About Accounting.com

Accounting.com strives to be a leading source of insights and resources for future and current accountants.

Our mission is to provide a targeted view of top degree programs, highlight successful job profiles, and help guide aspiring and current accountants through their academic and career paths.

We are committed to:

• Focusing on pathways to success
• Giving helpful career guidance
• Being a source of truth

You can find many tools on our site to help you in your accounting career, including custom-crafted program rankings and comprehensive degree guides to help you explore your accounting career options. We also create financial aid and scholarship guides to help you pay for your education.

Our Editorial Process

At Accounting.com, we want to help you achieve your education and career goals. Our editorial process includes several steps to achieve this mission:

Research current and accurate information and data from sources such as:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• National Center for Education Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education

Collect insights from first-hand interviews from:

• Industry leaders
• Accounting professionals
• Recent graduates
• Current students

Consult with industry professionals to ensure our content is:

• Precise
• Timely
• Thorough

At Accounting.com, we rank schools and accounting programs to give you the best information for your educational decisions. We use four main factors to rank programs:

• Academic quality
• Affordability
• Reputation
• Program availability

We also weigh other considerations when creating our rankings, such as:

• Retention rate
• Graduation rate
• Robust faculty

Our rankings methodology explains in detail how we rank accounting programs.

Editorial Integrity

Accounting.com strives to empower lifelong learners to grow their careers and improve their lives through education.

To do this, we have a team of independent professionals and industry insiders with expertise in:

• Accounting
• Finance and financial planning
• Business and business administration
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
• Admissions (undergraduate and graduate-level)
• Financial aid
• Career coaching and advocacy
• Professional development

These reviewers help ensure our content is accurate, reliable, inclusive, and transparent.

Why We Focus on Education

Accounting.com believes education is one of the most valuable tools. We want to ensure students connect with the right programs and feel ready to pursue their accounting education and desired careers.

For students planning to become certified public accountants (CPAs), we help them chart the right path to that goal. And we don't just match learners with degrees — we also provide resources for those wanting to learn how to do their taxes.

You can count on us for resources and insights that can help you:

• Build skills
• Develop connections
• Earn credentials and certifications
• Advance your career

No matter who you are — a student considering an accounting degree, an accounting professional looking to advance your career, or an individual seeking basic accounting skills — Accounting.com offers resources to help you reach your goals.

Meet Our Team

Accounting.com's team shares a passion for education. We believe professional development can help students to advance their careers and financial status.

With these goals in mind, we work collaboratively to create content that is straightforward, accurate, and continually updated. We research and explain what you need to know to make the best decisions for your accounting education and future.

Our writers, editors, and reviewers draw from diverse professional backgrounds. Our team:

• Has degrees in subjects including accounting, finance, business administration, public policy, education leadership and policy, higher education and student affairs, library and information science, psychology, sociology, journalism, communication arts, and English
• Believes in the power of professional development
• Commits to combating biases through inclusive thought, language, and content
• Loves crunching the numbers and relies on data from reputable sources

Lauren Mastbaum, MA

Principal Editor

Lauren Mastbaum earned her master's in sociology and bachelor's in journalism from Lehigh University and has more than a decade of experience in editing and marketing. Creating content in financial services, she worked with clients such as Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Wells Fargo. She's also passionate about education and led communications at Drexel University, helping nontraditional students through the school's academic advising and diversity department and non-degree-seeking learners in Drexel's continuing education college.

Lizzette Matos, CPA

Reviewer

Lizzette Matos began her career at Ernst & Young, where she audited a diverse set of companies, primarily in consumer products and media and entertainment. She has worked in the private industry as an accountant for law firms and ITOCHU Corporation, an international conglomerate that manages over 20 subsidiaries and affiliates. Matos stays up to date on changes in the accounting industry through educational courses.

Casey Watson, CPA

Reviewer

Casey Watson has over 25 years of experience in internal and external auditing, individual and corporate taxes, corporate and forensic accounting, federal practice, and risk and compliance. She has worked for two Big Four accounting firms, smaller CPA firms, and in industry accounting.

R.J. Weiss, CFP

Reviewer

R.J. Weiss is a certified financial planner (CFP) who has worked with clients planning investments, insurance, income taxes, and retirement. Weiss is the CEO of financial education company, The Ways To Wealth, which teaches financial planning fundamentals to hundreds of thousands of monthly readers.

James M. Tobin, MFA

Writer

James M. Tobin is a writer, researcher, and editor specializing in student reference and academic research materials related to business, finance, law, technology, and the humanities. He began his professional career in editorial services in 2001 and holds MFA, BFA, and BA degrees in creative writing, journalism, and English literature with an emphasis on research methods.

Cynthia Widmayer

Writer

Cynthia Widmayer is a business writer helping small enterprises, solopreneurs, and creatives tell their brand story with engaging web content since 2013. Her bylines can be found in Bankrate, Metacritic, CNET, and The Simple Dollar, among others. She has a background in mass communication and media studies.

Meet more of our contributors

Our Policies

Advertising Disclosure

At Accounting.com, we make money by letting accredited schools and other organizations advertise with us. Read our advertising disclosure statement, our privacy policy, and our terms of service to learn more.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our Accounting.com team writes diverse, equitable, and inclusive content. That means ensuring our content is accessible, reflects various experiences and perspectives, and is continually updated.

Some of our recent content that highlights diversity in accounting includes:

• Most Diverse Accounting Programs
• Best HBCU Accounting Programs
• Financial Aid for Military and Veterans
• Financial Aid for Underrepresented Students
• Available Scholarships for Women in Accounting

Frequently Asked Questions