When you’re looking for online accounting classes, you may prefer features such as accreditation over cost or vice versa. In general, the factors that rank as important for online students include cost, certification or accreditation, timeline and convenience, but one factor or several might be weighed much more heavily than others. There is also the fact that some online accounting students don’t have degrees yet, while others are already professional accountants looking to brush up on a skill area or to get continuing education. Other students might be folks such as new business owners who want to learn basic accounting principles and don’t feel a need to go further than that in their accounting education.

How We Chose Our Ratings

With the different target audiences for online accounting classes and the different priorities each sector may have, it was still possible to compile a list of the top seven best online accounting classes. We reviewed information about various accounting classes, their cost, who they were intended for, the reputation of the program or service offering them and other factors to find a few top accounting classes. The classes we reviewed are suitable for each of these groups:

• Students seeking accounting degrees
• Accounting professionals getting continuing education
• New business owners or folks seeking general accounting knowledge

Top 7 Best Online Accounting Classes

1. Roger CPA Review

Who it is for: Students seeking accounting degrees and accounting professionals furthering their careers

Many options exist to prep for your CPA exam. For example, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants has resources such as information on question types and practice tests on its website. If your practice test results lead you to decide that you need help preparing for the actual exam, then the Roger CPA Review is a great online accounting class. It’s priced reasonably, offers tremendous quality and most importantly, helps students actually pass the exam. You may be able to get what you need via the package that goes for $1,699 ($149 a month), less than Wiley’s $1,700 minimum price and Becker’s basic $3,393 package. There are other, more costly Roger CPA Review offerings if you feel you’d benefit from one of them, especially if you need help with all four sections of the CPA exam.

The Roger CPA Review is designed to accommodate different learning styles and has a support system for customized assistance. Students get to keep their course materials for life and can also enjoy free updates as the CPA exams change. You can start studying on a free trial basis to ensure this class is the right one for you.

5 out of 5 stars

2. Intermediate Accounting l, Old Dominion University Online

Who it is for: Students seeking accounting degrees

While it’s fine for students to take accounting classes from online-only, for-profit schools such as the University of Phoenix, there are plenty of in-state accounting class options throughout the United States. One such example is Old Dominion University in Virginia. The Intermediate Accounting I class is taken after a student completes general education and business core classes such as Principles of Accounting I and Principles of Finance.

Why ODU? If you’re an online student looking for an experience comparable to what you’d expect from attending traditional college classes, this class/degree program lets you have it. Online and in-person classes are taught by the same faculty, and you can expect to receive the same amount of academic support that you would if you took the classes in person. Also, the diploma you eventually receive is the same as one you’d receive if you attended classes in person. The academic calendar is also the same, and you can take your general education and some accounting classes elsewhere if you prefer and transfer them. ODU has been delivering long-distance education for more than 30 years and does it well. If you live in Virginia, you can also get in-state tuition rates. If you live in other states, you can still enroll in ODU’s program. Alternatively, explore the online accounting degree programs offered by public schools in your state.

5 out of 5 stars

3. Financial Accounting, MIT Open CourseWare

Who it is for: Accounting professionals getting continuing education

MIT has a bunch of free business-oriented classes online that cover topics such as taxes and business strategy, entrepreneurial finance, real estate finance and investment, and of course, financial accounting (and other accounting topics). Financial Accounting is a graduate-level class from summer 2004. Because it’s graduate level, you’ll probably want to have some basic accounting knowledge before diving into it.

In 2004 it was a six-week class and covered the nuts and bolts of corporate financial accounting and reporting. It can help you make better valuations of firms and better investment decisions. You get access to materials such as lecture notes, assignments (answers not included) and exams (with answers). In this case, “lecture notes” doesn’t mean page after page of dense, tiny text. Rather, you should expect notes in the form of bright, engaging and well-designed PowerPoint slides. You also get access to reading lists and links to textbooks to buy. There’s no support, of course, so if you find yourself stuck or struggling with a concept, you’ll have to figure out how to get help on your own. All in all, though, it’s pretty cool to be able to take a graduate-level class for free. Even though it was offered a while ago, the material remains useful and relevant today.

4.5 out of 5 stars

4. Fundamentals of Accounting – Revised 2017, Alison

Who it is for: New business owners and folks seeking general accounting knowledge

The Fundamentals of Accounting course offered by Alison is a basic accounting class that takes one to two hours. Students learn about accounting terms and accounting principles and by the end of the class should be able to develop balance sheets and profit and loss statements, among other outcomes.

You can earn certification after taking the class if you score at least 80 percent in the assessment. While the class is free, you do need to pay about $20 to download the certificate. It can make a useful addition to your job portfolio and resume, and if you’re a new business owner the content of the class should teach you all you need to track basic expenses.

Alison courses follow industry standards but are not accredited. If you later decide to pursue an accounting degree, you can’t transfer this class to your program of study. As for employers, many recognize the value of Alison courses and use them for their own workers, so a job seeker’s Alison credential really can carry significant weight. If you’d like to pursue more study, other online accounting classes from Alison include Accounting and Its Use in Business Decisions, Accounting – Understanding Receivables and Payables, and Introduction to Cash Accounting. There are also diploma courses and learning paths that take a bit more time. New business owners and aspiring bookkeepers can certainly learn a lot about accounting without having to fork over large wads of cash.

4.5 out of 5 stars

5. Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting, OpenLearn

Who it is for: New business owners and folks seeking general accounting knowledge

OpenLearn is similar to Alison in that it offers free online courses. After this introductory class, students should be able to record transactions, do basic double-entry bookkeeping, balance ledger accounts, and draw up profit and loss accounts and balance sheets. Many classes are free, including the introduction course. Courses on advanced topics such as asset allocation in investment are also available. However, the interface is not quite as polished as Alison’s. Presentation matters!

On the other hand, this course is eight hours compared with the one to two hours of Alison’s. If you’re a new business owner who wants a bit more depth in an accounting class, check this one out. You also get a free statement of participation after you finish the class.

4.5 out of 5 stars

6. Financial Accounting, Harvard Business Review

Who it is for: New business owners and folks seeking general accounting knowledge

The Harvard Business Review offers this class for $110 (price subject to change). It takes 18 to 22 hours, and you learn about income statements, inventories, investment income, liabilities and financing costs, and balance sheets. If you don’t have a background in commerce or accounting, the idea of taking this class may sound intimidating, but don’t worry. Concepts build naturally on top of one another, and the material is easy to follow. If you’re wondering if a graduate-level degree in business or a future in business is for you, then this is a good class to take. It’s also good for new business owners.

Harvard Business School faculty developed the material and you’ll follow the fortunes of a global grocery company as it grows through its first year. You’ll help keep track of the company’s accounting and economic activities and will be faced with real-world problems to solve. The instruction materials are interactive, and you can take pre- and post-assessments to measure your learning and to pinpoint your weaknesses and strengths. Pass the exam at the end and you can receive certification showing your success. One con of this class is that you don’t get academic support from a real person, but the material is designed so that you hopefully won’t need it. For everything you get, the $110 price tag is pretty good.

4.5 out of 5 stars

7. Double-Entry Accounting System, Simplestudies

Who it is for: New business owners and folks seeking general accounting knowledge

Simplestudies offers a nice selection of accounting classes, including those on double-entry accounting, accruals, deferrals, accounting in merchandising companies and accounting for long-term assets. There should be something for everyone and the tutorials build on one another. The Double-Entry Accounting System class is worth checking out because most accounting practiced around the world uses double entries. You may need to read the previous courses to better understand the material here. The lecture contents are organized in a table down the right-hand side of the page and cover varied topics such as rent prepayment, furniture purchases and cash distributions.

This class is taught through the student reading notes and examples. It can get confusing if your learning style doesn’t mesh. Interactive classes with assignments, quizzes and live support may benefit you more. That said, the material is free and comprehensive, and you can join the Simplestudies online accounting course for $19 a month or $99 a year to receive more checks on your understanding of the material and to get a certificate of course completion.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Buyer’s Guide

So, we’ve listed above what we believe are the top online accounting classes. They’ll help you prepare for the CPA exam, for in-depth study in accounting or for life as the owner of a new business. General things to consider when assessing online accounting classes are whether they’ll match your learning style, their expected outcomes and the approximate length of study.

Plus, as touched on above, you’re probably weighing factors such as cost and accreditation when deciding which courses to take. However, if you’re a new business owner, you have a bit more flexibility in that you don’t necessarily have to show or prove your accounting credentials to anyone else. You just need to be able to track the income coming into your business and its expenses, at least for now.

If you’re prepping for the CPA exam, accreditation probably doesn’t matter to you either. In such situations, you likely want to check for classes that offer ongoing support from real people, interactive material, assessments of your strengths and weaknesses and practice tests. If you’re still in school, many degree programs offer CPA exam prep help, both through regular coursework and through optional avenues of study. You might want to check these out before spending additional money on a private class.

If you’re a degree-pursuing student studying online accounting classes, definitely prioritize accreditation. If you’re already employed in the accounting field and are seeking continuing education, check with your employer (and depending on your specific job, possibly even your state) to see if you can get continuing education credit from the class you are considering.