Student enrollment in accounting continues to rise

For the third consecutive year, accounting undergraduate enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities is on the rise.

Spring semester enrollment in four-year undergraduate accounting programs rose 8.9% from spring 2025, according to an AICPA analysis of National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data, sitting at 205,180 students. The increase follows a 12.7% rise in spring 2025 and a 4.8% increase in spring 2024.

“This is the third straight year we’ve seen increases, so accounting is really showing momentum right now among students,” Sue Coffey, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA’s CEO–Public Accounting, said in an AICPA news release. “But it’s more than just enrollment data. We’re seeing strong interest in the new CPA Exam, rising entry-level pay within firms and finance teams, and more buzz in general about accounting as a great career choice for students and young professionals. The word is getting out.”

The number of candidates taking the CPA Exam for the first time and the number passing it increased significantly in 2025, according to the news release. Aside from a spike in 2023 that typically precedes a change in CPA Exam format, 2025 saw the highest level of first-time CPA Exam candidates since 2018 and the highest level of candidates passing all four sections since 2017.

Among the highlights from the clearinghouse’s most recent data:

• Overall accounting undergraduate enrollment (including community colleges and other programs) grew 5.7% year over year in the spring of 2026. That increase compares to a 1.3% increase across all majors. Undergraduate enrollment in business, management, and marketing majors increased by 1.3%.

• Accounting enrollment at two-year and related undergraduate programs fell 3.2% from last spring, one year after two-year programs enjoyed a 24% spike from the previous spring.

• Total undergraduate accounting enrollment in spring of 2026 was 281,992 students, compared with 266,868 a year ago. In addition to the 205,180 enrolled at four-year colleges and universities, the figure includes community colleges and hybrid institutions that primarily offer associate’s degrees.

The AICPA continues to work with educators, accounting firms and other employers, state CPA societies, and other accounting bodies to promote accounting workforce development and career opportunities and to prepare emerging talent for the workplace, through skills efforts such as the Profession Ready Initiative.

Students can visit ThisWaytoCPA.com to discover resources and information about accounting careers.

— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Bryan Strickland at Bryan.Strickland@aicpa-cima.com.