Verdict
Our Verdict on LSU Alexandria's B.S.
Louisiana State University-Alexandria (LSUA) offers a fully online accounting bachelor's with a dedicated Fraud and Forensic Accounting concentration, and it keeps the price simple. You'll pay $353 per credit hour with no out-of-state fees, up to 75 percent of your degree can come from transfer credit, and seven-week terms start six times a year.
You'll take this Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University-Alexandria in Alexandria, Louisiana, 100 percent online with no on-campus requirements. It's a 120-credit degree that builds expertise in financial management, auditing, forensic accounting and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure preparation. The Fraud and Forensic Accounting concentration is designed for students drawn to financial investigations, and a second concentration, Accounting Information Systems and Data Analytics, sits alongside it.
Cost
How Much It Costs at $353 a Credit
Tuition is $353 per credit hour, flat-rate, with no out-of-state fees. The university lists a total cost of $42,360 with fees, and $10,590 with fees and maximum transfer credits, so you can see both ends of the range depending on what you bring in.
LSUA says there are multiple ways to help fund your education, including financial aid, veteran education benefits and credit for prior learning. Ask about transfer credit early, because it has the biggest effect on what you pay.
120 credits at $353 a credit comes to $42,360 in tuition, before fees.
- Cost per Credit
- $353 per credit
- Credits Required
- 120 credits
- Estimated Tuition
- $42,360
- Fees and Notes
- Flat-rate tuition with no out-of-state fees. $42,360 total cost with fees; $10,590 with maximum transfer credits.
Fit
Who This Program Fits
- Transfer students with an associate degree or higher, because up to 75 percent of the degree can come from transfer credit.
- Working adults who want seven-week terms and six start options a year.
- Louisiana residents and out-of-state students alike, since tuition is flat-rate with no out-of-state fees.
- Future CPA candidates, who get faculty advisors and a degree that meets Louisiana's educational requirements for the exam.
- Students with industry credentials or earlier college credits, who may earn credit for prior learning.
- Readers curious about investigations, from dissecting business transactions to civil and criminal disputes.
Curriculum
Two Concentrations and the Core Courses
Your Fraud and Forensic Accounting concentration is 18 credits. Its two signature courses are Fraud and Forensic Accounting I and Fraud and Forensic Accounting II, three credits each. The university describes the concentration as giving you a deep understanding of conducting effective forensic accounting and preparing reports and insights based on your findings.
Two companion courses round out the concentration: Accounting Ethics and Accounting Information Systems. When you pair ethics and systems with the fraud courses, you study how information is recorded and how professionals are expected to act on it.
The broader accounting major includes Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Tax Accounting I and II, Advanced Accounting and Auditing. By the end, you'll be able to analyze auditing standards and acceptable practices under Generally Accepted Auditing Standards.
If you'd like a technology angle, you can add LSUA's Artificial Intelligence minor to build practical knowledge of artificial intelligence. The school also explains that forensic accountants in insurance help evaluate policyholders' actual economic losses, which gives you one concrete setting for the skills.
Standout Features
- Faculty advisors help students select courses to meet varying state CPA requirements; faculty include licensed CPAs
- Flat-rate tuition with no out-of-state fees
- Transfer up to 75% of previous credits toward the degree
- Concentrations
- Fraud and Forensic Accounting, Accounting Information Systems and Data Analytics
Format
7-Week Terms and Start Dates
The degree is delivered 100 percent online, and when you graduate, you'll receive the same diploma as on-campus peers. Terms run seven weeks, with six starts a year, which lets you pick a start that fits your calendar. The program is 120 credit hours.
If you're a transfer student, you qualify with a transferable associate degree or higher. If you're a first-time freshman, you'll need a high school grade point average of at least 2.0. Transfer credit can cover up to 75 percent of your degree requirements, and credit for prior learning is available. Student success coaches and an enrollment team support you along the way.
- Terms
- 7-week terms, six sessions a year.
- Start Dates
- 6 starts a year
Admissions
Admission Requirements
- Credit for Prior Learning
- Credit for prior learning is available; prior college credits or industry credentials may apply toward the degree.
Credentials
Accreditation and Certification Rule Changes
The school states that your Bachelor of Science in Accounting is accredited by ACBSP. The degree meets Louisiana's educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam, and faculty advisors work with you to select courses for varying state requirements.
The concentration also gives you the base knowledge to pursue relevant certifications such as Certified Forensic Accountant. Your accounting faculty are CPAs and business leaders with experience in public accounting, industry and nonprofit organizations.
You can prepare for roles like accountant, financial controller and accounting manager across public, private, nonprofit and government sectors. The page lists fraud investigator as a mid-level path with a Payscale figure of $73,472.
And the median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $83,680 in May 2025.
- Programmatic Accreditation
- ACBSP
- Accreditation Notes
- ACBSP; The Fraud and Forensics Accounting concentration is a candidate for ACBSP accreditation
- Certification Notes
- CPA
Where this degree can lead: Forensic Accounting Jobs, Certified Fraud Examiner Certification.
Score
How This Program Scores
Each factor is scored 0 to 10 against other bachelor's programs. The weights are the same for every program, and the weighted total is scaled so the top program on the site scores 100.
Forensic Program Score 45.8 / 100
Darker bars mean stronger factor scores. Every bar also shows its number.
The full rubric is on the methodology page.
Reputation
What People Say About the Program
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The program page describes the accounting faculty as CPAs and business leaders with extensive experience in public accounting, industry and not-for-profit organizations.
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The school features a video in which graduate Kimberly talks about her 100% online college experience at LSUA.
Before You Apply
Questions to Ask the School Before You Apply
- What do Fraud and Forensic Accounting I and II cover, and can I see a syllabus?
- How do the two fraud courses prepare me for the Certified Forensic Accountant credential?
- How many of my earlier credits would transfer, and how does credit for prior learning work?
- Which courses should I choose to meet the CPA requirements in my own state?
- How often are the two fraud courses offered across the six yearly starts?
- What does a student success coach do, and how often will I meet with one?
School
About Louisiana State University-Alexandria
A public university in Alexandria, Louisiana, offering online degrees through LSU Online.
- Degree
- B.S., Bachelor's
- School
- Louisiana State University-Alexandria, Alexandria, LA
- Institution Type
- Public
- Delivery
- Fully Online
- Graduation Rate, Transfer Students (8 Years)
- 41%
- Admit Rate
- 92%
- Total Enrollment
- 6,815
- Bachelor's Completions a Year in This Field
- 86
- Campus Setting
- Rural
Rankings
Rankings That Include This Program
Rank is the program's position among the programs on that list at its degree level.
- Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 19 of 22, bachelor's
- Best Bachelor's Programs Rank 19 of 22, bachelor's
- Best Online Programs Rank 8 of 8, bachelor's
- Cheapest Programs Rank 3 of 11, bachelor's
- Accelerated Programs Rank 2 of 2, bachelor's
- For Working Adults Rank 4 of 4, bachelor's
- Public Universities Rank 5 of 6, bachelor's
Compare
Bachelor's Programs With Similar Scores
Other bachelor's programs with the closest scores.
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Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination Concentration
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Bachelor of Business Administration in Financial Crime Investigation
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Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Forensic Accounting Track
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Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, Fraud and Forensic Emphasis
Frequently Asked Questions About This Forensic Accounting Program
Is Louisiana State University-Alexandria's Bachelor of Science in Accounting With a Concentration in Fraud and Forensic Accounting a Good Program?
It ranks #19 of 22 bachelor's programs in our 2027 rankings, because it charges $353 per credit (one of the lowest among the bachelor's programs we rank).
It also places #3 among bachelor's programs on the Cheapest Programs list.
Is the LSUA Accounting Degree Fully Online?
How Much Does the Program Cost per Credit?
How Many Transfer Credits Can I Use?
How Long Are the Terms?
Does the Degree Prepare Me for the CPA Exam?
Sources
- Louisiana State University-Alexandria's Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a Concentration in Fraud and Forensic Accounting pageArticles / what forensic accountingLSU Alexandria / LSU Online website
- IPEDS Data Center
- Certified Fraud Examiner eligibility
Sources retrieved to .