Portland State University Accounting (Bachelor of Science): 2027 Review

Score

63.8 of 100

Cost (20%)

4.2 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

5.2 of 10

Completion (15%)

5.0 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

7.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.5 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

7.6 of 10

Credits

180

Format

Hybrid, Online, On Campus, Evenings and Weekends

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.

Portland State pairs a hybrid schedule that puts you on campus one day a week with two dedicated accounting career coaches. Its accounting program holds AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting, a distinction held by fewer than 200 accounting programs worldwide.

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting sits in the School of Business at Portland State University, a public university in Portland, Oregon. Classes run as daytime hybrid or evening remote sections, with some online courses subject to availability.

• Working students: daytime hybrid classes all meet on one day a week, and evening remote sections are available.
• Transfer students from community college: one PSU graduate did exactly that and finished a double major while working full time.
• Students aiming at Oregon's big firms: Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, EY and Moss Adams are among the employers the department names.
• Anyone who wants a master's quickly: the 4+1 path guarantees master's admission if you meet the GPA and grade requirements. Accelerated options also finish a Master of Taxation in one year.
• Graduates of other majors: a postbac certificate covers the certified public accountant (CPA) education requirements without a second bachelor's.

The degree map builds the major in your third year. You'll take the ACTG 381, 382 and 383 sequence across fall, winter and spring. ACTG 360 runs alongside it. In the fourth year you add ACTG 430 and ACTG 492, plus one four-credit accounting elective.

Your capstone is BA 495, which you reach after the eight 300-level business courses. The department folded a refresher into a bridge version of intermediate financial accounting, using ALEKS during the first weeks so everyone starts level. You'll learn Microsoft Excel and Intuit QuickBooks in the accounting minor.

The built-in AI in Business Microcredential won't cost you extra courses or fees.

The degree takes 180 credits, and you can start in any term. A four-year plan averages 45 credits a year, with most courses worth 4 credits. The degree map suggests you explore a summer internship in year three. The postbac certificate can be finished in as little as 20 months. Master of Taxation and Master of Science in Finance options can be completed in one year.

If you're out of state, annual tuition works out to about $904 per credit.

The school offers daytime hybrid classes and evening remote classes, plus online courses subject to availability. Each daytime hybrid course meets one day a week, so you visit campus once a week while you work. You can begin in any term.

The program holds AACSB accreditation, and the AACSB list shows Portland State University's School of Business as accredited in accounting. The school says it builds CPA exam prep into the program. The postbac certificate prepares you to meet the educational requirements for a CPA license.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

A 2024 Reddit thread has PSU graduates saying the career center lined up internship offers that became job offers within two weeks. Another graduate says the program pairs students with a professional mentor and helps them find scholarships. A Moss Adams partner on the PSU Accounting Advisory Board said in 2022 that PSU has long been one of the firm's top recruiting schools.

A CPA posting in 2022 on a CPA forum lists Portland State among the target schools for large and midsize Oregon firms. Business Degree Central named PSU the most popular Oregon school for accounting bachelor's students in 2023. Students surveyed about the ALEKS bridge course called it a confidence booster.

• Which ACTG electives do you recommend for the CPA exam?
• Which sections of the ACTG 381 to 383 sequence meet hybrid, and which meet in the evening?
• How do the two accounting career coaches match students with paid internships?
• What GPA and grades guarantee my admission to the 4+1 or Master of Taxation path?

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