Free Online Accounting Certificates 2025

Online accounting certificate programs can prepare learners for jobs in bookkeeping and entry-level accounting roles, however, they can also provide small business owners the ability to learn the accounting concepts they need to run their businesses.

Completing a full accounting degree program can be expensive and time-consuming, while many certification programs can be completed in a matter of months for little to no cost. Free online accounting courses can cover everything from accounting fundamentals to in-depth lessons on single aspects of accounting, such as accounting software and decision-making.

What Is an Accounting Certificate?

An accounting certificate is an award to show completion of a course. These certificates can be put on your resume or a LinkedIn profile to demonstrate your understanding of accounting skills for various positions. Most certificate programs are self-paced and offered through third-party learning platforms or directly through a university or community college.

These free courses generally take anywhere from a few hours to several months. Learners will either study general accounting principles or more specific topics, including:

• auditing
• budgeting
• financial reporting
• financial analysis

Courses are divided into modules with quizzes designed to demonstrate understanding and assignments that allow learners to gain hands-on practice.

An accounting certificate of completion isn't the same as a degree, though. Most employers do recognize certificates as a valid way to expand knowledge and learn new skills, but there may be limitations in the jobs that you will be qualified for with only a certificate.

Can You Earn an Online Accounting Certificate for Free?

It is possible to earn an accounting certificate for free, but not all programs result in a free certificate. Some programs allow students to enroll in the coursework for free, but access to a certificate often comes with a fee.

Students with the ultimate goal of simply learning the concepts might not need the certificate to indicate their knowledge. However, if you are trying to complete a certificate program to earn an entry-level accounting job or advance your accounting career, you'll want to ensure your program and certificate are free.

How Do I Enroll?

Enrollment in free online accounting courses varies primarily based on the provider. If your certificate course is offered through a third-party learning platform, you will probably only need to create an account with your name, email address, and password. This account will allow you to take courses at your own pace and return to them to brush up on the topics.

If your certificate program is offered through a community college or university, you might be subjected to an application and admission process before enrolling into the school's learning platform. This is especially true for professional certificates in accounting.

Top Free Online Accounting Certificates

Free online accounting classes are offered from multiple providers, including universities and accounting firms. Whether you want to find a course on a specific topic or a more general course on accounting, there are free programs for you.

Certificate in Accounting and Finance Offered by Oxford Home Study Centre

The Certificate in Accounting and Finance is designed for beginners to learn accounting principles, such as creating profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets. This self-paced course takes most learners around 200 hours to complete, or roughly five months with 10 hours of study per week.

Free Accounting and Bookkeeping Course Offered by Accounting Coach

Accounting Coach offers a free accounting course with 33 modules that include various assessments, hands-on practice, and video material to prepare students for the certification exam.

The lessons are free, but earning a certificate requires signing up for the Accounting Coach Pro Plan. This one-time fee allows members to take any course on Accounting Coach and earn certificates.

Accounting Ethics Offered by CentralKnowledge and LinkedIn Learning

Modern accounting isn't just about debits and credits. Learning about the ethical side of accounting and how to handle money for a business or clients of an accounting firm is also crucial. This program can be completed in under an hour and results in a certification of completion.

Financial Accounting Made Fun: Eliminating Your Fears Offered by Babson College

This course is offered by Babson College through the platform edX and allows students to earn a certificate in about four weeks. The self-paced program includes four modules covering balance sheets, income statements, and more.

The program can be completed for free but won't come with a certificate of completion. Learners can pay an additional fee to earn this certification.

Introduction to Financial Accounting Offered by The University of Pennsylvania

This course covers various aspects of financial accounting, including how to file financial statements. It is offered by the University of Pennsylvania through the third-party site Coursera.

The course is spread over four modules and takes most learners around 13 hours to complete. Material is taught through self-paced videos and reading lessons, combined with assessments.

Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination Offered by West Virginia University

Fraud affects businesses and individuals daily. Forensic accountants use various accounting principles to identify fraudsters and how they commit financial crimes. This course takes most learners about six hours to complete. Combined with an accounting degree, certificate holders can pursue careers on in-house teams at corporations or with law enforcement agencies.

Completing the Accounting Cycle Offered by the University of California, Irvine

The accounting cycle is the process that takes accountants from a business transaction to closing the books. This process includes hands-on work with adjusted trial balances and how they relate to closing and restarting the accounting cycle. Students will learn how to file closing entries for retained earnings statements, balance sheets, and income statements.

Accounting for Decision Making Offered by the University of Michigan

This certification program takes most learners around 29 hours to complete. Learners will see how accounting and financial information is used in business decisions.

This course is an intermediate-level program and learners are expected to have prior knowledge of accounting basics before enrolling.

Managerial Accounting: Cost Behaviors, Systems, and Analysis Offered by the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois's managerial accounting course covers cost accounting and related systems through the third-party platform Coursera. Learners will then apply this information to decision-making for their company or small business.

Core Excel Skills For Accountants and Financial Professionals Offered by Alison

Microsoft Excel is a common tool for accounting. Learners in this program will practice formulas used to calculate financial records automatically while analyzing data. This course takes most learners less than three hours to complete.

FAQs About Free Online Accounting Certificates

People can benefit from free online accounting certificates, whether they are professionals trying to advance their accounting careers or managers developing their skills to grow their small businesses. It's common for these learners to have questions about the topics and types of certificates available.

Is a Free Online Accounting Certificate Worth It?

Free online accounting certificates are often worth it. These programs teach valuable skills that learners can acquire at their own pace. Additionally, they can help their businesses or pursue career advancement at no additional cost.

What Topics Are Covered in Free Online Accounting Certificates?

Just about any topic can be covered in a free accounting course. Students can find certificate programs that cover the basics of accounting as well as programs that go into depth on single topics, such as financial record keeping, forensic accounting, and cost analysis.

Are There Prerequisites for Free Online Accounting Certificates?

It will vary based on the program. Many courses don't have any prerequisite courses, but others will ask that learners have a basic understanding of accounting before enrolling.

What Is the Most Common Accounting Certification Available?

The most common certification is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). This paid program is for advanced accountants who have completed a degree program and earned experience through work or other certification programs.