Best Accounting Schools Near Surprise, AZ (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Surprise, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $2,358 to $18,040 per year for indexed programs. Surprise has a population of about 149,519. Median household income is $93,371 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $145,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Accounting Schools to Surprise

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer accounting programs near Surprise, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Surprise city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Surprise. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Ottawa University-Surprise

Surprise, AZ 6.0 miles from Surprise
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
27.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $33,393/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona accounting page.

Accounting Wages Near Surprise

Surprise is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor $80,820 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $78,238
Financial Manager $145,940 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $141,278
Financial Analyst $94,700 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $91,675
Budget Analyst $84,810 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $82,101
Tax Preparer $44,770 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $43,340
Tax Examiner and Collector $95,060 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $92,023
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk $51,980 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $50,319

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Surprise at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,519 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $93,371 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Maricopa County 16,521 workers, 2,876 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Surprise-Area Cities With Accounting Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Surprise, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Surprise. The closest is Ottawa University-Surprise in Surprise, AZ (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Phoenix College (25.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Surprise?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Surprise are: Financial Manager ($145,940), Tax Examiner and Collector ($95,060), Financial Analyst ($94,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in El Mirage instead of Surprise?

El Mirage, AZ is 9.5 miles from Surprise and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Surprise an affordable place to study accounting?

Surprise’s median household income of $93,371 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Surprise while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Surprise

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Surprise:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Accounting Schools in Arizona: Online Programs (2026)