Best Accounting Schools Near Cedar Falls, IA (2026)

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

Cedar Falls, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $19,475 to $34,022 per year for indexed programs. Cedar Falls has a population of about 40,662. Median household income is $74,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $125,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Accounting Schools to Cedar Falls

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer accounting programs near Cedar Falls, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cedar Falls 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 Cedar Falls. 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

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 14.5 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,201
Avg net price $32,908/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 39.8 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,766
Avg net price $20,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,475
Out‑of‑state$19,475
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 54.4 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,787
Avg net price $20,168/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA 54.8 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
52.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,125
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Luther College

Decorah, IA 63.9 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,850
Avg net price $23,097/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 70.0 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 75.6 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 199

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Central College

Pella, IA 80.9 miles from Cedar Falls
  • 4 year
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,317
Avg net price $23,377/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Accounting Wages Near Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area (BLS area code 47940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor $73,530 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $84,420
Financial Manager $125,690 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $144,305
Financial Analyst $80,100 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $91,963
Budget Analyst $86,550 IA statewide $99,369
Tax Preparer $53,660 IA statewide $61,607
Tax Examiner and Collector $66,860 IA statewide $76,762
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk $47,540 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $54,581

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.

Cedar Falls at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,662 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $74,165 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Black Hawk County 375 workers, 59 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cedar Falls-Area Cities With Accounting Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Cedar Falls, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Cedar Falls. The closest is Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, IA (8.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Marshalltown Community College (42.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Cedar Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Cedar Falls are: Financial Manager ($125,690), Budget Analyst ($86,550), Financial Analyst ($80,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Waterloo instead of Cedar Falls?

Waterloo, IA is 5.5 miles from Cedar Falls 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 Cedar Falls an affordable place to study accounting?

Cedar Falls’s median household income of $74,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cedar Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Cedar Falls

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

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)