The report on The Supply of Accounting
Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits
is prepared for anyone interested in the demographics
of the accounting profession. The following information
from the 2005 edition (for the 2003-2004 academic year)
is based on a survey conducted 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.
Here are some of the highlights of this year’s
report:
- Enrollments in accounting programs continue to climb.
For the four-year period 2000 to 2004, enrollments
are up 19% (to 171,000 in 2004.)
- Since 2000, accounting graduates are also up 19%.
- The increase in enrollments from 2003 to 2004 was
1.5%.
- The number of Bachelor’s degree recipients
(40,400) increased 9% compared to 2003.
- The number of Master’s degrees awarded in
2004 (13,350) increased 5.4% for the same period.
- In 2004, 55% of accounting Bachelor’s and
Master’s graduates were female.
- Ethnic minorities accounted for 23% of Bachelor’s
graduates, 21% of Master’s graduates and 38%
of Ph.Ds.
- In 2004, there was a 17% increase in the number
of new accounting graduate hires by the firms compared
to 2003. The number of Bachelor’s hired increased
13% (to 15,000) and Master’s hires increased
33% (to 4,700).
- Females accounted for 53% of accounting graduates
hired by the firms.
- Twenty-three percent of the firm hires in 2004
were ethnic minorities.
Regarding firms’ hiring trends, estimates of
percentage changes from actual in 2004 to predicted
for 2005, 2007 and 2009 are optimistic across all firm
sizes.
To see the actual study, visit the Accounting Education
Center at www.aicpa.org/aec.
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