AMHERST, N.Y. – Daemen College has been ranked in the top five nationally on the “25 Best Value Small Colleges for an Accounting Degree” list released by Best Value Schools, an online guide to the best values in college education in the country.

Daemen earned the No. 4 spot as one of the top-ranked schools on the list, which includes small four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. with 3,000 or fewer students.  Colleges listed offer at least two relevant programs for students seeking a bachelor’s degree in accounting and are ranked based on overall undergraduate graduation rate and affordability.

“We are pleased to have the excellence of our accounting program recognized as one of the best and most affordable in the nation,” said Daemen President Gary A. Olson. “At Daemen, we strive to provide our students an enriching educational experience of the highest quality that will lead to career success.”

According to Best Value Schools, Daemen was cited for its commitment to “instilling a strong sense of ethics in its graduates. Daemen encourages students to make decisions that are good for society, not just the bottom line. This attitude extends to the extracurricular sphere, where you can participate in community enrichment initiatives such as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.”

In the VITA program, Daemen accounting students receive vital hands-on professional experience by providing free tax preparation services to eligible individuals and families. The program is being offered for the current tax season through April 12.

As the only college in New York State ranked on the 2017 list, Daemen joins other notable institutions such as Trinity University, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and Marian University.

“Being named one of the top small colleges in accounting reflects the outstanding academic quality and experiential experiences our students receive to prepare them well to work as accounting professionals,” said Dr. Michele Flint, chair of the Accounting Department. “Our dedicated faculty offer many learning, mentoring, and networking opportunities to help our students build valuable skills.”