Associate Degree in Accounting Online

Flexible

With no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7.

Affordable

As part of our mission to make higher education more accessible, we’re committed to keeping our tuition rates low. In fact, we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation.

Respected

Founded in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 100,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality. 

Recently, SNHU has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:

• U.S. News & World Report named SNHU the 2021 Most Innovative University in the North and one of the nation's "Best Regional Universities"
• Awarded the 21st Century Distance Learning Award for Excellence in Online Technology by The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
• A $1 million grant from Google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth

Network

At Southern New Hampshire University, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 300,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. Our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. Plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities.

96.5% of students would recommend SNHU (according to a 2019 survey of 9,200+ online students). Discover why SNHU may be right for you.

Expanding access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. That’s why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials:

• Completed free undergraduate application
• Prior transcripts, which we can retrieve at no cost to you
• Test scores are not required as part of your application

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 6 (8-week) undergraduate terms.

If you’re ready to apply, follow these simple steps to get the process going:

• Complete a free undergraduate application
• Submit any additional documents required
• Work with an admission counselor to explore financial options and walk through the application process

If you have questions or need help filling out your application, call 1.888.387.0861 or email enroll@snhu.edu.

Notes: 

• Laptop or desktop?  Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility. 

• Note:  Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10. 

• Office 365 Pro Plus is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for Microsoft 365 plans for business, education and government. 

• Antivirus software: Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers. 

Yes, you can. An associate degree in accounting is a great way to jumpstart an accounting career and can help you gain professional experience faster.

While many accounting jobs require a bachelor’s degree, an accounting associate degree will give you the skills you need to succeed in entry-level roles. The credits you earn from an AS in Accounting degree from SNHU can also easily stack into a BS in Accounting – meaning you could earn 2 degrees in the same amount of time it takes to get 1.

With an online associate degree in accounting, you’ll gain a strong foundation of key career skills through general education courses, including communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision making.

You’ll also explore accounting, finance and business topics, and learn how to apply this knowledge to daily accounting work. Your accounting associate degree will explore:

• Financial accounting
• Managerial accounting
• Taxation
• Business law
• Business systems analysis
• Marketing
• Human relations
• Information technology
• International business

It depends on your career path. While earning an associate degree in accounting can help you earn more than workers without a college degree, specific salaries will vary.

The median annual salary for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, for example, was $45,560 in 2021.¹ The highest paid 10% in this field earned more than $61,980.¹ Financial clerks earned a median salary of $44,760 and bill and account collectors earned a median salary of $37,700 the same year.¹

Continuing your accounting education with a bachelor’s degree, online master’s in accounting, accounting certification or a graduate certificate in accounting can open up more job opportunities and lead to higher pay.

The best online college for accounting is the one that prepares you for the career you want and offers the flexibility to help you achieve your goals, whether you’re working full time or balancing coursework with family obligations.

That's why Akeda Toby-Locke '19 chose Southern New Hampshire University.

"In the beginning, I was very nervous, as this was my first time studying online," she said. "But as time went by, it became my norm, and I really enjoyed the flexibility to study and complete my assignments by the specific deadlines on my time."

At SNHU, the online associate in accounting is designed to give you the skills you need to get started in entry-level accounting jobs faster. And our innovative online programs ensure you have the support you need to complete your degree.

Online students have access to a wide range of virtual student services, including writing help, tutoring and academic and career advising.

During her associate degree program, Makya Vandiver-Hawkins '21 relied on these resources and the continuous support of her SNHU community to help her earn her degree.

"Studying online was, at times, difficult when there were times that I needed to have someone by my side walking me through something," said Vandiver-Hawkins. "Thankfully there is 24/7 tutoring that I took advantage of during these times."

Online clubs and student organizations are also offered to help you grow your personal network and get hands-on learning experience.

SNHU’s generous transfer policy allows up to 45 credits from a previous institution to be applied to one of our associate degree programs. If you’ve completed some college coursework already, this means you can save money and time, and start your career even faster.

If you want to start your accounting career right away, then yes. With an associate in accounting, you can gain the skills you need to kick off an accounting career and start gaining valuable professional experience faster.

“In the current employment market, more students are seeking degrees and credentials on a faster pace to meet the needs of employers," said Dr. Mark Hobson, an associate dean of business.

Earning an online associate degree in accounting can also help boost your long-term earning and career potential.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), associate degree holders earned nearly 20% more each week in 2021 than workers with only a high school diploma.¹ Workers with an associate degree also saw lower unemployment rates in 2021, at just 4.6% compared to 6.2% for workers with a high school diploma.¹

But there's more to an associate degree in accounting than just earning potential. It's an opportunity to put your goals within reach.

"[This program] helped me get a degree that I can use and helped prove to myself that I could accomplish anything," said Tabitha Paige Tillery '20.

If you want to advance your career even further, earning an associate degree can give you a head start toward earning a bachelor’s in accounting degree. An SNHU bachelor’s degree in accounting can provide the educational requirements needed to pursue valuable professional certifications, like certified management accountant (CMA) and certified public accountant (CPA).

It varies based on your specific role and the industry in which you work. For example, the median annual salary for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks was $45,560 in 2021, or about $21.90 per hour for full-time workers.¹

But pay varied for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks depending on the industry in which they worked. Bookkeepers working full time in finance and insurance earned a median salary of $46,910 in 2021, while full-time bookkeepers working in retail earned a median wage of $37,710 in that same time period.¹

Accountants earned a median salary of $77,250 in 2021.¹ But these jobs typically require a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in accounting, and may require a professional certification.

Yes, they are. As technology evolves and more of our daily lives move online, students and employers alike are recognizing the value of an online degree.

Online learning continues to grow in higher education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, some 75%, or 11.8 million, undergraduate students were enrolled in at least one distance education course in the Fall of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while another 44%, 7 million, took exclusively distance education courses. While this number has come down since the peak of the pandemic, some aspects of distance education are expected to stay in schools across the U.S. for the foreseeable future. In many ways, online learning was normalized in a permanent way as a result of the pandemic.²

At SNHU, we have been offering online coursework for over 25 years. Our online accounting courses are taught by faculty with years of experience in the field, ensuring you have access to the most up-to-date information and accounting practices. And while your coursework may be online, you’ll gain key career skills through hands-on learning opportunities, so you can apply your learning to the day-to-day work of accounting right away.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

• https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm (viewed July 13, 2022)
• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/office-and-administrative-support/bookkeeping-accounting-and-auditing-clerks.htm (viewed July 13, 2022)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/financial-clerks.htm (viewed July 13, 2022)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/bill-and-account-collectors.htm (viewed July 13, 2022)
  
• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm (viewed July 13, 2022)

²National Center for Education Statistics, Distance Learning Fast Facts, on the internet, at https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80 (viewed July 13, 2022)