Home Schools Fresno State Accounting
Business · Accounting Rank #195 of 714

Accountingat California State University-Fresno

Graduates earn $46,555/yr in their first year — about 13.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $650K; scenarios range from $576K to $676K depending on AI disruption.

Fresno, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
75 STRONG
77
Optimistic
73
Pessimistic
Earnings
$46,555
1-year post-graduation
ROI
23.2x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$650K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Fresno State

First-year earnings of $46,555 track close to the $53,724 national median for Accounting programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 23.3x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 15% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $15,000 in median debt against $46,555 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #195 out of 714 programs, California State University-Fresno's Accounting offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $46,555 to $67,526 shows 45% 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
$576K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple20.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$650K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple23.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$676K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score77/100
Earnings Multiple24.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Fresno State

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Fresno State, 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 Fresno State

How does California State University-Fresno's Accounting program score?

A score of 75/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. California State University-Fresno's Accounting graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

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.