University of Arkansas Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

74.4 of 100, rank 4 of 100

Cost (20%)

8.7 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

6.5 of 10

Completion (15%)

5.7 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

4.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

10.0 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.5 of 10

Cost per Credit

$376.09 per credit

Credits

120

Tuition

$45,131

Format

Fully Online

Terms

15 weeks

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 7, 2026.

Arkansas charges every online student the in-state rate, and it teaches accounting through the William T. Dillard Department of Accounting, home to the state's only AACSB-accredited accounting programs. You can add the master's and a Becker certified public accountant (CPA) review course through a five-year integrated route.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting is offered online by the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. It's 100% online, so you study wherever you are. Accounting was the first major Walton College offered, and the department launched the college's first online degree plan in 2017.

• Out-of-state students: approved online programs charge you in-state tuition regardless of residency.
• Returning students: if you're finishing a degree begun years ago or adding a second degree, the program is pitched to you.
• Data-curious accountants: in the Accounting Analytics elective you work hands-on with analytics software and generative AI tools.
• Future CPAs: a department CPA Examination Advisor answers your questions about the exam and licensing.

You start with Accounting Principles I and II, which cover financial statements and then managerial decisions. The core then adds Accounting Technology, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Fundamentals of Taxation I, Product, Project and Service Costing, and Audit and Assurance Services. Audit and Assurance covers engagement planning, risk assessment and evidence gathering.

Electives include Accounting Analytics, Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting, and Fundamentals of Taxation II, which covers corporations, partnerships and trusts. An accounting internship course carries 1 to 3 credits, and you'll find the plan encourages it in spring of year four. Beta Alpha Psi has run a chapter on campus since 1951.

You can expect about four years for 120 credit hours, according to the online page. Fall and spring terms run 15 weeks, and summer uses five-week sessions, which gives you a way to catch up.

You should finish all pre-business requirements by the end of fall in year two. The integrated BSBA and master's route takes five years and awards both degrees at the same time. The master's route supplies the hours toward the 150-hour CPA licensing rule.

Tuition is $376.09 per credit hour at fall 2026 online rates. You pay in-state tuition in an approved online program, regardless of residency.

Your classes are fully online inside traditional semesters. To move into upper-division accounting, you'll finish the pre-business core, including a B or better in Accounting Principles I and a 2.50 GPA.

The department's programs are AACSB accredited, and the school says its undergraduate and master's programs were the first in Arkansas to earn that status, in 1985. Arkansas lets students with 30 upper-level accounting hours, Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting and 120 total hours apply to begin the CPA exam with department approval. If you take the integrated route, you get CPA preparation and a Becker review course.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

An online accounting major featured by Walton College in 2025 says reaching out to professors keeps him engaged. He called the audit course interesting and tied to his career goals. A Walton accounting graduate who won a national CPA Exam award said every CPA topic was already covered in one of his accounting classes.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recognizes the department as a key school in the CPA pipeline. The Journal of Accountancy noted in 2023 that master's students receive a timeline for CPA review courses. U.S. News & World Report ranked Walton's online bachelor's business programs No. 8 in 2025.

• Can online students use the accounting internship course, and when is it offered?
• How do I qualify for the integrated master's route, and what GPA does it ask?
• Which electives fit the Arkansas CPA exam rules best?

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