The School of Accountancy at Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business has been ranked 16th nationally for medium-sized programs by Accounting Today, the leading information resource for public accountants.
The publication examined the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s CPA exam pass rates and created its own CPA Success Index in 2020, taking into account the pass rates of all four portions of the exam in its 18-month testing window. The data incorporates all accounting programs in the country with 20 or more CPA candidates.
“Our School of Accountancy has a long history of excellence in accounting education and this national ranking clearly validates this well-deserved reputation,” said Sorrell College Dean Dr. Judson Edwards.
“When you look at our admissions standards and the propensity toward having a much higher number of first-generation students compared to other Alabama universities included in the index, it says everything about the kind of instruction and mentorship our faculty give to our accounting students,” he said.
Writing for Accounting Today, Charles Davis, Timothy Lindquist and Joseph Ugrin, professors of accounting at Baylor and Northern Iowa, say the CPA Success Index is a better measure of students’ likeliness to complete the CPA exam.
“Our findings show that schools that recruit high-quality students have high pass-rates, but additional mechanisms can elevate average students to the same heights as those who come into college with higher accolades. Two such mechanisms include integrated graduate coursework and CPA review. Good students, more accounting coursework and CPA review courses result in greater candidate success on the CPA exam and help reduce the ‘CPA gap.’ Students shopping for a college to give them the best chance to cross the finish line and become a CPA should look for a program that integrates bachelor’s and master’s degrees and/or offers formalized CPA review,” they write online at accountoday.com.
Dr. Steve Grice, Director of TROY’s School of Accountancy, said the ranking is an indication of the personal approach faculty members within the school utilize with TROY students.
“The one-on-one approach that TROY faculty members use daily really does pay dividends. Our students know they can turn to the faculty for the preparation they need to face not only the CPA exam, but the real-life accounting issues that they face,” Grice said. “The personal touch distinguishes the School of Accountancy, and the University as a whole from the pack.”
