How Much Is An Accounting Certificate Worth?

Every degree has a financial value and an accounting certificate is no different

. The current job market is relatively hostile, and student loans recently eclipsed home loans for the largest share of personal debt in the United States. In this situation, the best way to approach a decision about extra education is to weigh the potential value of this expensive investment. Whether considering attending a top-tier, four-year university or getting an associate's degree online at night, it is important to decide how much that investment is worth.

Certification is a necessity for accountants. It is nearly impossible to have a career as an accountant without passing the certified public accountant (CPA) exam and earning certification. In 42 states, an applicant must also complete 150 semester units of education, have a bachelor's degree, and complete 48 semester units divided equally between accounting and business-related subjects. In other words, from one perspective an accounting certificate is infinitely valuable, as without it one cannot get CPA certified and be able to find an accounting job.

Meeting the coursework requirements is not the only benefit of an accounting certificate. The CPA test is quite difficult and many take a dedicated preparation course to get ready for it. Those from strong accounting programs start in a better position in these courses and are prepped to get the most from these courses.

Furthermore, the coursework in business subjects should serve students well once they get a job as an accountant. This coursework develops increased fluency with accounting and business goals and language of the company and makes them more effective at applying their accounting skills to their responsibilities. So students who maximize what they take away from business courses in an accounting program will find themselves ahead of their peers when looking for jobs and in the workplace.

Knowing that an accounting certificate or degree is essential to earn CPA certification makes it easier to determine the value of such a degree. Because there is a direct correlation - no accounting degree or certificate, no CPA admittance, no accounting job - the degree is worth the expected value of employment. That is, it's worth the odds of getting a job multiplied by average total salary over an expected period of time. Or more realistically, this expected value is what not having an accounting certificate costs, since the variables that go into the odds of getting a job range so widely between individuals. And performing actual calculations based on this approach to valuing a degree would require a number of assumptions that undermine the validity of specific numbers.

by: John V

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