Northwood University Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

62.1 of 100

Cost (20%)

7.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

2.7 of 10

Completion (15%)

8.9 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

6.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

9.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

7.6 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

3.9 of 10

Cost per Credit

$525 per credit

Credits

120

Tuition

$63,000

Format

Fully Online, On Campus, Live and Asynchronous

Terms

6 weeks

Transfer Credits

Up to 90

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.

Northwood puts you in accounting classes from your first semester and lets you take one course at a time, with a new class starting every six weeks. The school says you finish with every credit needed to pursue certified public accountant (CPA) licensure. A three-year option adds a master's in year four.

Northwood University is a private nonprofit school in Midland, Michigan. You can take its Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting online or on campus, and the school says the curriculum's the same in both. Your online classes can be asynchronous, live, or a mix.

• You're a working adult with years of management experience. Credit for Prior Learning can turn that experience into college credit, up to 60 semester hours overall.
• You're a transfer student. Up to 90 credits can count toward the degree.
• You're a future CPA who wants a master's. The three-year bachelor's with a fourth-year master's path suits you.
• You like small classes and professors with field experience, including faculty who are CPAs.
• You're a small business bookkeeper. An elective teaches QuickBooks and its fee covers a QuickBooks Certified User testing voucher.

You start with Fundamentals of Financial Accounting and Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting. Intermediate Accounting I and II cover how assets, liabilities, leases and debt are reported. Accounting Information Systems traces how data is captured, controlled and reported. Auditing covers ethics, evidence, sampling and audit reports.

Electives include Forensic Accounting, which prepares you for the certified fraud examiner (CFE) exam, plus Fraud Examination and Federal Tax Research. You'll use Excel, Tableau, Power BI, Alteryx and MindBridge in your coursework. You can choose an internship of at least 150 hours.

The Honorary Accounting Society brings in guest speakers.

The suggested plan is four years and 120 credits. Up to 90 credits can transfer, so your pace depends on what you bring. The accelerated route finishes your bachelor's in three years and adds a master's in the fourth. If you're admitted to the Bachelor/MBA track, you get direct admission to the DeVos Graduate School.

Your tuition is $525 per credit hour, or $1,575 per 3-credit course, for 2026-2027. Textbooks are included in online tuition. Employers can set up tuition arrangements through the corporate partnership team.

Online classes start every six weeks, so you can begin at several points in the year. You take one course at a time. Courses may be fully asynchronous, live, or a combination. You'll work with an assigned academic advisor. As an online student, you use the same tutoring, library and career services as campus students.

The program is accredited by ACBSP, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The catalog says the program prepares you to sit for the CPA exam in most states. State boards make the final call on which courses count. The forensic accounting course also lines up with the CFE exam.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

You'll read praise for knowledgeable, supportive professors from students reviewing the school on Niche. One says they want students to succeed no matter what it takes. In a Niche poll, 83% of 35 respondents said the workload is easy to manage.

An accounting student quoted in school news values the industry knowledge professors share from their own careers. Another won a Michigan Accountancy Foundation scholarship aimed at becoming a CPA. Forbes Advisor named Northwood among its 10 best online accounting programs in 2023.

• Which of my transfer credits will count toward the accounting major?
• Which of my online courses will meet live, and when?
• How do I qualify for the three-year bachelor's with a master's in year four?
• Does my state board accept the credits I will earn for CPA exam eligibility?
• Can I earn credit for prior learning from my management experience?

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