Accounting Schools and Programs in The United Kingdom

Accounting Studies in The United Kingdom

Accounting in the United Kingdom is learned in two stages. The first is a university degree, usually a three-year bachelor's degree with honours called Accounting and Finance or Accounting. The second is a professional qualification with one of the chartered accountancy bodies, which graduates complete while they work. The degree does not make its holder a chartered accountant, but an accredited degree can shorten the professional stage through exam exemptions.

This directory lists 41 schools in the United Kingdom that teach accounting, seven of them in London.

How the degree is organised

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the standard bachelor's degree with honours takes three years of full-time study. The BSc Accounting and Finance at the University of Bristol lasts three years (UCAS code NN43), and so does the BSc Accounting and Finance at the University of Southampton (UCAS code N400). Southampton also offers the same degree with a placement year or a study abroad year, which takes four years.

In Scotland a degree usually requires four years. The BA Hons Accounting at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow has a broad first year, two years in which accounting is combined with another business subject, and a fourth Honours year. Strathclyde states that entry to the Honours year is competitive and currently requires a 55% average in the Year 2 and Year 3 subject modules.

The content is similar across universities. At Bristol the first year has mandatory units in accounting, finance, economics, mathematics and statistics, and the final year offers advanced units such as Management Accounting for Strategy and Advanced Corporate Reporting. Strathclyde lists financial reporting, management accounting, governance, taxation, and auditing and assurance as the areas its accounting programme covers.

Accreditation and the professional qualification

Several professional bodies award accountancy qualifications in the UK, and each accredits university degrees separately. When comparing courses, the useful question is which bodies accredit the degree and for how many exams.

• ICAEW: to qualify as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant a student must complete the ACA, which requires at least three years of on-the-job training while passing a series of exams. ICAEW describes 14 exams across its Certificate, Professional and Advanced Levels.
• ACCA: ACCA can award exemptions, depending on the qualifications a student already holds, across the nine Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams. It awards no exemptions for the Strategic Professional exams and none on the basis of work experience. ACCA also has a practical experience requirement of 36 months.
• ICAS: Strathclyde states that in the majority of subject combinations its accounting degree is fully accredited for entry to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

The University of Bristol states that its BSc Accounting and Finance is accredited by ACCA, CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS and CIMA. It also notes that the course is going through its scheduled five-year ACCA re-accreditation. Accreditation is reviewed periodically, so applicants should check the current status on the university's own page.

Admission and language

Applications for bachelor's degrees go through UCAS, where an applicant can have five choices in total. For courses starting in 2027, the equal consideration date for most undergraduate courses is 13 January 2027. UCAS notes that many universities and colleges continue to accept applications from international students until later in the year.

Universities set their own entry requirements. Bristol's standard A-level offer for accounting and finance is AAA including Mathematics; Southampton's typical offer is AAB. Applicants with other school-leaving qualifications can ask UK ENIC for a statement comparing them with UK qualifications. Courses are taught in English: Southampton asks for an overall IELTS score of 6.5, and the Student visa requires English equivalent to CEFR level B2 for study at degree level.

Costs and the Student visa

International tuition fees are set by each university. Bristol charges international students £29,300 for the first year of the BSc Accounting and Finance starting in 2027, and Southampton charges EU and international students £28,300 for a year's study. UK students pay £10,050 at both.

A Student visa requires an offer of a place from a licensed student sponsor. The application costs £558 from outside the UK and can be made at the earliest six months before the course starts. Applicants must show £1,529 per month for courses in London, or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to nine months (gov.uk, checked October 2026).

Where to study accounting

London has the largest group of schools in this directory, among them London South Bank University and the University of Westminster. Glasgow has the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University, and Aberdeen has the University of Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Business School of Robert Gordon University. Manchester is represented by Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford Business School. Other universities in the list include Lancaster University, the University of Sheffield, Newcastle University, Cardiff University and the University of Stirling.

After graduation

Graduates who want to qualify usually look for a training role with an employer and study for the professional exams at the same time. International graduates can apply for a Graduate visa after completing an eligible course; it lasts 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an accounting degree take in the United Kingdom?

Three years full time for a bachelor's degree with honours in England, for example at Bristol and Southampton, or four years with a placement or study abroad year. In Scotland the Honours degree takes four years.

Does an accounting degree make me a chartered accountant?

No. Chartered status comes from a professional body. ICAEW, for example, requires its ACA qualification, with at least three years of on-the-job training and a series of exams.

What does it mean that a degree is accredited?

It means a professional body recognises the degree for exemptions from some of its exams. ACCA limits exemptions to its nine Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams and gives none for the Strategic Professional exams.