Western Governors University Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

67.1 of 100, rank 21 of 100

Cost (20%)

10.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

4.9 of 10

Completion (15%)

2.6 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

5.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

9.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

10.0 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

6.9 of 10

Credits

120

Format

Fully Online

Starts

12 starts per year

Time to Finish

Typically less than 3 years

Accreditation

ACBSP (confirmed on the official list)

See exactly how we score on the methodology page. We checked the school's figures on October 8, 2026.

WGU lets you pay a flat price for a six-month term and take as many accounting courses as you can pass in that time. A Program Mentor guides you from day one, and the last term includes a Business Simulation course where you'll apply what the business courses taught.

Western Governors University is a private nonprofit based in Salt Lake City, and its College of Business runs this Bachelor of Science in Accounting. You earn the degree entirely online through competency-based, self-paced courses. The program has 40 courses, and a course instructor with doctoral-level subject expertise supports each one.

• Working adults who need to start on the 1st of any month and fit study around a job.
• Students with an associate degree or earlier college credits: the school says you can almost always transfer credits from accredited transcripts.
• Bookkeepers and tax-office staff who already know cost accounting or taxation and want to pass those courses quickly.
• Future certified public accountant (CPA) candidates who plan to add the school's Master of Accounting to reach the 150 semester hours most states ask for.

You start with Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting. Then you move into Financial Accounting, where you'll learn the accounting cycle under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Cost and Managerial Accounting covers budgeting, job costing, activity-based costing and cost-volume-profit analysis. Taxation I focuses on how individual taxpayers are taxed.

Business Law for Accountants covers contracts, the Uniform Commercial Code and Sarbanes-Oxley. The three Intermediate Accounting courses run from noncurrent assets and depreciation to revenue recognition, pensions and leases. Accounting Information Systems looks at IT controls, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and IT auditing.

Business Simulation, in the last term, ties the business courses together so you can prove mastery.

It's a 120-credit degree, which the school says takes about four years at a traditional pace. Because you advance by mastering competencies, students typically finish in less than 3 years. Your prior learning can count toward courses. Transfer credits from accredited transcripts can shorten your path. The Master of Accounting is the school's route to the 150 hours for the CPA exam.

Tuition is $3,850 per six-month term, and the $200 e-books and resources fee brings the term total to $4,050. The school reports about $273 per credit, based on the annual out-of-state tuition it reports.

Every course is online and self-paced, so you won't have set meeting times. A new term can begin on the 1st of every month, and each term runs six months. You decide how fast to move through each course, and your Program Mentor helps you plan the order.

The business programs hold ACBSP accreditation. The degree prepares you for roles such as staff accountant, general ledger accountant, tax associate or auditor. It's also described as the first step toward CPA certification, and the Master of Accounting is the next piece for the 150 hours.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

Students reviewing the school on Niche praise the mentor system and say the instructors want them to succeed. One student likes the flat six-month tuition price. Another says the competency-based format helps them balance school with other responsibilities.

An accounting reviewer on GradReports in 2026 called the courses rigorous but focused on the important material. An accounting student on EduOpinions said the six-month pricing model drew them in. OnlineU data on GradReports says 75% of students would recommend the school.

• Which of my past credits count toward the 40 courses?
• Can I take the Cost and Managerial Accounting assessment early if I already do budgeting at work?
• How does my Program Mentor set up my term schedule?
• When should I add the Master of Accounting to reach 150 hours in my state?

• Best Bachelor's Programs #21 of 100
• Best for CPA Candidates #13 of 79
• Best Online Programs #13 of 50

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