Accounting and Related Services: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Accounting and Related Services graduates earn a median $76,194 four years after finishing — $27,834/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 2.4 years. Federal data pools 956 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 45,711 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Accounting and Related Services ranks #56 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 73% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University | DC | $141,931 |
| 2 | Bucknell University | PA | $130,990 |
| 3 | Santa Clara University | CA | $130,087 |
| 4 | Boston College | MA | $126,461 |
| 5 | Lehigh University | PA | $125,874 |
| 6 | University of Southern California | CA | $121,101 |
| 7 | Villanova University | PA | $120,207 |
| 8 | American University | DC | $119,020 |
| 9 | Washington and Lee University | VA | $118,946 |
| 10 | Fordham University | NY | $117,024 |
| 11 | George Washington University | DC | $116,795 |
| 12 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $115,909 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does Accounting and Related Services pay grow after graduation?
From $52,373 one year out to $76,194 four years out — a $23,821 climb, or 45% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in Accounting and Related Services each year?
About 45,711 bachelor's graduates a year across 956 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.