The top colleges to study for a CPA in the U.S. based on reputation, CPA exam pass rates, and Big 4 recruiting are the University of Texas at Austin (McCombs), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Gies), and Brigham Young University (Marriott). These schools are consistently ranked highest for accounting, providing rigorous curriculum, high-tech facilities, and strong, direct pipelines into top accounting firms.
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Pursuing a degree in Commerce or Business (with a major in accounting) is your quickest route to earning a professional accounting designation.
Here are the Best Accounting Programs
There isn't one single "#1" accounting program, as rankings vary, but the University of Texas at Austin (McCombs) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Gies) consistently rank at the top for undergraduate programs according to U.S. News & World Report. Other elite programs often mentioned include Brigham Young University (Marriott), University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), and Notre Dame, with rankings depending on whether they focus on undergraduate, graduate, or CPA pass rates.
CPAs command higher salaries than Master's in Accounting professionals. Furthermore, CPAs with specialized skills and knowledge in areas like taxation, auditing, or forensic accounting can expect to earn a higher salary than those without such expertise.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $146,500 and as low as $43,000, the majority of Cpa salaries currently range between $75,000 (25th percentile) to $103,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $125,000 annually across the United States.
If you are in the accounting field, the term “Big 4” is no mystery to you. This title refers to the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG).
On average, fresh CPA professionals in India can expect salaries starting from ₹8-12 LPA, while experienced CPAs in managerial or leadership roles earn anywhere between ₹20-40 LPA depending on their industry and expertise.
The CPA credential remains a cornerstone of the profession, but new data indicate its prominence is steadily declining. Between 2020 and 2024, the average percentage of staff holding CPA licenses across all firms dropped from 56.0 percent to 48.4 percent.
How hard is the FAR CPA exam? The FAR section of the CPA Exam is hard because it's the most comprehensive of the 4 exam sections, and it has a lot of math questions that are mentally taxing to get through. It has the lowest pass rate of all 4 exam sections and is considered the hardest CPA Exam section.
2024 CPA Exam Pass Rates
The pass rates for AUD and FAR were around 46% and 41%, respectively. The discipline sections also yielded surprising results, with BAR at 41%, ISC at 56%, and TCP achieving an impressive 78% pass rate.
CPAs, on average, make 10-15% more than unlicensed accountants and often start at a higher salary and receive higher pay increases over time. CPAs can also leverage the wide range of job opportunities available to them to obtain higher salaries than other accounting and finance professionals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the highest-paying states for CPAs in the U.S. are the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and California, with average salaries ranging from $89,000 to $105,000 per year.
Accountants need to be proficient in basic arithmetic, algebra, and statistics to analyze financial data, prepare reports, and ensure accuracy in their work. They may also use mathematical principles to perform tasks such as budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
An MBA can be harder depending on the program, but usually entails completing coursework in areas such as marketing, management, and financial analysis. Moreover, it takes approximately 1,000 hours to become a CPA, while an MBA usually takes two years to complete.
It is difficult to determine which of these careers offers a higher salary, as the salary of a CA or CPA can differ based on several factors. However, generally, CAs tend to earn more than CPAs in India.