Accounting is a good major for students who enjoy numbers, details, and solving problems. An accounting degree prepares you for a field with steady demand, clear paths to advancement, and a well-known professional credential—CPA certification.
Still, the right major depends on you. Here’s a look at why students choose accounting, what you’ll study, where an accounting degree can lead, and how to tell whether the field fits your strengths.
Why Choose Accounting as a Major?
Businesses, hospitals, government agencies, and nonprofits rely on accurate financial information. That steady need is one of the biggest reasons students choose accounting as a major.
An accounting degree also gives you a career starting point. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accountants and auditors usually need at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field to enter the occupation. So, majoring in this area generally leads directly into the profession.
Flexibility is another plus. The analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills you build carry over into many settings, so your options stay open as your interests grow. Public accountants, for example, often move into management accounting or internal auditing as their careers progress.
What Do You Learn as an Accounting Major?
As an accounting major, you’ll take a mix of core business courses and specialized accounting coursework. Business accounting fundamentals usually come first, with introductory courses in financial and managerial accounting. You’ll also study economics, finance, marketing, management, statistics, and business law.
From there, you’ll go deeper into the topics accountants use every day. Financial accounting and reporting courses teach you how to prepare and analyze financial statements. Managerial and cost accounting focus on budgets, costs, and performance data that leaders rely on to make decisions.
Auditing courses cover how to examine financial records for accuracy and evaluate internal controls. Tax courses explain how individual and business income taxes are calculated and filed. Accounting systems and analytics courses show how data and software shape the work.
That technology focus matters. Artificial intelligence and automation are handling more routine tasks like data entry, which puts more emphasis on the analysis and advice accountants provide.
Along the way, you’ll sharpen skills that matter in any accounting job, including attention to detail, critical thinking, organization, and clear communication.
Is Accounting a Good Major for Job Opportunities?
If job prospects are high on your list, accounting makes a strong case. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accountants and auditors earned a median annual wage of $83,680 in May 2025, compared with $50,980 for all occupations. Employment is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average, with about 115,300 openings projected each year.
Accounting jobs span many industries. The largest employers of accountants and auditors are in various areas, including accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services firms; finance and insurance companies; and government.
Accounting careers also come in several forms. Public accountants handle auditing, tax, and consulting work for clients. Management accountants work inside organizations, preparing budgets and evaluating performance. Government accountants maintain and examine government records, and internal auditors look for ways to reduce waste and financial risk within their organizations. Some public accountants specialize in forensic accounting, investigating financial crimes such as fraud and embezzlement.
An accounting degree can also lead to leadership roles over time. Management accountants may advance to become accounting managers, budget directors, or managers of internal auditing, and some go on to become controllers or chief financial officers. Financial managers, a group that includes controllers, usually need five years or more of experience in a related role, such as an accountant. They earned a median annual wage of $166,570 in May 2025.
Many accountants also pursue professional credentials. The best known is the CPA certification—technically a license to practice as a certified public accountant (CPA), issued by each state’s board of accountancy. Becoming a CPA requires passing a national exam and meeting your state’s education and experience requirements. Any accountant who files reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must be a licensed CPA. Even where it isn’t required, the credential can improve your job prospects.
Education requirements are worth checking early. CPA candidates have traditionally needed 150 semester hours of college coursework, about 30 more than a standard four-year bachelor’s degree. A growing number of states offer an alternative pathway that pairs a bachelor’s degree with additional professional experience, so requirements vary by state. Your state’s board of accountancy is the best source for current rules.
Other credentials include the certified management accountant (CMA) and certified fraud examiner (CFE) designations, which can support specialized accounting careers.
Who Is Accounting a Good Major For?
Accounting is a good major for students who enjoy working with numbers and details. If you like organizing information, keeping things accurate, and figuring out why figures don’t match, you’ll likely feel at home in accounting coursework.
Strong math skills help, and so do people skills. An accountant regularly explains findings in written reports and meetings with managers and clients, so clear communication is part of the job.
Accounting can also be a great fit if you want a career path with clear steps for growth or if you value ethics and responsibility. Because accounting skills apply across industries, you can focus on the area that interests you most, whether that’s taxes, auditing, corporate finance, or nonprofit work.
Still exploring? Try an introductory accounting course or talk with an academic advisor about how the major lines up with your goals.
Study Accounting at Ball State University
At Ball State University, you can earn a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science—on campus or fully online—through the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting in the Miller College of Business. Miller College holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, and its accounting degree program holds separate AACSB accreditation.
Your coursework covers financial accounting and reporting, managerial accounting, accounting systems and analytics, federal income taxation, and auditing principles and practices. You’ll also complete a business core that includes economics, finance, marketing, management, and business law.
Hands-on experience is a big part of the program. Students are encouraged to complete a paid, full-time accounting internship, and many complete more than one before graduation. Internship partners include EY, Deloitte, PwC, Crowe, and Forvis. The department reports that more than 95 percent of its graduates secure jobs immediately after graduation.
Outside the classroom, you can connect with peers and professionals through student organizations such as the Accounting Club and Beta Alpha Psi. Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, IRS-certified accounting students help community members prepare and file their tax returns. Ball State’s Career Center can also help you search for internships, polish your résumé, and practice for interviews.
If you’re planning for CPA certification, the Accelerated Master’s Program lets qualified accounting majors begin graduate coursework in their senior year. You can earn up to 12 graduate credit hours while paying undergraduate tuition and count up to 9 credit hours toward both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Want to see where an accounting degree could take you? Schedule a campus visit, which can include an appointment with faculty or staff from the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting.
