Gonzaga CPA Exam Pass Rate No. 21 in Nation

Best in Northwest

Gonzaga News Service
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga University ranked 21st in the nation among large programs for first-time pass rate on the 2017 Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination according to results recently released by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

Gonzaga’s pass rate of 72.3 percent across all sections of the exam is nearly 3 percentage points above the next best school in the Northwest and far above the national average of approximately 54 percent, according to statistics published by the NASBA.

The rankings were based on aggregated data from all four testing windows of the 2017 Uniform CPA Examination proctored by the NASBA. To pass the rigorous professional certification, test-takers must score a minimum of 75 percent on each section.

“We are pleased to see that Gonzaga students continue to perform well on the CPA exam,” stated Gary Weber, director of graduate accounting programs. “These results are a testament to the extraordinary effectiveness of the faculty who teach in our program and the outstanding Gonzaga students who excel in the classroom and beyond. This recognition is particularly gratifying because it reinforces our programs’ high quality and value, as recognized in this year’s U.S. News and World Report rankings.”

U.S. News ranked Gonzaga’s undergraduate accounting program No. 30 and the graduate program No. 13 in the most recent 2019 rankings.

The students taking the exam were from Gonzaga’s undergraduate accounting, master of accountancy (MAcc), and master of science in taxation (MSTax) programs. Gonzaga takes a personalized approach to help students succeed on the CPA exam — recognizing that each student has a unique situation.

Through an integrated curriculum and support from faculty and advisors, Gonzaga works with students to develop a customized CPA study plan to fit their unique needs and help them succeed on the exam. GU MAcc and MSTax students typically pass two or three sections while in graduate school, so they can finish the exam in the summer and start their career with the CPA complete.

To sit for the CPA examination, Washington state requires candidates to obtain 150 semester credit hours of acceptable educational preparation. Some GU undergraduate accounting students take additional credits to become eligible for the CPA exam without competing a full master’s degree. However, Gonzaga offers both a MAcc and MSTax degree tailored for students who desire to fulfill the 150-hour requirement and earn a graduate degree to expand their career opportunities. Both the MAcc and MSTax curricula integrate material covered on the CPA examination, further preparing students for success on the CPA and in their careers.

For more information, please contact Gonzaga University’s Graduate School of Business Administration at (509) 313-7044 or via email at macc@gonzaga.edu or mstax@gonzaga.edu