Expanding the Accounting Profession Pipeline
The accounting profession continues to struggle to recruit students while simultaneously losing an unprecedented number of CPAs to retirement. Additionally, the profession faces a challenge in attracting diverse talent, making it more critical than ever to uncover how to drive new talent to the accounting profession.
As part of efforts to help solve this challenge, new research commissioned by the CAQ and conducted by Edge Research seeks to dive deeper in understanding students’ perceptions of and experiences with accounting to develop a clearer understanding of what can be done to strengthen the accounting talent pool.
Edge Research conducted qualitative and quantitative research in two phases and heard from more than 3,400 students and recent graduates between November 2024 and January 2025 to help gain insight into:
Evolving student mindsets among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
High school and early college students’ perspectives of the accounting profession.
Effective messaging strategies that could lead to an increase in a more diverse talent pool entering the profession.
This 2024 research demonstrates both encouraging progress and persistent challenges in increasing the accounting profession pipeline. While perceptions of accounting have improved across all student groups, translating this improvement into increased enrollment in accounting programs and entry into the profession remains difficult.
The most effective strategic approach must be multifaceted—combining compelling economic messaging with increased representation, enhanced personal connections to the profession, and greater early exposure through education and work experiences. By addressing both the perceptual barriers and structural challenges identified in this research, the accounting profession has an opportunity to build a more resilient pipeline that better reflects the communities it serves.
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