SJSU Tops WSJ List of Top Public Universities for High-Paying Jobs in Accounting

*Editor’s note (May 16, 2023): SJSU received the #2 ranking among public universities in the country from WSJ for salaries for marketing graduates, #4 among public universities in the country for salaries for data science graduates, #5 among public universities for salaries for engineering graduates and #6 among public universities for salaries for software developer graduates.

Graduating from San José State with a degree in accounting is a lucrative achievement. A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) ranking released Tuesday placed SJSU #1 among public universities in the country for accounting salaries for graduates. 

According to WSJ, an SJSU accounting graduate earns over $12,000 more than the median graduate’s annual salary over the first 10 years of their career — bringing home an average salary of nearly $80,000. Accounting graduates make up about 4% of SJSU’s annual graduates. 

“We are delighted that the quality and success of our accounting graduates is recognized by the WSJ rankings,” said Interim Dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business Marco Pagani. “Our students receive rigorous accounting knowledge in the classroom and they are exposed to several valuable co-curricular activities which provide important career readiness and professional development opportunities. Key to the success of our graduates is the strong partnership the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business built with the national and regional accounting firms and our alumni network.” 

SJSU finds itself in elite company in this WSJ ranking. Harvard tops the overall list, and six California schools are in the top 10 among public universities. 

SJSU’s Department of Accounting and Finance connects with business professionals to expand student opportunities. The Accounting Advancement Center, the Center for Banking and Financial Services, and the High Technology Tax Institute combine with faculty to deliver cutting-edge informational seminars, introduce students to industries, and network with professionals in accounting, finance and taxation.

“We take seriously the responsibility of educating the next generation of accounting professionals and are proud to partner with public accounting firms and talented faculty to give our students great opportunities,” said Ginny Grace, chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance. “I am encouraged that our students, who are diverse in many attributes, are recognized and compensated for their hard work.”

The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business also offers a graduate degree for students in accounting, as well as a recently launched master’s degree in finance.