The cost of a QuickBooks course depends on a variety of factors, including the kind of class it is, what the course covers, and which education provider offers it. Most standalone QuickBooks classes will be less than $1000 and you can find free and lower-cost QuickBooks courses in any training format. As you determine which QuickBooks course is right for you, cost is one important variable to consider along with your goals for taking a specific QuickBooks course and how you learn best.
College Degree Programs: An Expensive Option
Pursuing an accounting degree from a university or college is the least cost-effective option for learning QuickBooks. Currently, the average cost of tuition at public universities in the US is around $10,000 a year while the average price of private institutions is around $40,000. While some traditional four-year college and university programs do not train accounting or business majors in accounting software like QuickBooks, community colleges and vocational skill centers often do. Not only will it cost more to learn QuickBooks in a full degree program, but students will also need to fulfill other degree or program requirements to graduate.
For those who want to go into accounting, this can still be a useful option to consider. Enrolling in a local community college will be less expensive than trying to complete a four-year program for an accounting degree. While it depends on the state, the current average cost for full-time attendance at a community college is $5000 per year. In contrast to pursuing a degree, some local community colleges and adult education programs do offer standalone QuickBooks classes and these can be low-cost ways to learn QuickBooks in an in-person or live online class.
Certificate Programs: Career-Oriented Training for Aspiring Professionals
Certificate programs are career-oriented courses aiming to teach students the skills and information they need to be proficient in a certain profession. Like enrolling in a full degree program, a certificate program will usually cost more and take longer than enrolling in a QuickBooks-specific course. While these types of courses vary in cost, most will be between $1000-10,000 total. Certificate programs are more specialized courses of study in comparison to a bachelor’s or associate’s degree program.
Certificate programs are most useful for those who want to work in bookkeeping, accounting, or finance and can be a lower-cost way to learn the principles and concepts one needs to start working in these professions. While one can find low-cost on-demand certificate programs for bookkeeping and accounting, in-person and live online options provide expert instruction and hands-on training. Instructor-led courses are also more likely to come with career-support services. These services are beneficial for this kind of career-oriented training as learners will want to take advantage of any help navigating the job market, putting together a resume, or preparing for interviews with prospective employers.
QuickBooks Bootcamps: Fast, Comprehensive Training
Bootcamps are accelerated classes aimed at teaching learners one skill or one topic. Live online or in-person QuickBooks bootcamps can usually be completed in just one or two days, making these bootcamps a great way to learn QuickBooks quickly. Most QuickBooks bootcamps will provide instruction in both basic and more intermediate or advanced QuickBooks skills allowing learners to leave the class with a good handle on how to use this accounting software. Additionally, you can find QuickBooks bootcamps divided into options for beginners and those learning more advanced skills.
The average cost of an in-person or live online bootcamp will be around $500. Learners with full-time jobs or demanding schedules can also find lower-cost on-demand QuickBooks bootcamps, but these might take longer to complete than a regular instructor-led bootcamp. A suitable alternative for learners with busy schedules is looking into part-time, evening, or weekend live online and in-person bootcamps. These options are most likely to be offered by education providers who work to make their offerings accessible to older adults and full-time workers like community colleges and professional training facilities.
On-Demand Classes: Low-Cost Options for Beginners
On-demand classes are online, self-paced courses where learners are given access to course material and can move through it at their own speed. One needs to be a self-motivated, determined learner to complete an on-demand class because this type of training lacks any sort of external motivating features like an instructor, other students, or hard deadlines (in most cases). This style of class is best for beginners who want to learn fundamental QuickBooks skills or for those who want to learn from home and cannot attend a live online class due to their demanding schedules.
Because these are not instructor-led classes, they can be lower in cost than some in-person or live online classes. The cost of an on-demand class will also vary depending on the course length and provider. Some of the least expensive options will be less than $25 though on-demand classes can also cost as much as other live online QuickBooks options. The lower-cost options tend to be more hit-or-miss in terms of quality, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of training, though you should be able to find expert QuickBooks training at most price points.
Other Alternatives: Free Resources & Intuit Training Options
Along with paid and low-cost courses, many QuickBooks learners use free resources. Most find QuickBooks YouTube tutorials a useful way to become familiar with the software, learn about the different versions, and get started with some of the basic functions of QuickBooks. While most learners use a mix of paid and free resources to learn QuickBooks, beginners will especially find it useful to start with free materials as they can point someone in the right direction to find other paid resources for learning more comprehensive, complex, and advanced QuickBooks skills.
Consider checking with your local public library, as most offer free access to LinkedIn Learning for library card holders. This digital on-demand learning platform from LinkedIn has QuickBooks courses as well as other useful courses in accounting, bookkeeping, and Excel that QuickBooks learners can also consider. These courses are best for beginners looking for an inexpensive way to start learning QuickBooks and should come with similar benefits and disadvantages as other on-demand courses.
In addition to these free resources, the company that releases QuickBooks, Intuit, also offers live online and on-demand QuickBooks courses. These are a good option for anyone who wants to receive accurate and up-to-date training on the latest versions of QuickBooks from Intuit. Those wanting to become a QuickBooks Certified User will especially benefit from the access to exam materials that Intuit’s classes provide. The major downside to these classes is that they are more expensive than other standalone QuickBooks classes. While expensive, they offer additional benefits such as QuickBooks help via Zoom and access to the training materials for life.
Learn QuickBooks Skills with Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop offers expert in-person and live online training for those interested in learning QuickBooks. Every Noble Desktop class comes with expert, hands-on guidance, small class sizes, and free retake options and many classes offer both part-time and full-time options so that one can find the QuickBooks or finance class that works best for their schedule. For fast and comprehensive training in QuickBooks, consider enrolling in Noble Deskop’s QuickBooks Bootcamp which teaches students everything they need to know about how to use QuickBooks to track and manage a business’s finances. This bootcamp uses interactive training to teach students the basics of QuickBooks like configuring a company profile, working with customer, vendor, and inventory lists, and invoicing and processing payments as well as the more advanced management and customization features. Noble Desktop offers this bootcamp live online from any location and it can be taken in person at Noble Desktop’s training facility in New York City.
Noble Desktop also has accounting classes and bootcamps which are a great option for anyone interested in developing their skills or learning more about finance and accounting. The Intro to Financial Accounting & Financial Statements class uses hands-on exercises to teach students the fundamentals of analyzing financial statements and reports. After completing this introductory class, students can progress to the Intermediate Financial Accounting class which teaches more complex topics like earnings per share and deferred taxes. For those who want a comprehensive, accelerated class that tackles both beginner and intermediate topics of accounting, consider the Financial Accounting Bootcamp which teaches everything students need to know in two class sessions.
Noble’s finance and accounting classes are great for those who want to grow their financial literacy beyond learning about QuickBooks. These classes are also useful for those interested in becoming a Bookkeeper or Accountant. If this is something that interests you, you can learn more about the career path of an Accountant by reading Noble Desktop’s comprehensive guide to accounting, a free resource that covers essential information about accounting and how to learn the skills necessary to make this one’s career. Learning principles of accounting or receiving QuickBooks training can be the first step on the path to becoming a Financial Manager or Financial Analyst. For those who want to work in finance, Noble Desktop’s guide to finance is a useful way to read about different career options and how to receive training for careers in finance.