Northwest Missouri State University Accounting - Public: 2027 Review

Score

62.3 of 100

Cost (20%)

8.8 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

4.3 of 10

Completion (15%)

5.3 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

5.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

9.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

5.6 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

5.9 of 10

Cost per Credit

$368 per credit

Credits

120

Tuition

$44,160

Format

Fully Online

Time to Finish

As few as 30 months

Transfer Credits

Up to 78

Accreditation

ACBSP (confirmed on the official list)

See exactly how we score on the methodology page. We checked the school's figures on October 7, 2026.

Northwest lets you finish a 120-credit accounting bachelor's entirely online in as few as 30 months. Courses run seven weeks, with several start dates each year. You'll work through the Public Accounting track: Intermediate Accounting I to III, Auditing and two tax courses. Professionals teach all of them, not graduate assistants.

Northwest Missouri State University offers this B.S. in Accounting, Public track, through its Booth School of Business in Maryville, Missouri. You earn the degree 100% online. It covers the same core accounting principles and tracks as the on-campus program.

• You're an adult with a stack of college credits. Up to 78 credits can transfer in.
• You're a working accountant or bookkeeper. You can keep your job, and that work may count toward experience for certified public accountant (CPA) licensure.
• You want the audit and tax route. This track targets careers in public accounting, auditing or tax at a professional services firm.
• You're a parent who needs flexible hours. One reviewer with children said classes run on your own time.

Your accounting emphasis starts with Accounting I and II. Then you move to Intermediate Accounting I, which covers recording and controlling assets and liabilities. Intermediate Accounting III adds governmental and not-for-profit accounting. Cost Accounting teaches you managerial decision support and spreadsheet use.

Individual Taxation and Business Taxation cover compliance and planning for people and for corporations, partnerships and trusts. Advanced Accounting covers consolidated statements and international accounting. Auditing teaches generally accepted auditing standards. Accounting Analytics introduces turning data into useful information. You'll also take a business foundation of 48 credits.

If you want a student group, Accounting Society is an organization for accounting majors.

The degree totals 120 credits, and the fastest path is as few as 30 months. Up to 78 hours can transfer from other schools. If you're a transfer student with 24 or more transferable hours, you need a 2.0 transfer GPA.

Courses build in sequence. Auditing and Advanced Accounting need Intermediate Accounting II. The upper accounting courses need Accounting I and II first. All 50 states require 150 credit hours for CPA licensure, so you can plan extra accounting and business courses toward that total.

Your tuition is $368 per credit hour, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. The school bills by the course, at $1,104 per three-credit course, plus a $39 per course fee.

You take courses over seven weeks in an accelerated format, with multiple start dates each year. Your Assessment of Core Proficiencies is proctored remotely.

Northwest's business programs, including accounting, are accredited by ACBSP. The Public track curriculum gives you background in the material tested on the four parts of the CPA exam. The school says its students' pass rate has historically been about 15% higher than the state average. An industry advisory board meets annually with faculty.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

If you're weighing the advising, a graduate reviewing the school on OnlineU in 2026 credited an advisor for helping navigate courses with ease. You'll find OnlineU's 2024 summary of student reviews says students value flexible scheduling, manageable coursework for working adults, and a reputation that appears to help in hiring.

It also calls affordability a recurring strength. OnlineU shows 94% of reviewers would recommend the school. U.S. News ranked Northwest No. 20 among Midwest public regional universities in 2025. You can see where graduates land too. The school says they've taken positions with firms such as FORVIS and RSM US.

• How many of my existing credits will count toward the 48-credit business foundation versus the accounting emphasis?
• Which start date lets me begin Accounting I and II right away, given the prerequisite chain?
• Which extra courses would take me from 120 credits to the 150 hours needed for CPA licensure?
• Can my accounting job count toward the experience part of CPA licensure?

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