Best Online Accounting Programs in Traverse City, MI (2026)

Traverse City, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $4,320 to $9,674 per year for indexed programs. Traverse City has a population of about 15,491. Median household income is $71,731 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Traverse City, MI metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $119,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Accounting Schools to Traverse City

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near Traverse City. Distances are calculated from Traverse City 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 Traverse City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City, MI 1.0 miles from Traverse City BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Kirtland Community College

Grayling, MI 45.4 miles from Traverse City BOC Score38.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

North Central Michigan College

Petoskey, MI 52.5 miles from Traverse City BOC Score44.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

West Shore Community College

Scottville, MI 62.7 miles from Traverse City BOC Score41.8
Published tuition$4,320 - $9,674
Online programs--

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#5

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI 74.3 miles from Traverse City BOC Score64.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Accounting Wages Near Traverse City

Traverse City is part of the Traverse City, MI metro area (BLS area code 45900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$74,820Traverse City, MI$80,107
Financial Manager$119,810Traverse City, MI$128,276
Financial Analyst$80,100Traverse City, MI$85,760
Budget Analyst$96,430MI statewide$103,244
Tax Preparer$46,400MI statewide$49,679
Tax Examiner and Collector$63,440MI statewide$67,923
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$46,350Traverse City, MI$49,625

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.


Traverse City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population15,491Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,731Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Grand Traverse County379 workers, 65 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Traverse City-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Traverse City, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Traverse City. The closest is Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, MI (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ferris State University (74.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Traverse City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Traverse City are: Financial Manager ($119,810), Budget Analyst ($96,430), Financial Analyst ($80,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mount Pleasant instead of Traverse City?

Mount Pleasant, MI is 89.9 miles from Traverse City 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 Traverse City an affordable place to study accounting?

Traverse City’s median household income of $71,731 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Traverse City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Traverse City

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

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.