University of Wisconsin-Madison Business: Accounting, BBA: 2027 Review

Score

64.8 of 100

Cost (20%)

0.9 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

9.9 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.4 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

0.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.3 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.9 of 10

Credits

120

Format

On Campus

Terms

16 weeks

Starts

1 start per year

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 8, 2026.

Madison lets you fold a one-year master's into the bachelor's. That puts the 150-hour route to becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) into one plan. As an accounting major, you'll get a career coach who works only with your industry. Big Four offices host job shadows.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Business: Accounting is offered by the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It's a 120-credit degree taught on the Madison campus. You'll start in the fall, after a Pre-Business application.

• Future CPAs who want the 150 hours in one plan: you'll add the MS in Accounting and Business Analysis (MSABA) through the integrated 4+1.
• Students arriving with strong credit counts: if you have enough credits, you may finish the whole program in as little as four years.
• Recruiting-minded undergraduates: you'll find Beta Alpha Psi trips, firm events and a Deloitte-sponsored tax case competition.
• Wisconsin technical college and UW System transfers: you may apply for fall enrollment.

Your major is 25 to 30 credits. In Financial Reporting I and II, you'll learn how companies prepare statements under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Cost Management Systems and Accounting Information Systems cover internal numbers and the systems behind them.

Fundamentals of Taxation and Corporate and Advanced Taxation cover individual and business tax. Foundations of Auditing walks you through an audit from start to finish. Your BBA core ends with a Business Solutions Capstone. You choose between a reporting-entities course and an accounting internship for 1 to 6 credits.

The BBA is 120 credits, with 30 taken in residence. Plan on four years, or fewer if you arrive with enough credits. The MSABA that follows takes you two semesters. Wisconsin states that a 120-credit BBA plus 30 more credits meets the 150-credit rule for the CPA exam.

The school says the MSABA meets CPA requirements in most states. You'll start in the fall only. If you're a Pre-Business applicant, you apply once within your first four terms.

Madison reports a charge of $1,688 per credit. The one-year MSABA is $27,000. If you're admitted, you'll get aid worth at least one semester of tuition.

Classes meet in person on the Madison campus in fall and spring semesters. You get one assigned academic advisor and a business career coach for your major. You'll find sample four-year plans posted for direct admits, later applicants, and students adding the master's.

The Wisconsin School of Business is AACSB accredited. You're encouraged to take INFO SYS 322 as an accounting major, because its database material appears on the CPA exam. The MSABA weaves CPA content into every course.

You can take three credits of independent study for exam prep. The school's own page says the MSABA is consistently ranked in the top 10 for first-time pass rates, citing the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

Alumni on Poets&Quants for Undergrads in 2026 praised the professors, advisors and alumni network. One called the value for money exceptional if you're a Wisconsin or Minnesota resident. A student writing there in 2025 described getting offers from EY and Deloitte within two months by using the school's career services.

The same piece described upperclassmen mentoring younger students for hard-to-enter industries. A Niche reviewer praised the academics and career prep. U.S. News & World Report listed the undergraduate accounting program 21st in its 2027 edition, as the school's page shows.

• How do the sample plans differ for direct admits and for students who apply to Business later?
• When should I apply to the integrated MSABA, and what are the admission steps?
• Which firms visit for Beta Alpha Psi career treks each year?
• When should I take the internship course so it fits my summer?

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