10 Best Global Universities To Get An Accounting/Finance Degree In 2022

By Balogun Kamilu Lekan

Nearly every university in the world offers accounting as a course of study, but which ones are the best in the world for accounting and finance?

The US and UK dominate the list of the top 10 universities in the world for accounting and finance, but there are two Australian entries. 

Below is a list of top universities that offers the best accounting and finance courses

1. HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Harvard University is the best university in the world and is highly regarded in a wide range of academic fields; in fact, it is ranked first in 10 out of the 30 subjects covered by the  World University Rankings by Subject in 2020.

Undoubtedly, the university’s most well-known schools include the esteemed Harvard Business School.

A current area of focus for research at the school’s accounting and management research unit is using performance measurement systems to facilitate communication between businesses and outside investors, enhance resource allocation and strategy, and increase accountability.

2. LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE (LSE)

LSE, which focuses on social sciences, achieves high rankings in various fields. For instance, it is currently ranked second for politics and international studies.

Regulation, financial reporting, auditing; economics of accounting; and the organizational and strategic aspects of accounting are the main strands of research identified by the LSE Department of Accounting. The department offers BSc, MSc, diploma, and PhD programs.

3. UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD(Saïd Business School)

The University of Oxford does not offer an undergraduate course in accounting or finance, though these subjects are available within the economics and management degree.

It offers several master’s programs in finance, alone or in combination with another subject. Its Saïd Business School houses internationally renowned accounting and finance research groups.

4. UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The University of Cambridge does not offer any undergraduate accounting or finance courses. Other programs may cover these subjects, but several MPhil finance programs are available. 

The Judge Business School’s finance and accounting research group focuses on business finance, financial policy, empirical corporate finance, investment management, financial reporting, and stock markets.

5. MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT)

The MIT Sloan School of Management is a world-renowned business school. 

The accounting and finance programs at the university are concentrated at the graduate level, with research groups dedicated to both fields. 

The Laboratory for Financial Engineering, the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, and the MIT Center for Digital Business are all relevant research centres.

6. STANFORD UNIVERSITY

The Stanford Graduate School of Business is the university’s accounting school focused on financial reporting and management control issues, such as accounting-based valuation strategies and the design of performance measurement and incentive systems. 

Meanwhile, Stanford’s significant areas of finance research include asset pricing, corporate finance, and investment decision analysis.

7. UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

From the undergraduate level (as part of a Bachelor of Commerce) to the PhD level, the University of Melbourne offers accounting and finance programs, primarily through the Melbourne Business School.

The primary focus areas for the Department of Accounting are financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, and assurance services. The Department of Finance’s main areas of study in corporate finance, real estate finance, investments and financial planning, capital markets and financial institutions, and investments.

8. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY (UC BERKELEY)

The Haas School of Business at Berkeley offers PhD and MBA programs and undergraduate courses in accounting and finance.

The Center for Financial Reporting & Management is home to research in these areas, focusing on financial reporting, financial statement analysis, managerial accounting, and performance evaluation.

9. UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Current accounting research at the University of Sydney Business School for undergraduate and PhD courses includes international accounting, public sector accounting, corporate responses to accounting regulation, accounting for intellectual capital, and accountability. Meanwhile, the finance department’s primary foci are security market microstructure and corporate finance.

10. UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

The accounting and finance faculty at the University of Chicago is situated at the Booth School of Business, which offers PhD and MBA programs. 

External financial reporting and disclosure issues, securities regulation, international financial reporting, and the role of accounting in contracting are all relevant research interests.