Master [Accounting Science] From University of Illinois

University of Illinois Master Accounting Science is a nine-month, 32-credit, on-campus master’s in Urbana-Champaign for graduates of four-year US accounting degrees. Spring 2027 first-semester tuition is US$21,798 (INR 20.70 Lakhs), but the Fall 2027 second-semester rate is unpublished.

The degree develops advanced financial reporting or taxation expertise alongside data analytics through case-based work and concentrated electives. It best fits a US-trained accounting graduate seeking CPA preparation, but the narrow degree-location rule excludes applicants with an India-earned bachelor’s.

• The STEM designation can support up to 36 months of eligible post-completion work authorization.
• Students can pair Financial Reporting and Assurance or Tax with a second business concentration.
• An optional CPA preparation course and the VITA tax programme add practice beyond classroom analysis.

Also Check: University of Illinois Master Accounting Science Admission

Illinois Master Accounting Science Fees and Living Costs 2027

The confirmed Spring 2027 full-time semester tuition is US$21,798 (INR 20.70 Lakhs) for MAS entrants beginning after Fall 2026. The programme’s second semester occurs in Fall 2027, whose rate remains unpublished.

Spring 2027 cost basis: MAS completes 32 credits across two semesters, while Illinois publishes the 2026-27 two-semester rate only as the current academic-year reference.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of US$1 = INR 94.9481 as of 26 October 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: University of Illinois Registrar 2026-27 graduate tuition and estimated additional-expense schedules.

The health-insurance component may be waived only after university approval of comparable coverage. The US$49,436 (INR 46.94 Lakhs) subtotal is a 2026-27 planning figure, not confirmed Spring 2027 programme charges.

Cost of Living in Urbana for Accounting Science Students

Illinois estimates US$21,402 (INR 20.32 Lakhs) for nine months of food, housing, books and personal expenses. Monthly figures below divide each official allowance by nine and are calculated planning values.

University Housing separately lists room-only rates from US$6,906 (INR 6.56 Lakhs) to US$9,522 (INR 9.04 Lakhs). Meal plans range from US$2,872 (INR 2.73 Lakhs) to US$7,446 (INR 7.07 Lakhs). These contract prices remain separate from the combined food-and-housing allowance.

Using only 2026-27 published inputs produces a planning illustration of US$70,838 (INR 67.26 Lakhs). It is not a confirmed Spring 2027 total because Fall 2027 tuition remains unpublished.

Verify the target fee on the official fee page. The planning illustration also excludes the application fee, visa charges, flights and spending above the university’s allowances.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for International Students

ROI reality: Use US$70,838 (INR 67.26 Lakhs) only as a 2026-27 planning illustration, then add any Fall 2027 tuition increase before committing funds.

Illinois Master Accounting Science Admission 2027

Admission requires a four-year accounting degree completed entirely at an accredited US institution. Citizenship does not change this rule, so an Indian citizen with that US education may apply.

By contrast, a degree completed in India is ineligible for MAS even when a US institution accredits or affiliates the provider. Gies directs those applicants toward its MSA or online iMSA pathways.

Spring 2027 eligibility: both cumulative and accounting grades must meet the stated threshold, while the accounting transcript determines prerequisite coverage.

The programme reports approximately 200 MAS students, but it does not publish a target-cycle acceptance rate or admitted-score profile. Meeting both GPA floors therefore establishes eligibility without proving competitiveness.

English Language Requirements

Eligible MAS applicants do not need a new TOEFL or IELTS score for admission because the programme requires four years of US undergraduate study. English testing becomes separate when requesting a teaching assistantship.

Current test scale: the live admissions page uses the revised TOEFL scale for examinations taken on or after 21 January 2026.

• Do not book IELTS or PTE for MAS admission when the qualifying US degree already establishes the programme exemption.
• Teaching-assistantship candidates should plan around TOEFL because the MAS funding page specifically requires that test.
• Applicants should keep both cumulative and accounting GPAs above 3.0 through graduation because later grades remain part of eligibility.

Tip for Indian students: Check the degree-location rule before every other criterion, because a strong India-earned accounting degree cannot satisfy MAS eligibility.

Illinois Master Accounting Science Application 2027

Spring 2027 and Fall 2027 applications are open, and Gies publishes separate visa-priority and final dates for both intakes. Spring is the earliest applicant-accessible option on 26 October 2026.

The university does not publish decision dates, a portal cutoff time or a controlling timezone for these MAS deadlines. Therefore, no reliable IST clock-time conversion is available.

Forward application calendar: every remaining published stage for both live intakes appears below.

The official Graduate College application requires applicants to select Accountancy and then MAS. A complete file matters because all supporting materials share the posted programme deadline.

• Upload unofficial transcripts and the MAS Coursework Form, because degree audits are not accepted.
• Use the 500-word academic statement to connect prior accounting study with the chosen MAS concentrations.
• Provide two references, including at least one accounting faculty member who can assess readiness for a 3.0 GPA.
• Pay the US$90 (INR 8,545) application fee and request funding within the same submission.

Applicants also submit a résumé and two required personal statements, while GMAT and GRE scores remain optional. Gies asks candidates to name a preferred concentration, but it warns that some concentration spaces are limited.

Application tip: A Spring 2027 visa applicant should treat 1 November as the operational deadline, because the later final date does not preserve visa-processing priority.

Illinois Master Accounting Science Scholarships 2027

MAS funding includes teaching assistantships, Accountancy Fellowships and departmental scholarships. The current funding page reports US$300K (INR 2.85 Crore) in available scholarship money, but does not assign that pool to Spring 2027.

Half of applicants seeking support received an assistantship or scholarship in the page’s published figure, although no cohort is named. This evidence shows availability, not an individual award probability.

Current published opportunities: target-cycle values appear where available, while the assistantship amount is explicitly a 2025-26 prior-cycle reference.

For Spring 2027, the financial-aid priority stage has already closed, although the admission form still permits a funding request. Fall 2027 applicants preserve priority consideration by completing the request by 1 February 2027.

• Budget without an award because no scholarship or assistantship is automatic.
• Assistantship applicants need a valid TOEFL result even though MAS admission itself does not require a new English score.
• The fellowship’s full tuition wording should not be converted into a cash value before an award notice defines covered charges.

Read More: Scholarships for Indian Students in USA

Scholarship reality: The fellowship can remove full tuition, but applicants should treat US$70,838 (INR 67.26 Lakhs) only as a 2026-27 illustration until target charges are complete.

Illinois Master Accounting Science Salary 2027

The latest course-cohort report records a 96.4% successful career-outcome rate for 2024-25 MAS graduates seeking work. International graduates recorded 92.6% within six months, which is relevant but not a placement guarantee.

Course-cohort evidence: the figures below cover the 2024-25 MAS class and retain the university’s six-month reporting scope.

The report also names Andersen, Crowe, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, KPMG, PwC and RSM among employers of graduates. Their presence proves reported employment only, not sponsorship or recurring hiring.

Reported compensation: salary evidence is limited to graduates who disclosed pay and should not be treated as a cohort-wide median.

Source: Gies Business on-campus graduate career outcomes report for 2024-25.

Return on Investment for Indian Applicants

The US$70,838 (INR 67.26 Lakhs) planning illustration sits below the US$77,373 (INR 73.46 Lakhs) reported average US salary. However, incomplete Fall 2027 tuition and gross-pay limitations prevent a payback calculation.

• The 92.6% international outcome rate supports US job access, but candidates should secure role-specific sponsorship information before borrowing against that result.
• The 80% Midwest offer share makes regional flexibility financially important, so applicants should include Midwest accounting markets in their search plan.
• The 36-month potential OPT window can extend earning time, but applicants should confirm each employer and role satisfies STEM-extension conditions.
• The US$77,373 (INR 73.46 Lakhs) US average is not an India-return benchmark, so returnees should obtain local salary evidence before comparing loan recovery.

Take-home pay varies with location, filing status and benefits, so check tax residency before using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator. Its page excludes nonresident taxpayers, while the planning illustration assumes no award or Fall 2027 increase.

ROI reality: MAS can be financially rational for a US-trained accountant targeting Midwest practice, but the 32.7% salary-knowledge rate makes debt planning from the average unsafe.

USA Visa for Illinois Master Accounting Science Students 2027

Most Indian entrants use F-1 academic-student status after Illinois issues Form I-20. SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records the student and enables the required fee payment. OPT (Optional Practical Training) is temporary degree-related work authorization after study. The MAS STEM designation can extend it from 12 to 36 months when every condition is met.

• Government charges include the US$185 (INR 17,565) visa fee and US$350 (INR 33,232) I-901 fee, totalling US$535 (INR 50,797).
• STEM OPT requires qualifying degree coding, related work, an E-Verify employer and compliance with the training-plan rules.
• H-1B employment requires sponsorship and the higher applicable actual or prevailing wage, because the United States has no single national salary threshold.
• An F-2 spouse or unmarried child under 21 may accompany the student but cannot work, and graduation creates no automatic permanent-residence timeline.

Check Out: F-1 Student Visa Guide for Indian Students

Visa reality: The potential 36-month work window improves career optionality, but it depends on compliant employment and does not replace an employer-sponsored longer-term route.

Illinois Master Accounting Science Ranking 2027

The University of Illinois lists Gies graduate accounting at #6 nationally in the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report edition. This discipline ranking applies to graduate accounting, not solely MAS.

Published ranking scope: the asterisk denotes a tied position in the university’s official ranking table.

The ranking supports the department’s academic standing, while the 2024-25 MAS employment report provides the better outcome evidence. Applicants should use curriculum fit and funding exposure before a league-table position.

Honest take: The #6 graduate accounting position is relevant to subject strength, but it cannot overcome the US-degree eligibility gate or justify borrowing without funding evidence.