Which university has the highest CPA pass rate?

Asked by: Ebba Langosh III  |  Last update: July 20, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (75 votes)

Schools with Highest CPA Pass Rates
  • University of Pennsylvania: 90.9%
  • Rice University: 90.8%
  • University of Texas – Austin: 89.5%
  • Brigham Young University: 89.4%
  • Wake Forest University: 88.8%

Which CPA Exam has the highest pass rate?

CPA Exam Pass Rates Key Takeaways

BEC has the highest pass rate and FAR has the lowest pass rate.

Has anyone gotten a 100 on the CPA Exam?

Any score of 75 or above on the scaled score of 0 to 99 is considered passing. Has anyone gotten a 100 on the CPA exam? It is highly unlikely for anyone to score a 100 on the CPA exam.

Is a CPA harder than a bar?

The CPA Exam. You've heard the horror stories: It's derailed the careers of promising professionals. It's definitely harder than the BAR exam and maybe even some medical board exams. And it's nearly impossible to pass once you're a working professional.

Is CPA harder than MCAT?

The CPA exam is widely regarded as the most challenging professional examination for a few reasons. Its length, number of topics, and technical details covered typically rank it harder than the BAR and MCAT.

Students Achieve #1 CPA Pass Rate in the Nation - Wake Forest University School of Business

22 related questions found

Is CPA harder than MBA?

An MBA is a longer and more intensive education credential than a CPA. However, CPA examinations are notoriously difficult and can take several years to complete if not worked on full-time. A CPA will likely be more difficult than an MBA for those who are less strong in areas like mathematics and statistics.

Is CPA a lot of math?

While there is a commonly held belief that accounting is all about the complexities of mathematical operations such as calculus and geometry, this is not true. Accountants, instead, mainly work with basic arithmetic, percentages, and some algebraic concepts to complete their professional duties proficiently.

How prestigious is a CPA license?

A CPA license is considered very prestigious: The CPA license is the most widely recognized professional credential in the accounting industry.

What is the hardest CPA subject?

Among the three core sections, FAR has a reputation for being the hardest, and it typically has the lowest pass rate. AUD and REG tend to be middle of the road.

Which is harder LSAT or CPA?

Some candidates claim that it's easier to study for the LSAT than the CPA Exam and that the LSAT requires fewer study hours to get a good score. The CPA Exam requires a lot of memorization, and most candidates need to take several practice exams before they can pass.

How many times can you fail CPA?

There is no limit as to the number of times you may repeat a failed section. You may take any unpassed section of the CPA Exam year-round. Your only restriction is waiting to receive your score from a previous attempt of the same section.

Are CPA exams curved?

The CPA Examination is not curved. Every candidate needs to score 75 points in each section to pass the exam. The score of every candidate is entirely independent of other candidates.

What is the average age to pass the CPA Exam?

Benefits of taking the CPA Exam later in your career

While the average CPA Exam candidate is just 29 years old,3 there are no age limitations on who can become a CPA. In fact, if you're mature in your career, there are many benefits of earning your CPA license later in your career.

Which state is easy to pass CPA?

What State Is Best for the CPA License? If you want to take the CPA exam as early as possible with fewer requirements, Alaska is a good state to get your CPA license in because it allows candidates to sit while completing an undergraduate degree if within 18 hours of meeting bachelor's degree requirements.

Is PMP harder than CPA?

The CPA exam is considered more difficult due to its broader scope, multiple exam sections, and higher failure rates. The PMP exam, while challenging, is more focused on project management principles and typically requires less study time compared to the CPA exam.

What percentage of CPAs have a master's degree?

Nearly 90 percent of all new hires at CPA firms hold a master's in accounting degree. Almost 23 percent of new hires in CPA firms are assigned to the tax department.

Is the CPA harder than the bar?

Yes, the CPA Exam is harder than the Bar Exam.

Both the CPA Exam and the Bar exam are notoriously difficult exams that require months of rigorous study and cover very different material. However, if you look at just the exam pass rate for first-time takers, then the CPA exam is harder, with only a 14 - 20% pass rate.

What is the most failed CPA Exam?

Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR)

Candidates we've surveyed say that FAR is the most difficult section of the CPA Exam. It consistently has the lowest passing rate likely due to the large volume of information in the section and the need to fully understand concepts rather than simply memorize them.

Do you need a CPA to be an accountant?

Based on EMSI's aggregated job posting data for 2021, there were 46,626 job postings for accounting professionals that required a CPA. On the other hand, there were 170,607 jobs posted for accountants that only required a bachelor's degree, not a CPA. A CPA license won't disqualify you from any accounting position.

What CPA gets paid the most?

Regarding industry affiliation, CPAs working in finance and insurance tend to earn the highest annual salaries at $79,310 as of May 2021, followed by those working in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services earning $77,080 on average (BLS, 2022).

Is CPA higher than Masters?

No, a CPA is not a master's degree. It is a professional certification that requires a specific set of educational and experiential requirements.

Is it worth getting a CPA anymore?

Statistics show that CPAs earn a 10 to 15 percent higher salary than regular accountants, and that over their entire lifetimes, CPAs can expect to earn $1 million more than their non-CPA counterparts — even when working in the same position.

Do CPAs make six figures?

A CPA's salary usually reaches the high five figures while senior CPAs in management can earn a six-figure salary.

Is accounting harder than finance?

Is finance harder than accounting? Accounting relies on precise arithmetic principles, making it more complex, whereas finance requires a grasp of economics and accounting without as much mathematical detail.

Is there any calculus in accounting?

Accountants may apply calculus concepts to analyze complex financial derivatives or use mathematical models to predict future trends and outcomes based on historical data.