Graduates of the University of Georgia’s J.M. Tull School of Accounting ranked No. 1 among large programs and No. 3 among all programs for first-time pass rates on the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination during 2017, according to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.
The Tull School’s top-ranked pass rate was 86.3 percent—almost 2 percentage points above the second-ranked school. It marked the second time in three years that graduates of Tull’s BBA and MAcc programs have earned the No. 1 spot.
“This consistent excellence is a direct reflection of the hard work and commitment of our students, and it’s a credit to our faculty, who prepared them for this important first milestone of professional success after graduation,” said Benjamin C. Ayers, dean of UGA’s Terry College of Business. “We are extremely proud of these students and the education they received from the Tull School of Accounting.”
Tull graduates were ranked alongside recent graduates from 264 U.S. accounting programs with large enrollments. The rankings were based on aggregated data from all four testing windows of the 2017 Uniform CPA Examination proctored by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.
“This ranking is exciting for us,” said Ted Christensen, director of the Tull School. “Our faculty do not focus on teaching to the test. We believe in providing students a well-rounded accounting education that primes them to be successful in any business environment, and the first-time pass rates and career success of our graduates are clear indications that our approach is the right one.”
The exam is a 16-hour computer-based test comprised of four four-hour sections. To pass the rigorous professional certification, test-takers must score a minimum of 75 percent on each section.
