Southern Miss Accounting Degree Ranked Among Nations Most Affordable

When it comes to affordability, The University of Southern Mississippi's undergraduate accounting degree rates among the nation's best in the newest rankings announced by Accounting Degree Review.

Accounting Degree Review researched the undergraduate education costs of all the schools in the United States accredited in accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier accreditation agency in the world for business and accounting programs. There are currently 170 institutions with AACSB accounting accreditation.

The analysis helped Accounting Degree Review establish the 30 Most Affordable Residential Bachelor's Degrees in Accounting. Southern Miss came in at No. 10 on the rankings for 2014.

“We are already among an elite group of only 170 accounting programs separately accredited by AACSB,” said Dr. Gwen Pate, director of the Southern Miss School of Accountancy. “To be number 10 out of these quality programs in affordability signals the value our students receive for their tuition dollars. This ranking further confirms what the School of Accountancy at Southern Miss has long known -- our graduates gain entry into a respected profession at a bargain price.”

To compare the schools, Accounting Degree Review looked at each institution's annual tuition and fees for out-of-state incoming freshmen enrolling in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Southern Miss offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting. The degree requires 121 semester hours to graduate. Sample courses include Federal Income Tax Accounting, Seminar on Contemporary Accounting Topics, and Law in Accounting.

To prepare students for upper level accounting classes, Southern Miss requires them to pass the Principles of Accounting Competency Exam (PACE) before enrolling in Intermediate Accounting I. The school schedules intensive reviews before each semester to help students pass the exam.

The University currently has 423 undergraduates and 25 graduates pursuing accounting degrees. During the 2013-14 academic year, Southern Miss awarded 77 bachelor's degrees and 20 master's degrees (Master of Professional Accountancy).

To see the complete Accounting Degree Review rankings, visit: http://www.accounting-degree.org/most-affordable-bachelors-in-accounting/.

To learn more about degree programs in the School of Accountancy at Southern Miss, call 601.266.4641 or visit: http://www.usm.edu/business/accounting