undergradly.
Major · Business, Management & Marketing

Two professional tracks, one combined business credential

Accounting and Finance is a dual-track business major that pairs core accounting (financial reporting, tax, audit) with core finance (corporate finance, investments, markets). About 1,209 degrees are awarded annually across 97 colleges, mostly at the bachelor’s level — a hedge for students undecided between the two lanes.

Schools offering
97
Annual completions
1,209
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Accounting and Finance is structured as a combined major that runs two parallel professional tracks. The accounting side teaches you to measure, record, and verify the financial activity of organizations — financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax, audit, and accounting information systems. The finance side teaches you to plan and analyze how organizations raise, deploy, and value capital — corporate finance, investments, financial markets, and risk management. The CIP definition describes it as integrated preparation to function as accountants and as financial managers or analysts, and that framing is accurate — programs are built so graduates can credibly enter either lane.

The major tends to attract students who want both a vocational credential and analytical breadth — people who like rule-bound, standards-driven work but also want exposure to forward-looking financial analysis. Comfort with structured problem-solving helps on the accounting side; willingness to engage with quantitative models helps on the finance side. The combined load is heavier than a pure-track major in terms of required coursework, since both core sequences need to be covered.

At scale, this is a small, focused field. About 1,209 completions are recorded annually across 97 colleges, mostly at the bachelor’s level. That count is low relative to the parent fields — Accounting (41,743 completions) and Finance, General (42,214) — and most of the volume is institutional grouping rather than student preference: many universities roll combined-track students into separate Accounting or Finance majors. Career outcomes lean on the same destinations as those parent fields: accountants and auditors at an $81,680 median wage, financial and investment analysts at $101,350, and financial risk specialists at $106,000.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Accountants and auditors $82k +4.6% Bachelor's degree
Financial managers $162k +14.8% Bachelor's degree
Financial and investment analysts $101k +5.7% Bachelor's degree
Business teachers, postsecondary $97k +5.7% Doctoral or professional degree
Financial risk specialists $106k +6.5% Bachelor's degree
Budget analysts $88k +1.0% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$69k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$49k

Bachelor's

$74k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you genuinely want both lanes rather than a single specialization, if you find satisfaction in standards-driven accounting work as well as model-driven financial analysis, if a CPA or CFA credential plan after graduation is part of how you imagine your career, and if the bachelor’s-level earnings premium of about $25,300 over the associate’s level reflects the kind of investment you’re prepared to make. The major also fits students who want to keep optionality open through graduation — leaving room to commit to accountant/auditor work ($81,680 median) or to the analyst track ($101,350) once you have more exposure to each.

Think twice if you already know which lane you prefer — a focused Accounting or Finance major gives you more depth in your chosen direction, and the related-major data shows those pure tracks attract roughly 42,000 completions each per year versus 1,209 for the combined version. Reconsider also if the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement sounds like a barrier rather than a milestone — that path effectively means a 5th year of school for most students. And if your interest in finance runs toward broad business strategy or general management rather than the technical financial analysis the curriculum prioritizes, a Business Administration or Management major will give you more flexibility for less coursework load.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Accounting and Finance

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 0 198 198
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 0 118 118
Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA 0 70 70
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA 0 69 69
Bentley University Waltham, MA 0 48 48
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC 40 0 40
Fordham University Bronx, NY 0 39 39
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC 31 0 31
Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC 30 0 30
Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC 26 0 26
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Finance, General

42,214 completions/yr

Accounting

41,743 completions/yr

Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping

5,742 completions/yr

Actuarial Science

1,022 completions/yr

Accounting and Business/Management

780 completions/yr

Financial Mathematics

611 completions/yr

Financial Analytics

557 completions/yr

Investments and Securities

152 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Accounting and Finance field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Accounting and Finance worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Accounting and Finance majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework runs on two parallel tracks. The accounting side covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax, auditing, and accounting information systems — methodical, rule-driven work tied to professional standards. The finance side covers corporate finance, investments, financial markets, and often derivatives or risk management — more model-driven and forward-looking. Upper-division courses tend to ask you to integrate the two: building a valuation model that respects accounting realities, or auditing a portfolio strategy.
Do I need a bachelor’s, or is an associate’s enough for Accounting and Finance?
The earnings gap is large. Bachelor’s completers in this major report five-year median earnings of about $74,286, while associate’s completers report about $48,978 — a difference of roughly $25,300. Every career listed in the data, from accountants and auditors at $81,680 to financial and investment analysts at $101,350, names a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry credential. The CPA path adds another layer: most states require 150 credit hours, which usually means a 5th-year master’s or extra coursework on top of the bachelor’s.
What credentials should I plan for after this degree?
The degree itself opens the door; credentials separate candidates over time. CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is the dominant accounting credential — 150 credit hours, a multi-part exam, and supervised work experience are standard. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) is the equivalent on the investment side — three exam levels and qualifying work experience. Adjacent options include CMA (managerial accounting), CFP (financial planning), FRM (risk), and Series 7/63 for broker-dealer roles. Most students choose one lane after graduation rather than pursuing both, since each demands serious study time on top of a full-time job.
What kinds of jobs do Accounting and Finance graduates end up in?
Accountants and auditors are the most direct destination at an $81,680 median wage with 4.6% projected growth. Financial and investment analysts come in at $101,350 with 5.7% growth, and financial risk specialists at $106,000 with 6.5% growth. Budget analysts sit at $87,930. Financial manager appears in the data at a $161,700 median, but that title is a mid-career outcome reached after years of professional experience and often a credential like the CPA or CFA — it is not an entry-level role.
Why pick the combined major instead of pure Accounting or pure Finance?
The combined major is built for students undecided between the two lanes. The related-major data shows much larger pure-track programs — Accounting at 41,743 completions per year and Finance, General at 42,214 — versus 1,209 for Accounting and Finance combined. The hybrid keeps both doors open through graduation: you can still pursue the CPA track if accounting wins out, or the CFA and analyst track if finance does. The tradeoff is depth — a focused accounting or finance major gives you more electives in one direction. Choose the combined version if you genuinely want both, not as a way to delay the decision indefinitely.
How competitive is the job market for these graduates?
The picture is steady rather than spectacular. Accountants and auditors show 4.6% projected growth — close to average — but the occupation is large, so even modest growth produces substantial annual openings. Financial and investment analysts run at 5.7% growth, financial risk specialists at 6.5%. Budget analysts grow at 1% — slow. The 1,209 annual completions in this combined major are small compared to the ~42,000 in pure Accounting and another ~42,000 in pure Finance, so candidates here often compete in the broader applicant pool. Internships during school and a credential plan (CPA or CFA) after graduation are what tend to differentiate candidates over the first five years.