U.S. median for this major: $74,373.
College Scorecard field of study; 37 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 21% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,856. College Scorecard.
GWU Accounting: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses GWU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,440 | $70,981 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $17,292 | $70,378 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $22,080 | $89,866 | 1.1 years |
| $75–110k | $28,100 | $114,367 | 1.5 years |
| $110k+ | $55,337 | $225,222 | 2.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (79% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($116,795) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $78,611 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting at District of Columbia colleges
Every District of Columbia college we cover that reports Accounting graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University | $141,931 | $17,500 | $40,815 | 95% |
| 2 | American University | $119,020 | — | $41,943 | 75% |
| 3 | George Washington University | $116,795 | $24,875 | $36,586 | 84% |
| 4 | The Catholic University of America | $114,909 | $25,725 | $29,561 | 79% |
| 5 | Howard University | $98,645 | — | $50,539 | 70% |
| 6 | University of the District of Columbiabachelor's & associate | $71,572 | $32,160 | $10,648 | 33% |
2 more District of Columbia colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Accounting graduates
Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at GWU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About GWU
- Acceptance rate: 47% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 84% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $90,873
- Full cost breakdown · all 81 majors · overview
Related majors at GWU
- Finance$126,638
- Business Administration—
- Management Science / Analytics$120,730
- Business$107,023
- Marketing$95,528
- Economics$99,406
GWU Accounting questions
How much do GWU Accounting graduates earn?
Accounting graduates of George Washington University earn a median $116,795 four years after graduating and $69,151 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.
How much debt do GWU Accounting graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of George Washington University is $24,875, about 21% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.
Is GWU a good school for Accounting in District of Columbia?
On pay, Accounting graduates of George Washington University earn $116,795 four years out, $943 above the median for the same major across 6 District of Columbia colleges ($115,852) and $42,422 above the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does GWU rank for Accounting in District of Columbia?
Of 6 District of Columbia colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, George Washington University ranks 3rd. The highest is Georgetown University at $141,931.
What jobs do Accounting graduates get?
A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $102,140 in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “George Washington University Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/george-washington-university/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).