Best Taxation Programs in New York in 2027

• Highest Score67.8 out of 100

  Lowest Price$855 per credit

  Highest Graduate Earnings$132,681 median earnings

  CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

  Master of Science in Taxation

  New York · M.S.

  CUNY Bernard M Baruch College's M.S. Review
• Strongest CredentialsAACSB stated by the school; prepares for CPA

  St. John's University-New York

  Taxation, Master of Science

  New York · M.S.

  St. John's University-New York's M.S. Review

New York licenses CPAs through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of the Professions. Today the education route is 150 semester hours through a licensure-qualifying registered program, an AACSB-accredited accounting program, or coursework the department finds equivalent. The department says this version of the 150-hour pathway phases out on August 1, 2027.

It recommends submitting all licensure materials by May 1, 2027. After that date, applicants follow the CPA Evolution coursework, where a master's degree in accounting or business must include 21 semester hours of accounting. To sit for the exam, you can finish 120 semester hours that include coursework in taxation, auditing and other accounting areas, but the license waits for all 150.

The 120-hour licensure route is for people who finished their education before August 1, 2009, or were licensed in another state before then, so don't plan around it. For a taxation master's, the key question is whether your program is registered or otherwise meets the 150-hour rule.

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

• School based in New York
• 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.

Confirm Your New York Program Is Registered for the CPA

New York gives you three ways to meet its 150-hour education rule, and the first is the simplest: complete an accounting program the department has registered as licensure-qualifying. NYSED publishes an inventory of registered programs, and you can search it for the 150-hour pathway.

The second is a master's in accounting from a school accredited in both business and accounting by AACSB. The third is an equivalent set of courses reviewed from your transcripts.

Several programs on this list say they meet the rule. SUNY Old Westbury's M.S. in Taxation is registered as meeting both the 150-credit-hour and one-year work experience requirements. The University at Albany says its program meets the 150-semester-hour requirement. Baruch says its credits count toward the 150 hours, and Hofstra says its program fully satisfies New York's educational requirements.

Ask your school whether the program is registered, and do it before you pay a deposit.

Plan Around the August 2027 Switch to New Coursework

New York has told applicants that the current 150-hour pathway phases out on August 1, 2027. Anyone who finishes education or applies on or after that date follows the CPA Evolution version, which calls for 33 semester hours of accounting, with 18 of them upper-level, and 36 hours of business in set content areas. A master's degree in accounting or business must include 21 semester hours of accounting.

That's why your program's length matters. The department wants the whole licensing process, including the exam and the experience, done before the old pathway ends, so a longer degree can push you onto the new list. The University at Albany says most students finish in one year, and Fordham's full-time students finish in 12 months. Baruch lets you switch between part-time and full-time loads, which helps if your schedule changes.

Write down when you'll finish, then count backward. NYSED recommends submitting licensure materials by May 1, 2027, to allow timely review. Ask your registrar which version of the coursework list your program's courses were designed to meet.

Compare CUNY, SUNY and Private School Prices in New York

New York's public and private options publish prices differently, so put them in one list. CUNY Baruch College charges New York residents $470 per credit, and SUNY Old Westbury charges residents $471 per credit. Both programs run 30 or 31 credits.

Among private schools, St. John's charges $1,280 per credit for its 31-credit M.S., the same whether you study fully online or on the Queens campus. Fordham's Master of Science in Professional Taxation lists $2,303 per credit, and New York Law School's LL.M. lists $2,451. NYU's online tax programs list $3,638 per credit.

The credit counts differ too. Fordham, Albany and Hofstra programs are 30 credits, and NYU's LL.M. is 24. NYU's Master of Studies in Law can come down from 30 to 24 with up to six credits of advanced standing.

Queens College invites its own accounting majors with a 3.0 grade point average to a Fast Track that skips the application, and an Accelerated Masters option lets undergraduates take up to four graduate courses at undergraduate rates.

Pick a Taxation M.S. or a Manhattan Tax LL.M.

Decide which kind of degree fits you. If you're an accountant, the M.S. programs at Baruch, St. John's, Albany, Hofstra and Fordham are the closest match. Baruch welcomes career changers with no accounting or business background, as well as experienced tax professionals, and Fordham doesn't require an undergraduate accounting degree.

If you hold a law degree, NYU's LL.M. in Taxation is 24 credits. You'll choose from more than 50 graduate tax classes, taught by 10 full-time faculty and over 40 adjuncts. Part-time students take up to 12 credits through recorded courses and the rest in Manhattan evening classes. The Executive version can be taken entirely online.

New York Law School's LL.M. adds a capstone seminar in advanced tax planning and five concentrations, and its own graduates who begin within two years receive a scholarship worth half of tuition.

NYU's online Master of Studies in Law in Taxation is designed for accountants and financial professionals who already hold the relevant credentials and licenses, and it requires just one class, Tax Practice and Procedure.

Start with the degree that matches the background you already have.