Home Schools Athens State University Accounting
Business · Accounting Rank #638 of 714

Accountingat Athens State University

Graduates earn $46,577/yr in their first year — about 13.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $597K; scenarios range from $540K to $615K depending on AI disruption.

Athens, AL Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
57 SOLID
59
Optimistic
55
Pessimistic
Earnings
$46,577
1-year post-graduation
ROI
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$597K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Athens State University

Graduates earn $46,577/yr, roughly in line with the $53,724 national median for Accounting. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $46,577 far exceeding the $22,073 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #638 out of 714 programs, Athens State University's financial outcomes for Accounting trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $46,577 to $61,742 shows 33% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$540K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$597K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$615K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Athens State 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 Athens State 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
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 Athens State University

Other top programs at Athens State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Athens State 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 Athens State University

How does Athens State University's Accounting program score?

A score of 57/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Athens State 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.