Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Bachelor of Science in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

69.1 of 100, rank 17 of 100

Cost (20%)

9.5 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

3.9 of 10

Completion (15%)

6.3 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

5.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

7.2 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

8.1 of 10

Credits

120

Format

Online Degree Completion, On Campus

Terms

8 weeks

Time to Finish

18 to 24 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.

SIU's online accounting completion route runs in 8-week courses, so you can take two at a time or one at a time. You also get a dedicated teaching assistant as an online student. The School of Accountancy has its own AACSB accounting accreditation, and the program says all Big 4 firms recruit its students.

The School of Accountancy in the College of Business and Analytics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers this B.S. in Accounting. The online version is a degree-completion path for students who already have college credit. It's delivered asynchronously.

• Transfer students with 30 credit hours and a 2.0 GPA: that's the entry point for the online completion route.
• Parents and professionals who can't come to campus: SIU says the online design suits you if you work at your own pace.
• Associate degree graduates: the Capstone Option lowers your University Core from 39 to 30 credit hours.
• Future certified public accountants (CPAs) in Illinois: SIU says it is the only Illinois public university with an accredited online accounting completion option. That option qualifies graduates to take the CPA exam.
• Students who want an internship: the school offers a 3-credit Internship course and says most internships are paid.

The accounting sequence starts with Accounting I and Accounting II. It moves through Intermediate Accounting I and II, then Cost Accounting, Federal Income Taxation, Accounting Information Systems and Auditing. You complete 30 hours of major requirements, 47 hours of professional business core and 39 hours of University Core.

Beta Alpha Psi, the honors organization for accounting majors, runs a free tax preparation program for the community. The school lists four student organizations for accounting majors, including the Accounting Society and the National Association of Black Accountants.

The online coursework is about 64 credit hours across 22 courses. SIU says it can be completed in 18 to 24 months. The full degree totals 120 credit hours. You need 30 transfer credit hours, completed or attempted, with a 2.0 GPA to apply.

Taking two 8-week courses at a time gives you four courses a semester. The catalog points public accounting students toward a fifth-year Master of Accountancy, because Illinois and most other states require 150 hours of college credit for a CPA license.

SIU's reported charge is about $321 per credit. You can look into scholarships through the College of Business and Analytics and the School of Accountancy, both need-based and merit-based.

Each course runs 8 weeks, and the format is asynchronous. You can take two classes at once or one at a time. SIU describes the modular design as letting you finish work at your convenience. Help is an email or phone call away.

Both the college and the School of Accountancy hold AACSB accreditation. The school is also separately accredited in accounting by the AACSB and belongs to the Federation of Schools of Accountancy. The degree qualifies you to take the CPA exam.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

A student reviewing the school on OnlineU described the business school as a fantastic place to learn that works to help students secure jobs after graduation. SIU says 79% of internship students have full-time accounting jobs by graduation. The school also says 92% of bachelor's students find degree-related employment, often before graduating. It lists regional and local public firms, government agencies and private companies among employers that recruit its students.

• Which of my transfer courses will count toward the 64 credit hours of online coursework?
• Can I take the Internship course while I work, and how do online students find paid placements?
• How would my associate degree fit the Capstone Option and the lower University Core?
• What would a fifth-year Master of Accountancy add toward the 150 hours for CPA licensure?

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