What can you do with a Accounting degree from Penn State University?

First, some facts. Of the Accounting graduates from Penn State University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:

These are estimates based on AI analysis of 39 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 82%, Accounting graduates from Penn State University have a much higher likelihood (+15%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

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Also, after graduating, only 15% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Accounting graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

• What jobs can you get with a Accounting degree from Penn State University?
• What do Accounting graduates from Penn State University do 1, 5 or 10 years out?
• How hard is a Accounting degree from Penn State University? How long does it take?
• How much money can you make with a Accounting degree from Penn State University?
• What are the best colleges for Accounting?

View a random Accounting graduate from Penn State University and our analysis:

Relevance score: 100% We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree. DEGREE INFO Graduated in 2010 from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting. No other secondary education since. JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION Audit Associate KPMG US Aug 2010 - Jun 2012 The position of Audit Associate at KPMG US directly utilizes accounting knowledge and skills obtained from the Bachelor's degree in Accounting, making it highly relevant. Senior Audit Associate KPMG US Jul 2012 - Jun 2015 As a Senior Audit Associate, the job requires advanced accounting expertise, which is directly derived from the Bachelor's degree in Accounting, thus demonstrating strong relevance. Audit Manager KPMG US Jul 2015 - Sep 2017 The role of Audit Manager involves overseeing financial audits and applying accounting principles, making it directly relevant to the Bachelor's degree in Accounting. Audit Senior Manager KPMG US Oct 2017 - Jun 2022 As an Audit Senior Manager, this position requires extensive knowledge of accounting standards and practices, directly aligning with the skills gained from the Bachelor's degree in Accounting. Audit Chief of Staff Northeast Commercial Business Unit KPMG US Jun 2022 - Present In the role of Audit Chief of Staff for the Northeast Commercial Business Unit, the position requires high-level application of accounting principles and audit practices, making it directly relevant to the Bachelor's degree in Accounting. ABOUT No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Accounting degree from Penn State University?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:

• Senior Accountant
• Accountant
• Senior Financial Analyst
• Financial Analyst
• Senior Tax Accountant
• Staff Accountant
• Tax Intern
• Real Estate Agent
• Finance Manager
• Analyst

So, after checking out all the jobs that graduates from Penn State's Accounting program have landed, it’s clear that many of them have stuck to pretty traditional accounting roles. A lot of them began their careers as auditors at big firms like Deloitte, KPMG, and EY, which shows that many people are really diving deep into the more technical side of accounting. Positions like Audit Senior, Staff Accountant, and various Controller roles make up a huge chunk of what these grads are doing, and you can see that these jobs are strongly linked to the skills and knowledge they gained in school.

For the most part, the jobs these graduates have taken on are directly relevant to accounting, especially early in their careers. Roles like Senior Tax Accountant and Audit Manager require significant application of accounting principles daily, and most of the positions tend to emphasize the importance of solid accounting know-how. But then, there are also some positions that don’t quite stick to the script. For example, roles in finance management or consulting may leverage some accounting skills but focus more on broader finance or strategic planning rather than pure accounting practice. It’s a mixed bag, but overall, most grads are definitely finding relevant work that utilizes their accounting education!

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Accounting graduates (this is across all Accounting graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Penn State University):

What kind of career trajectories do Accounting graduates from Penn State University have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

Graduates from the Accounting program at Penn State University often find themselves stepping into strong career trajectories after earning their degrees. Typical first jobs for these grads usually include roles like staff accountant, audit associate, or financial analyst at well-respected firms such as Deloitte, EY, and KPMG. This initial experience provides them with critical skills and credentials that set them up for solid advancement opportunities within the field of accounting and finance. It’s common to see people moving up the ranks quickly within these organizations, taking on senior roles like audit manager or financial controller within just a few years.

As we look at career paths five to ten years down the line, many alumni continue to climb the corporate ladder, often landing positions as managers, directors, and even C-suite executives like CFOs or VPs of finance. For example, graduates who started as auditors or accountants frequently transition into higher management roles, overseeing large finance teams or specialized functions. It’s clear that Penn State’s Accounting program does a good job preparing students for successful and relevant careers in accounting, as many alumni have remained in the field, taking on increasingly influential roles, while some have even branched out into similar fields such as finance and consulting. Overall, it’s a pretty promising picture for those who choose this path.

How hard is a Accounting degree from Penn State University?

Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Penn State University is generally considered to be a bit on the challenging side, but it’s definitely doable if you're willing to put in the effort. You’ll dive into subjects like financial reporting, tax laws, and auditing, which can get pretty granular and may involve a fair amount of math and critical thinking. The coursework can be demanding, and some students find the workload to be heavier than average, especially during busy periods like exams. That said, if you stay organized and manage your time well, a lot of students manage to navigate through it successfully, and many find the material really interesting once they get the hang of it!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Accounting.

Do Accounting graduates from Penn State University tend to make good money?

Looking at the job histories of these Penn State accounting graduates, it seems like they generally started in solid entry-level positions and worked their way up in salary and responsibility over time. For instance, those who moved through the ranks at big firms like Deloitte, KPMG, and EY typically landed roles like senior associates or managers, which usually come with decent pay. Additionally, several alumni are now in high-level positions like CFOs and Vice Presidents, which typically indicate they've been making good money for a while. Even though not everyone from the group has the same trajectory, the overall vibe suggests that most of these graduates have been able to earn a respectable living in their careers. So, if you're thinking about going into accounting, it seems like a solid path for financial success!

What buzzwords do Accounting graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Accounting (this is across all Accounting graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Penn State University). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Accounting?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Accounting (ordered by the average relevance score of their Accounting graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College	Score	Count
University of Kentucky	98	12
Portland State University	96	14
Bentley University	94	10
Troy University	93	10
University of Florida	90	15
Weber State University	90	16
Temple University	89	10
Kansas State University	89	19
Western Illinois University	89	10
Baruch College	89	36
Wichita State University	89	11
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	89	17
Clemson University	87	17
Old Dominion University	87	10
University of Nevada-Las Vegas	87	12
Gonzaga University	87	11
San Diego State University	86	18
The University of Texas at Dallas	86	19
University of Maryland College Park	86	10
Saint Leo University	86	11
Grand Canyon University	85	11
The University of Alabama	85	18
The University of Kansas	85	12
The University of Texas at El Paso	85	16
California State University-Los Angeles	85	12
University of Houston-Clear Lake	85	11
Arizona State University - W. P. Carey School of Business	85	11
San Francisco State University	84	11
George Mason University	84	14
Central Connecticut State University	84	20
Florida International University	83	16
University of South Florida	83	19
Brigham Young University	83	25
Oregon State University	83	12
Robert Morris University	83	12
Rasmussen College	83	10
Penn State University	82	39
Louisiana State University	82	25
Oklahoma State University	82	21
Liberty University	81	17
University of Houston	81	17
San Diego State University-California State University	81	11
Metropolitan State University of Denver	81	11
Indiana Wesleyan University	81	17
Bryant University	81	10
Rutgers Business School	81	11
Florida State University	80	18
Colorado State University	80	13
North Carolina State University	80	11
California State University, Fresno	80	14
James Madison University	79	15
Brigham Young University - Idaho	79	18
California State University, Fullerton	79	15
Florida Atlantic University	79	27
Kennesaw State University	79	16
Northern Illinois University	79	21
California State University, Long Beach	79	12
Western Kentucky University	79	11
University of Alabama at Birmingham	79	15
University of North Alabama	79	11
Kennesaw State University - Michael J. Coles College of Business	79	15
The University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business	79	10
Michigan State University	78	11
San Jose State University	78	22
California State University, Northridge	78	16
Mississippi State University	78	14
University of Nebraska at Omaha	78	11
Franklin University	78	20
University of Utah	77	13
Eastern Michigan University	77	15
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	77	11
Central Washington University	77	12
University at Albany, SUNY	77	11
University of St. Thomas	77	11
California State University-Sacramento	76	15
University of Mississippi	76	28
University of Illinois at Chicago	76	13
Northwood University	76	18
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth	76	11
Texas A&M University	75	37
Texas State University	75	10
University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business	75	17
State University of New York College at Old Westbury	75	14
University of North Texas	74	14
Towson University	74	18
DePaul University	74	14
Utah Valley University	74	16
Rowan University	74	17
Kean University	74	16
Rider University	74	13
The Ohio State University	73	12
Western Governors University	73	52
Western Michigan University	73	11
Boise State University	73	20
California State University-San Bernardino	73	16
The University of Memphis	73	15
Queens College	73	28
St. Cloud State University	73	10
Southern New Hampshire University	72	22
Iowa State University	72	12
The University of Texas at San Antonio	72	26
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	72	23
University of Central Florida	71	39
Youngstown State University	71	11
University of San Diego	71	12
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	70	25
Sam Houston State University	70	23
Missouri State University	70	23
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	69	15
Washington State University	69	12
University at Buffalo	69	10
University of Alabama	69	13
The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business	69	15
University of Nebraska-Lincoln	68	13
Siena College	68	13
University of Washington	67	12
DeVry University	67	30
Ashford University	65	21
University of Houston-Downtown	65	18
Upper Iowa University	64	14
Nicholls State University	64	12
California State University-Long Beach	63	13
Auburn University	62	15
Georgia State University	62	13
University of Phoenix	61	113
Virginia Commonwealth University	61	13
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga	61	12
East Carolina University	60	10
Wright State University	60	10
Colorado Technical University	59	19
Strayer University	59	32
Valdosta State University	56	10
Southern Connecticut State University	55	10
Kaplan University	52	20
Monroe College	40	11