| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private for-profit, non-degree career school; onsite classes only |
| Site | 1, in San Diego, California (Mission Valley) |
| Credentials | Certificates of completion (6 programs) |
| Program length | 16 weeks (288 hours); bookkeeping 24 weeks (432 hours) |
| Accreditation | None; voluntarily withdrew from COE accreditation effective 9 August 2024 |
| State approval | California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE); the catalog shows an expiry of 4 January 2026 |
| Federal aid | No |
| Total cost | $6,500 to $9,500 per program, books and registration included |
| Founded / owner | Since 2006; American Business College, Inc., which does business as The Accounting Academy |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
The Accounting Academy: short bookkeeping, payroll, tax and office certificates in San Diego
The Accounting Academy is a small private career school in San Diego that trains students for bookkeeping, accounting-clerk, payroll, tax-preparation and administrative jobs. It is the trade name of American Business College, Inc., and has operated since 2006; earlier sites in San Marcos and Carlsbad closed in 2011 and 2016. It offers six certificates of 16 to 24 weeks, all taught onsite in small morning or evening classes.
Two facts matter most when comparing it with other schools. It has not been accredited since August 2024, when it withdrew from the Council on Occupational Education, and it takes no federal student aid, so students pay with veterans’ benefits, workforce funding or their own money. Enrollment has also fallen, from 118 students in 2023 to 99 in 2024, according to its annual reports to the state.
Six certificate programs
Every program ends in a certificate of completion awarded on the last day of class. None leads to a state licence, and no externship is described.
| Program | Credential | Length | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping | Certificate | 432 hours, 24 weeks | Bookkeeping and junior accounting jobs |
| Accounts Payable Specialist | Certificate | 288 hours, 16 weeks | Accounts payable clerk or specialist |
| Accounts Receivable Specialist | Certificate | 288 hours, 16 weeks | Accounts receivable, billing and collections jobs |
| Payroll Specialist | Certificate | 288 hours, 16 weeks | Payroll clerk or specialist |
| Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent | Certificate | 288 hours, 16 weeks | IRS Special Enrollment Examination (Enrolled Agent) |
| Administrative Assistant | Certificate | 288 hours, 16 weeks | Office and administrative support jobs |
All six are taught onsite and instructor-led, with at most 15 students per class according to the catalog. Classes meet either mornings, Tuesday to Thursday from 8:30am to 2:30pm, or evenings, Monday to Thursday from 5:00pm to 9:30pm.
What the main programs cover
Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping
The longest program, at 432 clock hours over 24 weeks, covers ten-key, debits and credits, six journals, the general ledger and financial statements. It also covers payroll and payroll taxes and accounts payable. Students complete five manual practice sets, then an introduction to QuickBooks with five more QuickBooks practice sets. The school aims it at entry and mid-level bookkeeping and junior-accountant jobs. It does not name a QuickBooks certification exam, so students who want one should ask whether it is included.
Payroll Specialist
The 288-hour, 16-week payroll certificate teaches how to calculate wages and withhold income tax and FICA, how unemployment taxes work, and how to file periodic and year-end payroll reports such as IRS Form 941. Like the other 16-week programs, it runs on the morning or the evening schedule and is taught onsite. The program is listed at 288 hours, but the catalog’s hourly-rate line says “378 hours”, so ask the school which figure applies to your enrollment agreement.
Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent
This 16-week, 288-hour certificate follows the three parts of the IRS Special Enrollment Examination: individual returns; business returns, including partnerships, C and S corporations, estates and trusts and retirement plans; and representation and practice before the IRS. Finishing it does not make a graduate an Enrolled Agent: the IRS, not the school, grants that status, and the program prepares students for the IRS exam. The school publishes no exam pass rates, and its program materials do not mention California Tax Education Council (CTEC) registration.
Administrative Assistant
The Administrative Assistant certificate (288 hours, 16 weeks) covers keyboarding and ten-key, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint with an overview of Access, basic bookkeeping, business writing, filing and records, time management, and office phone and video systems. No Microsoft Office Specialist certification is named. It shares the morning and evening schedules of the accounting programs. The Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable certificates are the same length and focus on payables, and on billing and collections.
Cost: one price per program, and no federal aid
The school charges one total per program, with no in-state or out-of-state tiers. Each total includes a $100 non-refundable registration fee and $400 for books and materials (for payroll, $200 for books and $200 for supplies), according to the school’s tuition page, checked in October 2026. The page shows no effective date, so confirm the price on your enrollment agreement.
| Program | Total charges | Of which tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping | $9,500 | $9,000 |
| Payroll Specialist | $7,500 | $7,000 |
| Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent | $7,500 | $7,000 |
| Administrative Assistant | $6,500 | $6,000 |
| Accounts Payable Specialist | $6,500 | $6,000 |
| Accounts Receivable Specialist | $6,500 | $6,000 |
The school’s 2024 report to the state listed Payroll and Tax at $6,500; the tuition page now shows $7,500 for both. California’s Student Tuition Recovery Fund charge is $0.
The school is not approved for federal student aid, so there are no Pell Grants or federal student loans, and it lists no state grants or named scholarships. It accepts the GI Bill and other veterans’ benefits, a major funding source: it reported about $591,000 in veterans’ education benefits for 2024 in its annual report to the state. It also lists MyCAA for military spouses, WIOA funding through the San Diego Workforce Partnership and California’s training-provider list, workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation and VA Vocational Rehabilitation. Students paying themselves can use cash, check or card, and the school says financing is available with good credit.
Under the enrollment agreement, students can cancel up to the first class session or the seventh day after enrolling, whichever is later. After that, students who leave having completed 60% or less of the period of attendance get a pro-rata refund, paid within 45 days.
Admissions and class times
The 2026 catalog sets these entry requirements: age 17 or older; a high school diploma, GED or equivalent; an entrance examination, which can be retaken once within two weeks (a second failure bars admission); an interview with the school director; and a pre-enrollment technology survey. Applicants must also score 70% or better on an English proficiency check, and no English-as-a-second-language teaching is offered. There are no prerequisite courses.
Programs run on two fixed schedules: mornings, Tuesday to Thursday from 8:30am to 2:30pm (18 hours a week), or evenings, Monday to Thursday from 5:00pm to 9:30pm. The school describes programs as lasting three to seven months.
Accreditation, state approval and results
The Accounting Academy is not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, as its 2026 catalog states. The Council on Occupational Education (COE) granted it accreditation in December 2022, and the school withdrew voluntarily, effective 9 August 2024, according to COE’s notice of voluntary withdrawal. The notice gives no reason.
The school operates under approval from California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). Its catalog shows that approval expiring on 4 January 2026, and we could not confirm a renewal, so check the school’s current status on BPPE’s online school search before enrolling.
The school reports completion and job placement to BPPE each year. In its 2024 annual report, 99 students enrolled (118 in 2023), and placement in the field ranged from 66.67% for bookkeeping to 100% for three smaller programs. The numbers are self-reported and small, and the 2024 report lists some programs twice with different figures, so treat them as a rough guide.
| Program (2024) | Completed / started | Employed in the field / available for work |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping | 17 of 18 | 4 of 6 (66.67%) |
| Accounts Payable Specialist | 23 of 24 | 5 of 6 (83.33%) |
| Accounts Receivable Specialist | 21 of 22 | 11 of 12 (91.67%) |
| Payroll Specialist | 18 of 18 | 9 of 9 (100%) |
| Administrative Assistant | 12 of 12 | 2 of 2 (100%) |
| Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent | 7 of 7 | 3 of 3 (100%) |
The catalog describes placement assistance for students but says the school does not guarantee employment.
Before you enroll
- There is no accreditation and no federal aid. Credits and certificates from an unaccredited school may not be accepted by colleges, and you cannot use Pell Grants or federal loans.
- The catalog shows the school’s state approval expiring on 4 January 2026. Check BPPE’s school search to confirm it is still approved.
- The site moved from Kearny Mesa to Suite 203 at 2655 Camino Del Rio N, but part of the 2026 catalog still describes the Kearny Mesa classrooms. Ask to see where classes are actually held.
- The Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent certificate prepares you for the IRS exam; the certificate itself does not confer Enrolled Agent status.
- Programs are onsite only, with no externship, and the school has no online option listed for any current program.
The San Diego site
The school’s only listed site is Suite 203 at 2655 Camino Del Rio N, San Diego, CA 92108, in Mission Valley, the address on its contact page and 2026 catalog. The 2023 and 2024 state reports gave an earlier address at 7283 Engineer Road in Kearny Mesa, and we could not confirm when it moved.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping (certificate, 432 hours, 24 weeks)
- Accounts Payable Specialist (certificate, 288 hours, 16 weeks)
- Accounts Receivable Specialist (certificate, 288 hours, 16 weeks)
- Payroll Specialist (certificate, 288 hours, 16 weeks)
Tax Preparation
- Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent (certificate, 288 hours, 16 weeks; prepares for the IRS Enrolled Agent exam)
Office Administration
- Administrative Assistant (certificate, 288 hours, 16 weeks)
Campus Locations
San Diego, CA 2655 Camino Del Rio N, Suite 203, San Diego, CA 92108