Accounting is the #1 Major on College Campuses (2004)
(Article courtesy of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA))

According to both AccountingWeb.com and the Job Outlook 2005 survey, conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (http://www.naceweb.org/), accounting is now the number one major on college campuses.

In addition, according to the AICPA’s The Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits Report, accounting enrollment and the number of accounting degrees awarded are on the rise, as is the demand for accounting graduates.

Specifically, total accounting enrollments for the three-year period 2000–03 are up 17%, and, compared to 2001–02, the number of Bachelor’s degree recipients increased 6% and the number of Master’s degrees awarded increased 30%. And the demand for accounting graduates by public accounting firms also increased. In 2003, there was an increase in the number of new accounting Bachelor’s hired (5%) and an increase in Master’s hired (8%).

The Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits Report is based on data collected from a survey conducted in 2004 of U.S. colleges and universities that offer accounting degrees at the Baccalaureate, Master’s or Ph.D. level and a survey of public accounting firms and sole practitioners affiliated with the AICPA. The report is presented in two sections: “Accounting Graduates” presents detailed information regarding the number of accounting degrees awarded by universities during the 2002–03 academic year; “Hiring by CPA Firms” reports the hiring of recent college graduates by public accounting firms in 2003.