What top accounting academics suggest to attract talent
January 26, 2024
By Andrew Kenney
The popularity of undergraduate accounting programs in the U.S. has been declining for years. According to a 2023 AICPA survey, the yearly number of new graduates with accounting degrees dropped 18.3% from its peak in 2016 through 2022.
It's part of a broader drop in U.S. college enrollment that was particularly pronounced during the pandemic years. But the changes have been especially sharp for some accounting programs. And with many organizations struggling to hire accountants and other financial professionals, it's raising concerns that the talent pipeline is running dry.
For a deeper understanding of the issue and suggestions to tackle it, the JofA turned to three recent winners of the AICPA's Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award, the organization's highest honor for academics.
The three experts — Thomas R. Weirich, Ph.D., CPA, professor of accounting at Central Michigan University; Nancy Bagranoff, DBA, CPA, professor of accounting at the University of Richmond; and D. Scott Showalter, CPA, CGMA, director of the Jenkins Master of Accounting Program and professor of practice in accounting at North Carolina State University — responded to emailed questions about trends and observations. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.