Boston College Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

64.0 of 100

Cost (20%)

0.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

10.0 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.6 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

0.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.7 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.9 of 10

Format

On Campus

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

See exactly how we score on the methodology page. We checked the school's figures on October 8, 2026.

You pick one of three accounting concentrations inside the Carroll School of Management. The one for future certified public accountants (CPAs) is built around the exam sections. A 9 to 12 month M.S. in Accounting on the same campus covers the 150-hour rule.

Boston College is a private university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. This Bachelor of Science in Business with an accounting concentration sits in the Carroll School's Accounting Department.

• Future CPAs: the Accounting concentration is the one the school says to choose if you plan to sit for the exam.
• Students headed to consulting or investment banking: Accounting for Finance and Consulting adds electives like Intro to the Investment Banking Industry.
• Students who like systems and data: Accounting and Information Systems pairs accounting with technology work.
• Students who want time abroad: the department encourages accounting concentrators to study abroad and plans course approval with you in advance.
• Students still deciding: you can switch between the first two concentrations after the first intermediate course.

Everyone starts with Financial Accounting in the business core. The Accounting concentration then adds six courses, led by Financial Accounting Standards and Theory I and II and Managerial Cost and Strategic Analysis. You then pick one of three courses: a third standards course, advanced tax, or Accounting Information Systems. Those match the discipline choices on the CPA exam.

Electives include Audit and Other Assurance Services, Forensic Accounting, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting and Analysis, and AI Applications in Business, which uses corporate data. The Finance and Consulting concentration is shorter, at four courses. It starts with Intermediate Accounting for Finance and Consulting and lets you add business analytics, finance or economics electives.

Students in that version learn to use financial statements to analyze and value companies.

Most students graduate with 120 credit hours, and CPA licensure in almost every state asks for 150. The department says most undergraduates close the gap with Advanced Placement (AP) credit, overloads, or online and summer courses.

If you'd rather add a year, the linked M.S. in Accounting runs 9 to 12 months. It starts in September and finishes in May or August, depending on your course load. Auditing counts for both CPA eligibility and admission to that master's.

Boston College works out to about $2,313 per credit, based on the annual out-of-state tuition the school reports.

You'll attend classes on campus. Online and summer courses are one way the department says students collect extra credit hours toward 150. Some electives run only in fall or spring, so plan your sequence early with the department.

The Carroll School holds AACSB accreditation. The Accounting concentration is designed around the three core CPA exam parts and the candidate's chosen fourth part. The M.S. page states that its graduates' first-time CPA pass rate is more than 30% above the national average. The school also reports that U.S. News placed its undergraduate accounting program eighth in 2026.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

A student reviewing the school on Niche calls Boston College strong in academics, especially in the business school. Niche's summary of those reviews says students value the demanding curriculum and dedicated Carroll School professors. A finance graduate on GradReports recommends the business school and says it's a target school for many investment banks.

That alum adds that you'll have plenty of people to contact if you want to work on Wall Street. The school lists Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase among sample employers.

• Which of the three concentrations fits my goal, and when do I have to choose?
• How many AP or summer credits will I need to reach 150 hours without an extra year?
• Does my state's board accept every accounting course I plan to take?
• How does the Career Accelerator course connect me to alumni for mock interviews?

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