George Mason University Bachelor of Science in Business With Accounting Concentration: 2027 Review

Score

64.8 of 100

Cost (20%)

1.7 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

7.9 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.2 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

4.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

6.9 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

8.9 of 10

Credits

120

Format

Fully Online

Time to Finish

48 months

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

AACSB Accounting

Accounting accreditation listed by AACSB

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

Mason's accounting concentration sits inside a business degree that you can finish fully online, with the same faculty who teach on campus. Its Accounting Advisory Council seats partners from PwC, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton and other firms, and the program carries an endorsement from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

The Costello College of Business at George Mason University, a public school in Fairfax, Virginia, offers this B.S. in Business with an Accounting Concentration. It runs 120 credits, and the concentration is 21 of them. The online version is built for working professionals and transfer students.

• If you're a community college transfer, Mason accepts credits for many Mason Core and business foundation courses.
• If you're heading to a certified public accountant (CPA) license, the 4+1 route adds the MS in Accounting in five years, which counts toward the 150 credits.
• If you want to fast-track, the A++ program finishes both degrees in four years.
• If you want Washington, D.C. employers, the college points to government roles and firm work for public-sector clients.
• If you're a club joiner, Beta Alpha Psi and the Accounting Society link members with firms.

You take six required accounting courses plus one elective. Managerial and Cost Accounting turns business data into information for decisions. Intermediate Accounting I and II form a two-course financial accounting sequence. Taxation and Managerial Decision Making teaches tax through a business-entities approach.

Accounting Analytics shows how firms collect, store and process data. Assurance and Audit Services covers audit objectives and practice. Electives include Financial Statement Analysis, International Accounting, Estate Planning and an Internship in Accounting. The business core adds two Business Analytics courses, and the BUS 498 capstone closes the degree once you have 90 graded credits.

The degree is 120 credits. At least 45 of them are at the 300 or 400 level, and the school says it typically takes four years. The sample plan runs 15 credits a semester. You'll meet your first accounting course, Survey of Accounting, in year two.

In the accelerated route you apply with a 3.0 GPA and 60 credits. You can take graduate courses after 75 undergraduate credits. The combined pathway totals 138 credits. Virginia's CPA pathways, starting January 2026, require a bachelor's with 24 upper-level accounting credits and 24 business credits.

The school reports about $1,453 per credit. BestColleges ranked Mason's online business program first for affordability in 2025, crediting high financial aid figures.

The program is offered 100% online and also on campus, and both groups are taught by the same faculty. Online students use the Costello Office of Career Services. Accounting is one of eight online concentrations, and you can take it as a second concentration of 18 credits.

The Costello College of Business holds AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting, and has held AACSB accreditation since 1989. The IMA endorses the accounting program. The curriculum prepares you for the CPA exam, and an alumna advises planning your exam date before your graduation date.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

An RSM partner said the people recruited from George Mason fit in perfectly with their teams. A Grant Thornton leader said Mason professors give candidates a practical real-world view. Students reviewing the school on Niche describe professors who bring real-world knowledge into class. An alumna in international tax at KPMG says her first accounting course was the challenge she needed. She entered KPMG through its externship program.

• Which of your community college credits count toward the Mason Core and business foundation courses?
• When do you apply for the 4+1 or A++ route, and what GPA keeps you eligible?
• Can online students join Beta Alpha Psi meetings and firm recruiting events?

• Best Bachelor's Programs
• Best AACSB Accredited Programs
• Best for CPA Candidates #22 of 79
• Best Online Programs #21 of 50
• Best Public University Programs

• Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• University of Georgia

Also at George Mason University: our master's program review