Data regarding the 2018 CPA exam (the most recent year available) has been released, and Clarion University graduates performed brilliantly compared with students from other Pennsylvania universities:
- First-time testing: 80 percent pass rate, the highest in Pennsylvania (tied with the University of Pennsylvania).
- Bachelor’s degree first-time testing: 78.6 percent pass rate, the second highest in Pennsylvania (behind Lehigh University with 79.1 percent).
- Bachelor’s degree – all tests: 69.2 percent pass rate, the highest of the 14 schools in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and all public universities (Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln). Penn State had a 48.9 percent pass rate, and Pitt had a 61.8 percent rate.
- All tests: Clarion had a 61.3 percent pass rate, the highest of the 14 PASSHE schools. The only public university with a higher pass rate was Penn State at 61.6 percent.
“Clarion students who are in the CPA concentration typically spend between 300 to 400 hours preparing for the Certified Public Accountant exam; those students in the internal audit-forensic accounting concentration also spend a considerable amount of time studying for the Certified Internal Auditor exam,” said Dr. Anthony Grenci, professor of accountancy in the College of Business Administration and Information Sciences. “This level of effort signifies the dedication of Clarion's accounting students, and their efforts have earned them the bragging rights of being the top university in the state for those taking the CPA exam for the first time.”