Best Online Accounting Programs in Highland Park, IL (2026)

Highland Park, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $3,822 to $12,833 per year for indexed programs. Highland Park has a population of about 30,229. Median household income is $161,875 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 76.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $168,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Accounting Schools to Highland Park

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer accounting programs near Highland Park, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Highland Park 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 Highland Park. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Oakton College

Des Plaines, IL 9.1 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 57.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,852
Avg net price $5,183/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 11.5 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 81.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 15.0 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 59.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,071
Avg net price $11,607/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

College of Lake County

Grayslake, IL 15.8 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 47.4
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,424
Avg net price $7,607/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,788
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

St. Augustine College

Chicago, IL 16.4 miles from Highland Park
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Triton College

River Grove, IL 18.6 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 54.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,728
Avg net price $4,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College

Chicago, IL 22.5 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 39.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,531
Avg net price $7,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL 23.2 miles from Highland Park BOC Score 40.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,712
Avg net price $20,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Accounting Wages Near Highland Park

Highland Park is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$82,360Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$79,498
Financial Manager$168,810Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$162,944
Financial Analyst$101,750Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,214
Budget Analyst$88,460Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$85,386
Tax Preparer$48,670Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$46,979
Tax Examiner and Collector$93,590Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$90,338
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$51,440Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$49,653

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.


Highland Park at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,229Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$161,875Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+76.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Lake County3,352 workers, 325 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Highland Park-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Highland Park, IL?

Accredited schools offering accounting programs near Highland Park are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Highland Park?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Highland Park are: Financial Manager ($168,810), Financial Analyst ($101,750), Tax Examiner and Collector ($93,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northbrook instead of Highland Park?

Northbrook, IL is 3.9 miles from Highland Park 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 Highland Park an affordable place to study accounting?

Highland Park’s median household income of $161,875 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Highland Park while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Highland Park

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.