Best Taxation Programs in Massachusetts in 2027

• Highest Score57.2 out of 100

  Strongest CredentialsLaw degree from a law school on the American Bar Association's approved list

  Boston University

  LLM in Taxation

  Massachusetts · LL.M.

  Boston University's LL.M. Review
• Highest Graduate Earnings$119,302 median earnings

  Bentley University

  Master of Science in Accounting, Taxation Major

  Massachusetts · M.S.A.

  Bentley University's M.S.A. Review

The Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy certifies CPAs under 252 CMR 2.07. The state asks for 150 semester hours of education that include a bachelor's degree, plus one of several routes. One is a graduate degree in accounting from a program accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Another is a graduate degree in accounting, business administration or law that includes 30 undergraduate or 18 graduate semester hours of accounting, covering financial accounting, auditing, taxation and management accounting, plus business courses. Experience is 2,000 hours of qualifying services: at least a year and no more than three in public accounting, or three to nine years in non-public work such as industry, government, academia or nonprofits.

For a taxation master's, that makes degree type important. An accounting master's with a tax track fits the first two routes most directly, and a tax law degree is worth a direct question to the board.

A program qualifies when its school is based in Massachusetts. Where a school publishes a separate in-state rate we show it beside the non-resident rate.

• School based in Massachusetts
• In-state rate shown when the school publishes one
• Scored on the same eight factors as every list and ranked inside its degree level

Scores are the weighted sum of eight factors (Tax Specialization 15%, Tax Subject Coverage 15%, Hands-On Tax Practice 10%, Cost 20%, Graduate Earnings 10%, Credential Alignment 10%, Track Record 10%, Program Reputation 10%), version 2.0. The methodology page shows the rubric for each factor.

Match a Boston Tax Degree to Massachusetts' Graduate-Degree Routes

Massachusetts names the graduate degrees it accepts, and the names matter. One route is a graduate degree in accounting from an AACSB-accredited program. Another accepts a graduate degree in accounting, business administration or law, as long as it includes 18 graduate semester hours of accounting that cover taxation and three other core areas, plus business courses. Either way, the board counts 150 semester hours that include a bachelor's degree.

Bentley's Master of Science in Accounting with a Taxation major and Northeastern's Master of Science in Accounting with a Tax track are both accounting master's degrees at 30 credits. Northeastern says you earn the degree and the 150 credit hours needed to sit for the CPA exam in seven months on its Boston campus.

Boston University's tax degrees come from its law school, and the second route names law degrees. You'll want the board or the school to tell you how a specific transcript would be read before you enroll.

Choose Between Boston University's Two Tax Degrees

Boston University School of Law runs a Graduate Tax Program that has operated since 1959, and it offers two paths. The LL.M. in Taxation is a 24-credit Master of Laws. Online students pay the same tuition rate as students on campus, and they take the same advanced tax courses. You choose from more than 40 each year, taught by lawyers who are practicing or recently retired in their fields.

The Master in the Study of Tax Law opens the program to people without a law degree. A short non-credit online module on the American legal system gets everyone to the same starting point before tax practitioners teach the courses. Part-time students have up to four years to finish.

Both paths connect you to more than 3,000 tax alumni. If you've never studied law, the Master in the Study of Tax Law is open to you. If you already hold a law degree, the LL.M. is the degree built for you.

Schedule Massachusetts Experience Hours Around Your Degree

A Massachusetts CPA certificate needs 2,000 hours of qualifying experience, and the timing differs by setting. Public accounting experience runs at least a year and no more than three. Industry, government, academia and nonprofit work takes three to nine years. Each statement from a supervising licensee has to describe the type and exact dates of your work, so you'll want to keep a log from your first week.

Program format shapes when you can earn those hours. Bentley's classes meet live at set times, and each week you choose whether to sit in the Waltham classroom or join over Zoom, so you can keep a job in the area. Northeastern's program runs seven months full time.

Boston University's part-time path gives you up to four years, which leaves room for full-time work. Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC take part in employer events at Boston University. Bentley also collaborates with KPMG's Data and Analytics program. Ask each school's career office where its tax graduates start.

Compare Funding and Follow-On Options at Bentley, Northeastern and Boston University

Every applicant to Bentley is considered for merit scholarships, and a Master's in Accounting Fellowship gives full tuition remission in the one-year path. Ask about both when you apply.

Northeastern adds a different kind of value: your 30 credits may count toward a Master of Business Administration, so the tax track can become the first step in a broader degree if your career moves toward management.

Boston University keeps costs predictable in another way. Online and on-campus students pay the same Master of Laws tuition rate, so you aren't paying more for choosing the format that fits your life.

Before you decide, put the three schools side by side on a single sheet: credits, format, how long it takes, funding and what the career office offers. Then call each admissions office with the questions the sheet can't answer. You can also compare these schools with national options on the best master's in taxation programs list.