Home Schools Ashford University Accounting
Business · Accounting Rank #520 of 714

Accountingat Ashford University

Graduates earn $50,350/yr in their first year — about 6.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $523K; scenarios range from $488K to $528K depending on AI disruption.

San Diego, CA Private for-profit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
64 SOLID
66
Optimistic
61
Pessimistic
Earnings
$50,350
1-year post-graduation
ROI
9.1x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$523K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Ashford University

First-year earnings of $50,350 track close to the $53,724 national median for Accounting programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

At 9.9x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.

AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 7% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $32,813 debt-to-$50,350 income ratio translates to about 8 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

At #520 out of 714 programs, Ashford University's financial outcomes for Accounting trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth is modest: $50,350 to $53,394 over five years (6% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$488K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple9.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$523K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple9.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$528K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple10.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Ashford University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Accounting graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
2
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
3
Financial and investment analysts
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 25,100 openings/yr
$101,350/yr
Moderate
4
Business teachers, postsecondary
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 8,100 openings/yr
$97,270/yr
Moderate
5
Financial examiners
+18.5% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$90,400/yr
High
6
Budget analysts
+1.0% 10-yr growth · 3,100 openings/yr
$87,930/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Accounting

How Ashford University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
5.3x
ROI
Washington and Lee University
VA · Private nonprofit
74
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
3.1x
ROI
Same state (CA)
Santa Clara University
CA · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
4.2x
ROI
Villanova University
PA · Private nonprofit
75
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
3.4x
ROI
Lehigh University
PA · Private nonprofit
76
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
3.8x
ROI
Also at Ashford University

Other top programs at Ashford University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Ashford University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Accounting offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Accounting trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Accounting at Ashford University

How does Ashford University's Accounting program score?

A score of 64/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Ashford University trails the majority of Accounting programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Accounting to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Accounting careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 62% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.