Best Online Accounting Programs in Oak Forest, IL (2026)

Oak Forest, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $23,713 per year for indexed programs. Oak Forest has a population of about 26,888. Median household income is $87,941 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.1% 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 Oak Forest

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near Oak Forest. Distances are calculated from Oak Forest city center.

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 Oak Forest. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

South Suburban College

South Holland, IL 7.1 miles from Oak Forest BOC Score48.6
Published tuition$5,093 - $12,683
Online programsYes

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#2

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, IL 7.5 miles from Oak Forest BOC Score60.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Prairie State College

Chicago Heights, IL 8.3 miles from Oak Forest BOC Score47.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Taylor Business Institute

Chicago, IL 19.8 miles from Oak Forest BOC Score20.9
Published tuition$12,000 - $23,713
Online programs--

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#5

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL 19.8 miles from Oak Forest BOC Score40.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Accounting Wages Near Oak Forest

Oak Forest 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.


Oak Forest at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,888Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,941Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Cook County34,742 workers, 2,250 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Oak Forest-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Oak Forest, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Oak Forest. The closest is South Suburban College in South Holland, IL (7.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Roosevelt University (19.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Oak Forest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Oak Forest 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 Tinley Park instead of Oak Forest?

Tinley Park, IL is 3.8 miles from Oak Forest 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 Oak Forest an affordable place to study accounting?

Oak Forest’s median household income of $87,941 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oak Forest 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 Oak Forest

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.