William Paterson University of New Jersey Accounting (BS): 2027 Review

Score

60.0 of 100

Cost (20%)

4.6 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

4.1 of 10

Completion (15%)

6.9 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

6.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

7.5 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

5.7 of 10

Credits

120

Format

Fully Online, On Campus

Starts

4 starts per year

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

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

William Paterson lets you transfer every earned undergraduate credit, with no cap, into an accelerated eight-week format built for working adults. The online program also partners with Gleim for review courses for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam, and a 4+1 path leads to an MBA.

The Cotsakos College of Business at William Paterson University of New Jersey offers the Bachelor of Science in Accounting. You can take it online or in person. Online courses run in an accelerated format with several start dates each year.

• Transfer students: the school accepts all earned undergraduate credits. You'll finish with 30 credits at William Paterson.
• Working professionals: accelerated eight-week terms and multiple start dates fit around your job.
• Future CPA candidates: the online program partners with Gleim CPA Review, and Advanced Accounting II reviews skills for certifying exams.
• Students who want an MBA: the 4+1 path moves the accounting B.S. into the Master of Business Administration.
• QuickBooks users: Accounting Information Systems teaches full commercial accounting software.

The online major has 69 credits: 39 in core business and 30 in core accounting. Accounting Information Systems takes a transaction cycles approach, and you'll learn QuickBooks. Data Analytics for Accountants covers analytical and visual tools grounded in accounting basics. Intermediate Accounting I and II study the rules for statements and disclosures.

Cost Accounting follows costs through job order and process systems. Auditing covers internal control and transaction testing. Taxation I covers individual taxpayers. You'll practice preparing returns. Taxation II turns to corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts. Advanced Accounting handles parent and subsidiary companies. The Accounting Society and the Student Investment Club, which manages real money, are open to you as a business student.

The degree totals 120 credits. Terms run eight weeks. Several start dates each year let you begin when you're ready. The school sets no limit on credits you can transfer, so prior coursework can shorten the path. The accelerated 4+1 option takes you from the accounting B.S. to the MBA. Gleim CPA Review prepares you for the exam. Check your state's rules for the 150-hour licensing requirement.

The school reports about $828 per credit, based on the annual out-of-state tuition it lists. For the online program, all fees are included in the total tuition.

You can study online or in person. The online program uses an accelerated format with eight-week terms. It's aimed at working professionals. Classes are small, and the department aims for every student to work directly with a faculty member. Internships, credit-earning practica, job shadowing and mentoring programs are part of the college.

The Cotsakos College of Business holds AACSB accreditation, an honor the school says belongs to an elite group of business colleges. The curriculum prepares you for the CPA, certified management accountant (CMA) and certified internal auditor (CIA) exams. The online program partners with Gleim, whose package has 13,500 questions and 440 video lectures.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

Students quoted by the school say their professors make sure they understand the material and sharpened their technical knowledge for audit work. One student met PwC at the Meet the Firms networking event. A business alumnus said the courses centered on real-world knowledge they used in tax and wealth management internships.

Alumni on community forums in 2024 and 2025 called their professors positive and said internships and clubs led to strong jobs or graduate school. U.S. News & World Report in 2026 placed the university No. 28 among top public regional universities in the North.

• How many of my transferred credits will count toward the 69-credit major?
• When does the next eight-week term start?
• Does the Gleim CPA Review package come with tuition, and for how long can I use it?
• How does the 4+1 path to the MBA work, and when do I apply?

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