The Best Master's in Accounting in Massachusetts for 2026

Bentley University's MS in Accounting lets students choose among five concentrations: Assurance, Advisory, Corporate Financial Reporting, Analytics and Tax, each built on four required courses plus concentration-specific electives, with a 10-course minimum for completion. The curriculum is STEM-designated except for the Tax concentration, and the program partners with KPMG's Data and Analytics Program so students work with Excel, Python and SQL on real financial datasets. Full-time students finish in 11 months; part-time students typically take two to five years. Bentley states it was the first program in Massachusetts to earn separate accountancy accreditation from AACSB, and coursework is built to meet the educational requirements for the CPA, CIA, CMA and CISA credentials.

Bentley's 90.1 Hakia Score is fourth among the Massachusetts programs in this set, built on an 87% graduation rate and a 45% admit rate, the middle ground between Northeastern's 5% and UMass's 60%. Tuition is a flat $61,000 with no in-state discount, the lowest sticker price of the three private schools here, undercutting Northeastern's $64,990 and Boston College's $69,400. The concentration breadth and part-time option, up to five years, make it a fit for working students or those still deciding between audit, tax and analytics-focused accounting careers.

Clark University's M.S. in Accounting sits inside the School of Business and builds the accounting foundation candidates need to sit for the CPA exam, with coursework framed around professional ethics, diversity and sustainable business practices for the boardroom issues accountants now face. The program earned STEM designation in fall 2023, which lets international graduates work in the U.S. for up to 36 months on Optional Practical Training instead of the standard 12.

Clark posts a 77% graduation rate against a 40% admit rate, the most selective pairing among these four Massachusetts MSAs, and carries an 89.4 Hakia Score, the highest of the set. Tuition runs $57,440 a year regardless of residency, since Clark is a private nonprofit with no in-state discount, across an institution-wide enrollment of 3,925. The CPA track points toward a national field where the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts median accountant pay at $94,160 a year, the same benchmark every program on this list is measured against.

UMass Lowell's Master of Science in Accounting is a 10-course, 30-credit degree delivered online or hybrid through the Manning School of Business, carrying Level 1 status from the Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy that satisfies the state's CPA exam education requirement. Students choose a general track or an option in Corporate Accounting Leadership or International Business, stacking courses like Advanced Auditing, Taxation of Business Entities and Accounting Data Analytics onto a core in governmental, cost and financial accounting theory. The Manning School is AACSB-accredited, and the GRE or GMAT is accepted but not required for master's applicants.

The program's 65% graduation rate runs against an 83% admit rate, among the most accessible in this group, and it carries a Hakia Score of 81.9. The tuition split is the real story: $16,246 a year in state versus $35,544 out of state, a $19,298 swing that makes Massachusetts residency worth more than half of the out-of-state price. University-wide enrollment totals 16,598. Accountants nationally earn a median $94,160 a year per BLS data, the field-wide figure every graduate is measured against regardless of school.

Merrimack's M.S. in Accounting runs entirely online and is built for working professionals: part time in 16 to 24 months, no GRE or GMAT, and no prerequisite coursework to start. Students pick a general path or a concentration in Business Analytics, Forensic Accounting or Taxation, and the curriculum is aligned to CPA exam topics and meets Massachusetts's 150-hour requirement for CPA licensure. Merrimack also runs standalone CPA and CMA exam review certificates built with Becker Professional Education.

Merrimack's 70% graduation rate and 70% admit rate sit in the middle of this group, with a Hakia Score of 80. Tuition is $49,352 a year with no in-state discount, since Merrimack is a private nonprofit, though the school notes that transferred prior coursework can bring many students in under $25,000 total, a claim tied to individual credit history rather than the flat per-year sticker price. Enrollment stands at 5,862. The CPA track leads toward a field where the BLS reports a $94,160 national median salary for accountants and auditors.

Suffolk's MSA sits in the Sawyer Business School in Boston's Financial District, a short walk from the city's Big Four offices, and builds Becker's CPA Exam Review Course directly into the 30-credit curriculum. Students can finish full time in as few as 9 months or part time in as few as 21 months, choosing a concentration in Business Analysis and Reporting, the STEM-designated Information Systems and Controls track, or Tax Compliance and Planning. The program carries Level 1 status from the Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy and is one of only 182 institutions worldwide holding AACSB's international supplemental accreditation in accounting.

Suffolk's 61% graduation rate is the lowest of this group against an 82% admit rate, and its 77.1 Hakia Score ranks fourth among these four programs. Tuition is $46,954 a year flat, with no in-state break, across an institution-wide enrollment of 6,356. Suffolk's own outcomes data, drawn from 2021 graduates, cites a mean starting salary of $82,042 with 89% of graduates placed within three months, figures from the school's tracking rather than the BLS's current $94,160 national median for accountants.

Western New England University is a private, nonprofit institution in Springfield, MA. Its Master's in Accounting program ranks #9 of the 12 analyzed here with a 73.4 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 81.6 group average, in the lower third of the 12 ranked programs. The program graduates 64% of its students, below the 71% average across the ranked schools. Western New England University admits 83% of applicants, less selective than the 62% average for the group. That is more open than the 5% rate at Northeastern University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 44% to 91%.

On cost, Western New England University charges $44,680 a year in-state. Over two years that totals about $89,360 in tuition. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $14,897 at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $94,160 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the main draw here is its an online option.

Nichols College is a private, nonprofit institution in Dudley, MA. Its Master's in Accounting program ranks #10 of the 12 analyzed here with a 73.2 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 81.6 group average, in the lower third of the 12 ranked programs. The program graduates 63% of its students, below the 71% average across the ranked schools. Nichols College admits 81% of applicants, less selective than the 62% average for the group. That is more open than the 5% rate at Northeastern University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 44% to 91%.

On cost, Nichols College charges $41,115 a year in-state. Over two years that totals about $82,230 in tuition. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $14,897 at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $94,160 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with an online option.

Based in North Dartmouth, MA, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public institution. Its Master's in Accounting program lands at #11 of the 12 ranked here, earning a 66.3 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 81.6 group average, in the lower third of the 12 ranked programs. The program graduates 52% of its students, below the 71% average across the ranked schools. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth admits 91% of applicants, less selective than the 62% average for the group. That is more open than the 5% rate at Northeastern University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 44% to 91%.

On cost, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth charges $14,897 a year in-state, roughly 2.1x the $31,852 out-of-state rate. Over two years that is about $29,794 in tuition for residents, against $63,704 for non-residents. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $14,897 at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to $69,400 at Boston College. Graduates step into a field with a $94,160 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the main draw here is its low in-state cost.

Bay Path University is a private, nonprofit institution in Longmeadow, MA. Its Master's in Accounting program ranks #12 of the 12 analyzed here with a 65.7 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 81.6 group average, in the lower third of the 12 ranked programs. The program graduates 44% of its students, below the 71% average across the ranked schools. Bay Path University admits 85% of applicants, less selective than the 62% average for the group. That is more open than the 5% rate at Northeastern University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 44% to 91%.

On cost, Bay Path University charges $37,972 a year in-state. Over two years that totals about $75,944 in tuition. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $14,897 at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $94,160 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with an online option.