The number of students who graduated at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year with a degree in accounting plunged 7.4% compared with the prior period, accelerating a six-year trend of declining entrants into the profession. The number of graduates who received a bachelor’s degree fell 7.8% compared with the 2020-2021 period, while those earning a master’s degree declined 6.4%, according to a survey by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. At the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year, the number of bachelor’s and master’s degrees awarded fell 2.8% and 4.7%, respectively, compared with the prior period. “We’re still on a downward trajectory for accounting graduates, although it’s worthwhile to note that U.S. university enrollment and earned degrees collectively shrank during this period,” Jan Taylor, the AICPA’s academic in residence, said in a statement.
