Canisius University Accounting Graduates Rank 1st Overall in New York State on CPA Exam

March 17, 2014

BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University alumni ranked first (1st), overall, in New York State on the 2013 CPA exam cycle, with a 71 percent pass rate, in the category of large programs (institutions with greater than 60 candidates). The 2013 exam is the most recent to be published by the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).  The results are for graduates of bachelor and graduate programs who are first time candidates sitting for the CPA exam.

On the individual sections of the 2013 CPA exam, Canisius participants ranked second (2nd) in New York State on the regulation and auditing portions, with a 70 percent pass rate and a 68 percent pass rate, respectively.  This same group ranked fourth (4th) in New York State on the business environment and concepts portion of the exam, with an 81 percent pass rate; and sixth (6th) on the financial accounting and reporting portion of the exam, with a 66 percent pass rate.    Canisius University was categorized as a medium program (institutions with 21-60 candidates) for these individual sections of the exam. 

“Graduates of the Canisius University Accounting Program consistently rank among the best in the state, based on CPA exam pass rates,” says Joseph B. O’Donnell, PhD, CPA, CISA, chair of the Department of Accounting.  “The exceptional knowledge and dedication of our accounting faculty, the high quality of our curriculum and the rigorous program standards equates to successful graduates who are heavily recruited by employers.”

The Department of Accounting is part of the Richard J. Wehle School of Business, which is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

One of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York.