Northern Illinois University Bachelor of Science in Accountancy: 2027 Review

Score

71.1 of 100, rank 8 of 100

Cost (20%)

8.7 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

6.4 of 10

Completion (15%)

8.6 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

0.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.2 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

8.8 of 10

Credits

120

Format

On Campus

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.

Northern Illinois University gives you a required Data Analytics in Accounting course and a 10-week full-time internship option in the same department. From 2019 to 2023 the department placed an average of 94 students in internships each year.

The Bachelor of Science in Accountancy comes from the Department of Accountancy and Finance in the College of Business at Northern Illinois University, a public university in DeKalb, Illinois. The business college holds AACSB accreditation. You take classes in person on campus.

• Future internal auditors: you can earn an Endorsed Internal Audit Certificate through NIU's membership in the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Internal Auditing Education Partnership.
• Students targeting the big firms: you'll find graduates at KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, Crowe, RSM and BDO. The department runs an accountancy career fair.
• Future certified public accountants (CPAs) who plan a fifth year: the accelerated B.S./MAS route leads to the Master of Accounting Science.
• Students who like fraud work: you'll find Forensic Accounting/Fraud Examination (ACCY 465) as an advanced option.
• Students who want a student group: the Student Accountancy Society hosts professional meetings and networking events.

You'll build on a first-year pair, Introductory Financial Accounting and Introductory Cost Management, in Financial Reporting I and II (ACCY 331, 332). Assurance Services (ACCY 360) covers auditing, risk assessment, internal control and professional skepticism. Data Analytics in Accounting (ACCY 415) teaches you to use accounting data to solve business problems.

Taxation of Business Entities (ACCY 450) covers federal tax on business entities. Intermediate Cost Management (ACCY 320) and Accounting Information Systems (ACCY 310) are also required. Three writing and career seminars, including an Excel certification and mock interviews, run through the sequence. You then choose from advanced courses such as Internal Auditing, Information Systems Auditing and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Reporting.

The published degree path is eight semesters, a standard four-year plan. The accelerated route adds the 30-credit Master of Accounting Science as a fifth year, and you can apply for early admission to the master's during senior year. Internships open after you finish semester five on the path. Three semester hours of internship credit count toward your degree.

You'll pay $377 per credit, the school reports.

You meet on the DeKalb campus. Internships are 10 weeks of full-time, accounting-oriented work for three credits, with papers and an oral presentation. You can attend the accountancy career fair in person each fall. NIU also offers an Experiential Learning Center where teams of four to eight consult for real organizations over 16 weeks.

The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International in business and accounting. The IIA partnership can lead to a Certification of Completion when you take ACCY 360, ACCY 462, a business elective and an internal audit internship. The school says its Master of Accounting Science fulfills the educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam in Illinois.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

An accountancy student profiled in the College of Business news credited the accountancy career fair for two summer internships with John Deere. An alumnus who answered the Poets&Quants undergraduate survey in 2026 said the accounting internship class helped them get a foot in the door at their current firm.

A reviewer on OnlineU, a college review site, called the business school, specifically accounting, very well respected in the industry. Another OnlineU reviewer said the professors were knowledgeable and invested in students.

• What do I need on the Accountancy Qualifying Exam if I miss the B in ACCY 206?
• Which internship timing keeps me on the eight-semester degree path?
• What do I need to qualify for the Endorsed Internal Audit Certificate?
• How does early admission to the Master of Accounting Science work for me?

• Best Bachelor's Programs #8 of 100
• Best AACSB Accredited Programs #8 of 85
• Best Public University Programs #8 of 79
• Accounting Programs in Illinois #1 of 7

• University of South Florida #6 of 100
• Florida State University #7 of 100
• California State University-Northridge #9 of 100
• University of Florida #10 of 100

Also at Northern Illinois University: our master's program review