Accounting is a crucial part of business, be it any kind. It is, in fact, the backbone of any financial enterprise. You need to track incoming and outgoing cash flows, debit and credit transactions, tax filing, all forms of expenditure, and the payroll. For the ones who wish to learn the fundamentals of financial maintenance from scratch, nothing better than online accounting courses.
Acquiring accounting knowledge might seem like a daunting challenge, but an online accounting class has made things simpler. Everyone is taking online classes and learning new skills from the comfort of their homes. The other added advantages are self-paced learning and flexibility. Be it finance management, the basic principles of accounting, or taxation; there are accounts courses online that teach you all this and more.
Factors To Consider Before Selecting Accounting Classes Online
There is a myriad of paid and free online accounting courses available, and the options might confuse you. We’ve listed the top four criteria that you must consider before zeroing on an accounting online course.
Methodology: Accounting online courses teach you a variety of topics. Some start from the basics whereas others go beyond the fundamentals. Understanding what exactly you want to learn goes a long way in picking the correct online accounting course. Managing finances, tax filing, or auditing, what is your area of interest?
Cost: The price you pay for an accounting course online is an important factor to consider. There are both free and paid options and depending on your purpose and affordability. Choose wisely.
Accreditation: Accreditation is a dominant factor that helps you decide upon an accounting class online. It is always a safe bet to go for renowned colleges, institutes, and learning websites that are in the business for quite some time now. Excellent faculty and teaching staff make the learning process fast and easy.
Reviews and Ratings: You must check out what the reviewers are saying before signing up for accounting courses online. These often end up guiding you in the right direction, as you come to know the first-hand experiences of students. The ratings depend on whether the course delivers what it promises to teach, clarity of expressions, and various other benchmarks.
13 Best Online Accounting Courses To Choose From
Whether you are a newbie in the accounting niche, a well-established professional, or an entrepreneur looking forward to learning the basic principles of managing finances, we’ve got you covered. Earning an accounting certificate goes a long way in advancing your career and picking up a new skill never goes waste.
We’ve also got some online accounting courses that develop your personal accounting abilities and make you more thorough with numbers.
1. Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling, and Valuation from Udemy
Besides being an MBA professor, instructor Ivy Grad has years of industry experience accounting. You do not need any prior knowledge in finance before taking up this accountant course online. Students learn about accounting, finance, valuation, modeling from scratch. Ivy’s teaching method is phenomenal and will make you wonder why didn’t you get to understand the concepts this way while in college or school.
One of the best online accounting courses from Udemy, you learn about creating balance sheets, cash flow statements, income statements, calculating the cost of capital and tabulating price to revenue and price to earnings, and representing all of this in Excel sheets.
Key Highlights
- Understanding and analyzing balance sheets
- Learn how to create financial models for financial statements
- Get financial concepts right, for example, net profit margin and return on assets
- Use debt and inventory formulas
- Understand the income statement and cash flow statement
- Master the art of using P/R to pick target prices
Online course duration: 4.5 hours
No. of students enrolled: 135,000+
Ratings: 4.4
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for Beginners
Check price and sign up for Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling, and Valuation
2. Introduction to Financial Accounting from Coursera
The course teaches you the skills required for analyzing financial statements. The technical skills thus acquired will help you make sense of financial disclosures and take you a step closer to excelling in financial analysis. You also understand how the accounting standards that an organization maintains and managerial incentives heavily impact the reporting process.
You get to learn at your pace with flexible deadlines. One of the best online accounting courses; this tutorial from the University of Pennsylvania, makes you work on case studies inspired by issues cited in the real world.
Key Highlights
- Learn how to read an income statement
- Get your hands on debit-credit bookkeeping
- Understand the statement of cash flows
- Explore Accrual Accounting
- Learn and tally balance sheets
- Know everything about ratio analysis
Online course duration: 12 hours
No. of students enrolled: 208,000+
Ratings: 4.7
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Accounts and business management students
Price: 7-day trial/continue using for $79 per month
Sign up for Introduction to Financial Accounting
3. Accounting: From Beginner to Advanced from Udemy
If you wish to learn to account online, get your hands on this tutorial that takes you from being a beginner to an expert. One of the best online accounting courses from Udemy teaches you the fundamentals easily and quickly. The videos and explanations are very engaging, and you learn the meaning of financial jargon along the way.
Debits and credits, stocks, bonds, dividends, accounting cycle, bank reconciliation, deferrals, and accruals, you understand all these concepts and even more with this tutorial. You can sign up for this course with no prior accounting knowledge. After completing the course, you will be able to apply for all sorts of accounting jobs.
Key Highlights
- Learn the art of analyzing business transactions
- Understand how to track inventories
- Prepare financial statements
- Get your hands on accounting regulations
- Know about short and long term investments
- Understand everything about debits, credits, and accounting cycle
- Prepare a bank reconciliation
- Learn about the depreciation and disposal of assets
Online course duration: 4 hours
No. of students enrolled: 14,000+
Ratings: 4.3
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Business owners, accountants, and bookkeepers
Check price and sign up for Accounting: From Beginner to Advanced
4. Financial Accounting Fundamentals from Coursera
One of the best online accounting courses, this tutorial from the University of Virginia, teaches you the basics in no time. The structure is curated by top-ranked faculty, and the class makes all the tools available that are required for you to master the fundamentals. Very different from the other basic accounting classes online, this one presents you concise videos in easily understandable language.
You learn how to record transactions and prepare financial statements. You will also be able to draw conclusions concerning an organization’s financial health after going through a few documents. The class guides you through understanding cash flow and income statements.
Key Highlights
- Learn to record journal entries
- Prepare accurate balance sheets
- Learn how to summarize transactions and record them accurately for a given accounting period
- Discover what are the three most used financial statements
- Understand how to ascertain a company’s financial health and stability
Online course duration: 13 hours
No. of students enrolled: 75,900+
Ratings: 4.8
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Beginners
Price: 7-day trial/continue using for $79 per month
Sign up for Financial Accounting Fundamentals
5. Financial Accounting – #1 Ranked University: Course 1 of 5 from Udemy
If you are looking for online accounting courses that are highly-ranked, look no further than this tutorial from Udemy. The instructor Norm Nemrow is a self-made millionaire and has been honored by U.S. President George Bush for exceptional teaching.
You get your hands on the fundamentals of financial accounting in this gold-standard course. After the completion, you will be ready to be a part of the corporate finance world directly. Norm is excellent when it comes to simplifying complex concepts.
If you are eyeing to get into the big four accounting firms worldwide, avail of this class as it is known for preparing top recruits. Harvard University recommends this course to its MBA graduates to get the hang of financial accounting.
Key Highlights
- Learn how to run a business
- Differentiate between various financial statements
- Understand debits and credits
- Master the art of maximizing your business profits
- Create financial statements
- Learn everything about dividends, bonds, and stocks
- Get to know the nitty-gritty of sales revenue and inventory
- Understand investment strategies
Online course duration: 24.5 hours
No. of students enrolled: 19,600+
Ratings: 4.7
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for: Entrepreneurs and students
Check price and sign up for Financial Accounting – #1 Ranked University: Course 1 of 5
6. Fundamentals of Accounting Specialization from Coursera
One of the best online accounting courses for managers and entrepreneurs; this one teaches you the basics really well. The principles and concepts that you learn throughout the tutorial can be applied for understanding financial statements in the real world. You will be able to set better financial goals and make better monetary decisions.
Get your hands on the nitty-gritty of managerial accounting and understand how to decipher a company’s financial position. Make sense out of reports prepared by the managers and learn the usage of analytical tools and techniques.
Key Highlights
- Understand the fundamentals of accounting
- Create financial statements
- Learn how to analyze and interpret financial statements
- Ascertain company records to judge the organization’s financial worth
- Get your hands on tools and techniques that will help you in making better financial decisions
- Create a business plan
- Learn how to come up with forecasts and budgets
Online course duration: 6 months – 4 hours per week
No. of students enrolled: 7300+
Ratings: 4.3
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for: Beginners, managers, and entrepreneurs
Price: 7-day trial/continue using for $79 per month
Sign up for Fundamentals of Accounting Specialization
7. Accounting in 60 Minutes – A Brief Introduction from Udemy
For anyone wanting to get his or her hands on a tutorial that teaches them the basics of accounting in an hour, this course is the ideal choice. Quite different from the other online accounting courses we’ve listed above, the class from Udemy makes some interesting shortcuts and analogies available.
You get to understand the subject in a fun way. There are simple quizzes available for you to participate in and check how well you have understood accounting concepts. The information is presented in a simple and easily understandable format. You gain valuable insights in no time.
Key Highlights
- Learn how to prepare a balance sheet
- Understand basic accounting equations
- Get to know the difference between debits and credits
- Learn why profit incurred by a business is not equal to the amount of cash gained
- Create income statements
Online course duration: 1 hour
No. of students enrolled: 79,000+
Ratings: 4.4
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Business students, owners, and managers
Check price and sign up for Accounting in 60 Minutes – A Brief Introduction
8. Accounting Essentials from edX
If you are looking for accounting online courses that are free, this tutorial from the Imperial College London is the best bet. It is an excellent introduction to accounting and financial management for anyone who is not from this background. You gain valuable insights that help you succeed in your business and MBA study.
If you are an MBA aspirant, this edX tutorial is one of the best online accounting courses. It goes a long way in helping you get your accounting basics right. The foundation is set strong, and the fundamental concepts are taught through simple and clear examples. You also learn about income statements, all types of other financial statements, and balance sheets.
Key Highlights
- Get your hands on accounting basics
- Kickstart your business and MBA program with handy tips
- Understand how to take correct long and short-term decisions
- Learn the workings on cash flow and income statements
- Tally a balance sheet
- Master the art of preparing all kinds of financial statements
Online course duration: 6 weeks/ 3-5 hours per week
No. of students enrolled: 38000+
Completion certificate: Yes (with an added cost)
Best suited for- Beginners, business owners, MBA students
Price: Free
Sign up for Accounting Essentials from edX
9. Accounting Foundations: Bookkeeping from LinkedIn Learning
Bookkeeping entails collecting accurate financial information and keeping a record of the same. It also means having those records organized in a manner that enables you to make better business decisions. One of the best online accounting courses, this tutorial is ideal for you to learn the nitty-gritty of basic accounting and bookkeeping principles.
Learn everything about recording financial transactions in ledgers and books. Create various kinds of financial statements for your company, including balance sheets and income statements. Instructors Kay and Jim Stice walk you through preparing reports, analyzing transactions, and explaining debits and credits.
Key Highlights
- Learn how balance sheets reflect accounting equations
- Understand everything about debits and credits
- Master the art of recording journal entries
- Get your hands on all kinds of financial statements
- Learn the language of business
Online course duration: 1 hour 39 mins
No. of viewers: 48,000+
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Accountants, students, and auditors
Price: 1-month free trial/buy the plan for $29.99 per month
Sign up for Accounting Foundations: Bookkeeping
10. Financial Accounting Online Course from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School offers one of the best online accounting courses. It is meant for anyone who wants to learn beyond the basics of accounting principles and get their hands on some in-depth concepts and techniques. Instructor V.G Narayanan gives you valuable insights into improving your business performance and getting more investors.
There are handy tips for you to make the right financial decisions. You also gain an understanding of how Wall Street managers and analysts function. Enhance your knowledge and skills required to decipher financial statements and evaluate your business’s financial health.
Key Highlights
- Understand the value of an investment opportunity
- Learn how to judge the financial health of an organization
- Discover income and cash flow statements
- Come up with financial strategies to save a business
- Prepare financial reports
- Understand IFRS and GAAP standards
Online course duration: 8 weeks
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Business analysts and mid-level professionals
Price: $1600
Sign up for Financial Accounting Online Course
11. Financial Accounting Part 1 from LinkedIn Learning
If you are in a profession that requires you to interpret financial statements, ascertain your company’s financial health, and communicate financial results, it is best to have gained the knowledge from a professional. An in-depth analysis requires comprehensive training. One of the best online accounting courses designed primarily for business professionals; this LinkedIn tutorial goes a long way in building your foundation strong.
You gain the confidence that is required to work with financial data. Some hacks that enforce strategic decision-making. Instructors Kay and Jim Stice give examples from real-world companies and generate actual annual reports for your better understanding.
Key Highlights
- Learn how to ascertain basic accounting equations
- Get a thorough understanding of all sorts of financial statements
- Differentiate between cash flow and net income
- Evaluate journal entries
- Prepare financial statements
- Learn about debits and credits
- Interpret income statements and balance sheets
- Get handy tips that will make everyday accounting more efficient
Online course duration: 3 hours 39 mins
No. of viewers: 83,000+
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Accountants, auditors, and corporate finance specialists
Price: 1-month free trial/buy the plan for $29.99 per month
Sign up for Financial Accounting Part 1
12. Free Accounting and Bookkeeping Course from Accounting Coach
One of the best online accounting courses that come for free, this tutorial from the Accounting Coach is an excellent choice for getting your hands on basic accounting and bookkeeping principles. The expert instructor Harold Averkamphas has been in the profession for more than two decades and is impeccable in explaining complex concepts simply.
You get your hands on all the terminology used in finance and learn how to prepare financial statements. Debits and credits, balance sheets, liquidity of assets, and working capital, you understand all these topics and even more in this course. There are also tests to check what you have learned.
Key Highlights
- Learn accounting and bookkeeping basics
- Understand how to work with different financial statements and balance sheets
- Get to know the workings of liquidity and working capital
- Learn bank reconciliation and payroll accounting
- Evaluate business investments
- Improve profits
- Gain an in-depth understanding of financial ratios and adjusting entries
Online course duration: Variable
Best suited for- Business professionals and students
Price: Free
Sign up for Free Accounting and Bookkeeping Course
13. Finance and Accounting Tips from LinkedIn Learning
In this informative tutorial, Kay and Jim Stice curate a list of handy finance and accounting tips. If you have always been curious to know about the financial workings of big companies like Boeing and Walmart, you have come to the right place. These two stalwarts have a combined experience of 60 years, and they have broken down complex accounting terms in simple terminology for you.
Unlike the other online accounting courses we’ve listed, this one explores financial information and brings you the essential accounting principles. The concepts are explained in bite-sized chunks that are easily understandable and manageable. You will no longer be intimidated by figures and will understand company operating cycles better.
Key Highlights
- Understand how to create and tally balance sheets
- Prepare all sorts of financial reports and statements
- Know about the financial workings of top corporate companies
- Get your hands on simple explanations of complex concepts
- Avail of handy accounting and financial tips
- Learn accrual accounting
Online course duration: 3 hours 57 mins
No. of viewers: 124,000+
Completion certificate: Yes
Best suited for- Accountants, auditors, and corporate finance specialists
Price: 1-month free trial/buy the plan for $29.99 per month
Sign up for Finance and Accounting Tips
Conclusion
Both big and small firms need accounting. It is essential to keep accurate records of incoming and outgoing financial transactions and employee payroll. If you are new to the field of accounting, it is best to start from scratch. Earning an accounting certificate will make you more valuable in the job market. You will be able to apply for applications that require a public accountant or certified account manager.
The list mentioned above consists of the best online accounting courses. All the tutorials are taken from credible learning websites that have top-notch industry experts as instructors. Depending on your level of requirement, you can opt for beginner or advanced level courses or even some that give you handy tips that help you excel in the niche. Studying the fundamentals and principles of accounting first is extremely important to kickstart your career.
