The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in the US has reported a 12% rise in undergraduate accounting enrollment for the spring 2025 semester.

This upswing translated to an additional 29,312 students, bringing the total number of undergraduates studying accounting to 266,507, the report said.

This growth represented the third consecutive semester of increased interest in accounting programmes across various educational institutions.

The surge in accounting students outpaced the overall growth in business-related courses, with two-year institutions reporting a notable 24% increase, accounting for 77,936 students.

Four-year institutions also experienced an 11% rise, totalling 188,571 accounting students.

While the data does not break down graduate enrolment by subject area, overall graduate numbers have seen a modest 1.5% increase since spring 2024.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse, this trend could inform numerous initiatives within the accounting profession.

The report said these details “within the enrolment data will help a host of programmes and initiatives that stakeholders from across the profession are leading – from educators on college campuses to accountants volunteering to talk about accounting careers to high school students”.

A recent student pulse survey, conducted by AICPA in collaboration with the Future Accountants Sponsoring Organizations (FASO) in April, assessed motivations behind students' decisions to pursue accounting.

The survey highlighted the main reasons students opted for accounting: 66% cited increased job demand, 56% were motivated by earning potential, and 48% considered economic conditions.

In addition, around 80% of students had attended professional events featuring accounting experts, with 62% saying these events influenced their choice of major significantly or to some extent.

American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) public accounting CEO Susan Coffey said: “More bright minds are choosing accounting, where graduates find dynamic career opportunities that draw on a mix of skills and backgrounds.

“It’s inspiring to see positive trends in student interest. Enrolment growth underscores the need to continue to raise awareness of the benefits of accounting careers. Building future talent also hinges on continuing to make the path into accounting more accessible and the work, once there, rewarding.”

"Undergraduate accounting enrolment jumps 12% in Spring 2025" was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand.

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