Students who want to pursue accounting programs in Georgia have dozens of options. The fact that the state has more than two dozen colleges offering distance learning options can help prospective students achieve a stronger education-work-life balance. Students might also be attracted to the state's well-respected public educational and research institutes in major cities, while others may wish to enroll in the state's private African-American colleges.
Use this page as a guide to find accounting schools in Georgia for various accounting degrees and specialties, as well as the state's major employment centers for accountants and auditors.
Quick facts about accounting schools in Georgia
Student who wish to study accounting in Georgia have a wealth of choices, from distance learning to large public colleges and universities in the state's urban centers to rustic private colleges in smaller rural Georgia towns. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are:
- 32 two-year colleges in Georgia that offer certificate-based accountancy coursework
- 66 schools that offer associates and bachelor degree programs
- 16 institutions that offer graduate- and doctoral-level degrees
- For distance learners, there are 21 schools that feature online coursework with a range of educational options from certificates to master's degrees
Metropolitan employment centers for Georgia accountants
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a total of 37,590 accountants and auditors working in Georgia in May of 2015 at median hourly wages of $36.95. The top five metropolitan employment centers and median wages for accountants and auditors include:
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, there were 28,660 accountants and auditors working in Georgia's metropolitan area at mean annual wages of $79,170.
- The six-county Chattanooga, Tenn.-Georgia metropolitan area employed 1,290 accountants at mean annual wages of $64,800.
- The Augusta and Richmond County, S.C. metropolitan region employed 1,200 accountants and auditors are mean annual wages of $67,960.
- Greater Savannah employed 1,070 accountants at mean wages of $71,490 per year.
- The Columbus region employed 790 accountants at mean wages of $70,020 annually.
Accounting programs in Georgia
Although several dozen schools in Georgia offer accounting programs, only five have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Here's a closer look some of those schools.
| School | Accounting Degrees Awarded (2014-2015) | 2014 Graduation Rate | About |
| Georgia State University | 386 | 54% | Georgia State University in Atlanta is one of the South's leading pubic research institutions. The School of Accountancy provides study in accounting education and research, with degree paths in bachelor of arts in accounting, master of professional accountancy, master of science in information systems audit and control, master of taxation and doctorate of philosophy in accounting. |
| University of Georgia | 382 | 84% | The University of Georgia's J.M. Tull School of Accounting offers four degree options for accounting students: bachelors of business administration in accounting; joint bachelor of business administration/master of accountancy; master of accountancy; doctorate of accountancy. UGA's main campus is located in Athens, about 60 miles north of Atlanta and had a total enrollment of 35,179 in fall of 2015. |
| Kennesaw State University | 359 | 42% | The highly regarded School of Accountancy at Kennesaw State University's Coles College of Business features two degree options: bachelor's of business administration in accounting and master's of accounting. Kennesaw State University is located north of Atlanta. |
| Georgia Southern University | 120 | 50% | Georgia Southern University's School of Accountancy enrolls more than 300 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. The school has a full-time staff of 22 accounting and legal studies professors. Located south of Atlanta, Georgia Southern provides education to more than 20,500 students in 48 states and abroad. |
Accounting programs in Georgia can position students to work in the field of accountancy in Atlanta, where the vast majority of the state's accountants are employed, or in any other part of the state. According to job forecast site Projections Central, employment of accountants in Georgia is expected to grow by nearly 23.1 percent -- 9,210 new jobs -- from 2014 through 2024.
Sources:
- Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Query System, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2015, http://data.bls.gov/oes/datatype.do
- May 2015 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Georgia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ga.htm#13-0000
- College Navigator, National Center for Educational Statistics, accessed July 27, 2016, http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
- School of Accountancy, Kennesaw State University, accessed November 26, 2014, http://coles.kennesaw.edu/departments_faculty/accounting.htm
- The School of Accountancy, Georgia Southern University, accessed November 26, 2014,http://coba.georgiasouthern.edu/soa/
- J.M. Tull School of Accounting, University of Georgia, accessed November 26, 2014, www.terry.uga.edu/academics/offices/accounting
- Long-Term Occupational Projections, Projections Central, accessed July 27, 2016, www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm