best Colleges and Regional Universities (West), Tier 2. The university is regionally accredited and its Ken Blanchard College of Business also is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), indicating that the school’s business programs maintain the highest quality.

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

Grand Canyon University’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program prepares students for a variety of future choices. Students completing the program are qualified to begin work in an accounting department of an organization and they are qualified to sit for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam right away. Graduates may be qualified to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in many states, though some states may require more than the 124 credit hours required for graduation. Students seeking CPA certification will need to take additional courses to meet the minimum requirement of 150 hours for CPA licensing. Grand Canyon University’s program introduces students to a broad range of accounting specialties and is rich in theory as well as in practical application. Graduates may choose to begin work in some accounting field or continue their education at the master’s level.

Contact
3300 West Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
602-639-7500
[email protected]
Graduation Rate: 45 percent in four years; 51 percent in six years. Average time to graduation is 3.25 years.
Tuition: $17,000

University of Phoenix

School of Business

University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the country. Nationally, the university has more than 256,000 total students, most of whom are older, working adults. The University of Phoenix has physical campuses in all areas of the country but focuses on its online programs. The university has a well developed online presence that in many respects defined online education as it evolved to the state in which it currently exists. It currently is facing accreditation issues because of its relationship with its Apollo Group corporate parent rather than any question about its academic quality. All of the programs at University of Phoenix maintain high academic quality.

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program requires 72 credit hours in the core program and another 48 credit hours of electives and general education classes to meet the 120 credit hours that is the minimum requirement to achieve the undergraduate accounting degree at the University of Phoenix. The structure of the program ensures that graduates have strong grounding in accounting principles and practice but that students also can focus on areas of accounting that interest them most. Graduates are prepared to work in accounting in any kind of organization including private sector companies and public agencies in both for profit and nonprofit organizations. The Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program also enables graduates to continue to master level programs. Graduates can sit for various accounting certification exams but will need additional credit hours to gain CPA licensing.

Contact
Central Administration
University of Phoenix
1625 W. Fountainhead Pkwy
Tempe, AZ 85282-2371

Online Campus
University of Phoenix
3157 E. Elwood St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
866-766-0766
Website
Graduation Rate: 1 percent in 4 years, 4 percent in 6 years. About 33 percent of first time students return for a second year.
Tuition: $11,320

Western International University

Western International University is a small school based in Tempe, Arizona. Founded in 1978, it is the true “value” school of the Apollo Group, the owner of this for profit university that is a sister organization to the University of Phoenix. Western International offers new students their first two online classes for only $200, supporting Western International University’s position that education should be affordable and accessible. The position of Western International University is that any individual willing to work for a degree should have access to gaining that degree. The institution accepts students of all ages but focuses on the needs of working adults who attended college in the past but were unable to finish an undergraduate degree. As an Apollo Group school, it also is on notice by its accrediting organization, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Questions relating to accreditation involve its association with Apollo Group rather than any academic uncertainties.

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting

This is an online program that may include on-campus options as well. Prospective students will need to contact the school to learn more about that. The goal of this program is to provide a solid foundation in accounting principles and theory. Students who want to sit for the CPA exam in their home states may qualify for taking the exam but will need additional hours to gain CPA licensure in any state. Individual states set their own requirements and the school cannot guarantee that a student completing the Western International BS in accounting will pass any specific certification exam. It does promise that students will be taught the foundational knowledge necessary for passing those exams. Students who have less interest in professional certification will finish the program with broad knowledge that will enable them to work in accounting areas in any type of public or private organization.

Contact
1601 W. Fountainhead Parkway
Tempe, AZ 85282
866-948-4636
Website
Graduation Rate: 6 percent after 4 years
Tuition: $6,000

The preceding programs represent some of the best value undergraduate accounting degrees available in Arizona. All of the programs are academically sound, with tuition rates that qualify them for being counted as Great Value Accounting Bachelor Degree Programs in Arizona.