Brigham Young University topped the list of first-time CPA Exam pass rates by large collegiate programs (60 or more candidates), according to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy's "Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination – 2018 Edition."
The Utah university saw 263 candidates sit for 581 total sections, with a total pass rate of 89.2 percent and an average score of 84.6.
The annual NASBA publication covers CPA Exam trends from around the world, offering a wide swath of data on candidates and the sections they sit for.
The top first-time CPA Exam pass rates by large collegiate programs for 2018 are:
1. Brigham Young University — 263 candidates, 89.2 percent pass rate.
2. University of Virginia — 78 candidates, 89 percent pass rate.
3. University of Wisconsin – Madison — 220 candidates, 87.2 percent pass rate.
4. University of Florida — 219 candidates, 84.8 percent pass rate.
5. Boston College — 155 candidates, 84.4 percent pass rate.
6. Wake Forest University — 74 candidates, 84 percent pass rate.
7. Gonzaga University — 102 candidates, 83.2 percent pass rate.
8. University of Texas at Austin — 401 candidates, 82.9 percent pass rate.
9. James Madison University — 173 candidates, 80.6 percent pass rate.
10. University of Notre Dame — 185 candidates, 80.4 percent pass rate.
Other notable figures from the 2018 report include:
- In all, 85,855 candidates sat for 206,858 sections in 2018.
- The average pass rate was 51.9 percent, and the average score was 71.8.
- The average age of 2018 CPA Exam candidates was 28 years old.
- Of the candidates, 31,446 test-takers were female, and 30,113 were male (24,296 candidates were unidentified).
- The number of U.S. candidates was 77,214, while the number of international candidates was 8,641.
- The jurisdictions with the highest exam pass rates were: Utah (66 percent), Wisconsin (61.1 percent) and Oregon (58.5 percent).
For more on the "Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination – 2018 Edition," head to NASBA's
