The accounting profession is evolving! Strategic initiatives in education, compensation, and awareness are boosting enrollments and modernizing the talent pipeline.
A few years ago, the AICPA and others acknowledged a decrease in the accounting talent pipeline. Since that time, the AICPA, state CPA societies, accounting firms, academia, state boards of accountancy, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), the American Accounting Association, the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) and others have led several strategic initiatives to both identify the problem and address it.
These initiatives included -
Education: Modernizing education with technology-enabled, data-focused curricula (including accounting analytics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence)
Addressing Compensation, Work-Life Balance, and Retention: Delivering competitive compensation and benefits, meaningful career progression, and improved work-life balance.
Alternative Credentials: Encourage professional pathways beyond the CPA, including certifications like CMA, CIA, and CISA.
Bridge Programs: Develop transitional coursework to support better students moving into intermediate accounting studies.
Awareness: Roll out initiatives such as the CAQ-led Accounting+ campaign to elevate the profession’s profile.
Progress has been made on nearly all fronts. For example,
Many master's programs in accounting have been reclassified as STEM programs, recognizing the importance of data and technology in the accounting profession. Likewise, the AICPA is actively supporting legislation to recognize accounting as a STEM field.
Entry-level salaries for public accounting rose by approximately 9% (Source: Robert Half).
Many universities are taking a closer look at their curricula to make sure they are up to date. Since the updated CPA exam now focuses on technology, many are adding analytics to their curricula at all levels. This helps students feel that accounting is keeping up with the knowledge economy.
The American Accounting Association (AAA) and AICPA support bridge programs, such as the Two-Year Bridge Symposium, designed to transition students and professionals into accounting careers, connect them with industry professionals, and address pipeline shortages by providing necessary education for CPA readiness.
Total postsecondary accounting enrollment reached 313,397 students in 2025, up from 293,759 the prior year. This figure includes students enrolled at four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, hybrid institutions that primarily award associate degrees, and graduate programs.
Enrollment in four-year undergraduate accounting programs increased 7.4% to 204,283 students in fall 2025, marking the third consecutive year of year-over-year growth.
In fall 2025, one in eight undergraduate business students majored in accounting, up from one in nine in 2023, signaling a growing share of business students choosing the field.
Onward and upward we go. May we collectively continue all of our efforts to attract, prepare and support our students for an awesome profession, with so many career opportunities.
Author: Vernon J. Richardson
Vernon J. Richardson is a distinguished professor of Accounting and the G. William Glezen chair in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and a visiting professor at Baruch College. He received his BS, Master’s of Accountancy, and MBA from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has taught at top universities across the U.S. and internationally, including institutions in China, Denmark, Australia, and Ghana, bringing global insight to his instruction. Dr. Vern Richardson is a distinguished accounting scholar and textbook author who has served in key editorial roles and published extensively in top academic journals. He specializes in data analytics and information systems, coauthoring widely adopted textbooks that bridge theory and practice in accounting and business analytics.
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highered
2026-02-17T16:30:36.127-05:00
highered Increasing Accounting Enrollment The accounting profession is evolving! Strategic initiatives in education, compensation, and awareness are boosting enrollments and modernizing the talent pipeline. Increasing Accounting Enrollment The accounting profession is evolving! Strategic initiatives in education, compensation, and awareness are boosting enrollments and modernizing the talent pipeline. February 17, 2026 Tags Higher Education Blog Article Accounting Ledger More Please refer to the article, Undergraduate enrollment in accounting continues to rise, on Journal of Accountancy. A few years ago, the AICPA and others acknowledged a decrease in the accounting talent pipeline. Since that time, the AICPA, state CPA societies, accounting firms, academia, state boards of accountancy, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), the American Accounting Association, the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) and others have led several strategic initiatives to both identify the problem and address it. These initiatives included - Education: Modernizing education with technology-enabled, data-focused curricula (including accounting analytics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence) Addressing Compensation, Work-Life Balance, and Retention: Delivering competitive compensation and benefits, meaningful career progression, and improved work-life balance. Alternative Credentials: Encourage professional pathways beyond the CPA, including certifications like CMA, CIA, and CISA. Bridge Programs: Develop transitional coursework to support better students moving into intermediate accounting studies. Awareness: Roll out initiatives such as the CAQ-led Accounting+ campaign to elevate the profession’s profile. Progress has been made on nearly all fronts. For example, Many master's programs in accounting have been reclassified as STEM programs, recognizing the importance of data and technology in the accounting profession. Likewise, the AICPA is actively supporting legislation to recognize accounting as a STEM field. Entry-level salaries for public accounting rose by approximately 9% (Source: Robert Half). Many universities are taking a closer look at their curricula to make sure they are up to date. Since the updated CPA exam now focuses on technology, many are adding analytics to their curricula at all levels. This helps students feel that accounting is keeping up with the knowledge economy. The American Accounting Association (AAA) and AICPA support bridge programs, such as the Two-Year Bridge Symposium, designed to transition students and professionals into accounting careers, connect them with industry professionals, and address pipeline shortages by providing necessary education for CPA readiness. These efforts are paying off in increased enrollments. For example, the AICPA recently reported the following (Source: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/news/article/u-s-accounting-undergraduate-enrollment-rises-for-third-straight-year) : Total postsecondary accounting enrollment reached 313,397 students in 2025, up from 293,759 the prior year. This figure includes students enrolled at four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, hybrid institutions that primarily award associate degrees, and graduate programs. Enrollment in four-year undergraduate accounting programs increased 7.4% to 204,283 students in fall 2025, marking the third consecutive year of year-over-year growth. In fall 2025, one in eight undergraduate business students majored in accounting, up from one in nine in 2023, signaling a growing share of business students choosing the field. Onward and upward we go. May we collectively continue all of our efforts to attract, prepare and support our students for an awesome profession, with so many career opportunities. Author: Vernon J. Richardson Vernon J. Richardson is a distinguished professor of Accounting and the G. William Glezen chair in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and a visiting professor at Baruch College. He received his BS, Master’s of Accountancy, and MBA from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has taught at top universities across the U.S. and internationally, including institutions in China, Denmark, Australia, and Ghana, bringing global insight to his instruction. Dr. Vern Richardson is a distinguished accounting scholar and textbook author who has served in key editorial roles and published extensively in top academic journals. He specializes in data analytics and information systems, coauthoring widely adopted textbooks that bridge theory and practice in accounting and business analytics. Author: Vernon J. Richardson Vernon J. Richardson is a distinguished professor of Accounting and the G. William Glezen chair in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and a visiting professor at Baruch College. He received his BS, Master’s of Accountancy, and MBA from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has taught at top universities across the U.S. and internationally, including institutions in China, Denmark, Australia, and Ghana, bringing global insight to his instruction. Dr. Vern Richardson is a distinguished accounting scholar and textbook author who has served in key editorial roles and published extensively in top academic journals. He specializes in data analytics and information systems, coauthoring widely adopted textbooks that bridge theory and practice in accounting and business analytics.
The accounting profession is evolving! Strategic initiatives in education, compensation, and awareness are boosting enrollments and modernizing the talent pipeline.
