Graduates of four year accountancy programs are earning 3.7% more in terms of starting pay straight out of college. Master's degree holders are seeing a 4% increase in starting pay over the last couple of years.

There are many top notch two year accounting degree programs as well. Your choice really depends on many factors, including career objectives, the amount of money that you have to invest in an education or your ability to attain student loans, as well as what your schedule is like.

If you want to educate yourself on accounting in order to better manage your own small business or non-profit organization, chances are you'd do best with some classes from the local community college or other type of learning center.

In many larger cities and some towns, there are learning centers that offer a wide variety of classes, from cooking and home improvement to accounting. Ask around at your local public library or community college to find out about all the learning opportunities that your community has to offer.

For more serious study to put toward managing the finances of your business or organization, you may find that a community college has just the combination of classes that you're looking for.

If you want to pursue an accounting career further, a community college is still one of the best places to start. If you have children or must work while attending school, community colleges are going to offer you the most flexibility in terms of scheduling.

For more information on the projected outlook for those in accounting careers, take a look at the government's Occupational Outlook Handbook found at http://www.bls.gov/oco/. There is a great wealth of information here that can help you decide how satisfying various degrees and professions are likely to be over the coming years.