UR's Robins School of Business Ranked as One of Top Undergrad Accounting Schools

The University of Richmond's (UR) Robins School of Business came in at No. 7 in Bloomberg Businessweek's top undergraduate business schools for accounting.

The rankings were based on an average of student responses to survey questions, with points awarded for responses. UR received a score of 1.119, with low scores being better. The average accounting score for the 124 business schools surveyed was 1.37. The top school, Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management, came in at 1.067.

The top 10 schools in the rankings were:

1. Brigham Young University (1.067)
2. University of Notre Dame (1.076)
3. University of California-Berkeley (1.081)
4. Cornell University (1.089)
5. University of Illinois-Urbanna-Champaign (1.116)
6. University of Tulsa (1.118)
7. University of Richmond (1.119)
8. Southern Methodist University (1.12)
9. Wake Forest University (1.138)
10. Tulane University (1.141)

While Notre Dame fell short of the top accounting spot, their undergraduate business school, the Mendoza College of Business, came in No. 1 in the overall undergraduate business school rankings. The University of Virginia's (UVa) McIntire School of Commerce was No. 2 and UR came in at No. 15.

For full-time graduate Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business came in at No. 1, followed by Harvard University's Harvard Business School and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. UVa's Darden School of Business was No. 11.

Accounting Falls Behind Computer Science in NACE Rankings

For the first time since the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) began tracking offer rates for different majors in its annual Student Survey, accounting does not hold the top spot.

More than 56 percent of computer science majors who have applied for a job have received an offer, just ahead of accounting’s rate of 53.8 percent. Accounting job offers are still up 8.3 percent this year, while computer science offers are up 13.8 percent.

Economics (50.9 percent) and engineering (50 percent) round out the top four. Education, English and health care all saw marked drop-offs from last year.

This year, 41.2 percent of members of the Class of 2011 who applied for a job have received at least one offer, up 3 percent from 2010.

Virginia Schools Honored as ‘Best Value Colleges’

Highlighted by the University of Virginia’s (UVa) top overall ranking, five Virginia colleges and universities were ranked in the top 50 of their categories in the Princeton Review’s annual ranking of “Best Value Colleges.”

UVa earned the No. 1 spot among public schools on the list, which was determined by ranking undergraduate academics, tuition and financial aid offerings. The College of William & Mary was No. 7 on that list, and James Madison University and Virginia Tech were also listed among the top 50 schools.

The University of Richmond was ranked in the top 50 among private colleges. Princeton Review does not rank schools outside the top 10 on either list.

All five colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in accounting, and all but Richmond offer master’s degrees in accounting.

“This national recognition of these outstanding universities and their efforts to make higher education more accessible and affordable is a great building block toward making Virginia one of the most highly educated states in the nation,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement. “Having five colleges and universities named to this prestigious list reinforces that the commonwealth is a national leader for higher education.”

Click here to learn more about accounting degrees at Virginia colleges and universities.

American Accounting Association and AICPA Create Pathways Commission to Study the Future of Accounting Higher Education

The American Accounting Association (AAA) and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) just announced they have formed the new Pathways Commission to study possible future paths of higher education for those seeking entry into the accounting profession.

The importance of public, private, governmental and nonprofit accounting information to the functioning of the economy cannot be underestimated, according to the AAA and AICPA. Stakeholders throughout the economy base critical decisions on information provided by the accounting profession.

Bruce Behn, Ergen Professor at the University of Tennessee who is serving as chair of the Pathways Commission, explained that the Commission will be innovative on a couple of fronts.
"First, we plan to seek input from the full spectrum of the accounting community in our deliberations," he said. "We will use a 'supply chain' approach. Members of the supply chains will include individuals and representatives from organizations that impact the various current accounting education pathways. Our goal is to facilitate an open, transparent discussion to be supported by both technology and public discussions. Second, the Commission recognizes the difficulty of sustaining the momentum for change in the dynamic environment of accounting practice and education. The Commission's efforts are structured to continue into the future."

Accounting education is dealing with several issues, including shortages of qualified teachers with accounting doctorates, the need to revise the accounting curricula regularly in light of fast-paced business changes, university budget constraints that threaten to make the cost of education prohibitive, and the need for training in specialized areas to meet the profession's demands.

The Commission will hold its first meeting October 15–17 in Washington, D.C. Read more about the Commission online at http://www.vscpa.com/.