Grace College Named Top Accounting College in Indiana for ‘First-Time, Small Program’ CPA Pass Rates

Grace College’s Certified Public Accountant (CPA) pass rates are the highest-ranking of all Hoosier institutions in the “first-time, small program” category. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) report evaluated the 2019 pass rates of 239 institutions nationwide. Grace ranked first in Indiana and 26th overall.

“Our high CPA pass rates have become one of the attributes of our program,” said Dr. Roger Stichter, professor of accounting. “We’ve seen top scores in the state and the nation routinely since my return to Grace in 2004,” he said.

The Grace College accounting program has grown five times in size since 2004 with 60 students enrolled. Accounting is part of the School of Business — the second-largest academic school at Grace.

The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (CPA Exam) is administered to individuals who wish to become U.S. Certified Public Accountants. Passing the exam demonstrates that he or she has what it takes to be an entry-level accountant, and therefore, is extremely important to those in the accounting field.

“Our program is designed to prepare students in every way possible for the exam, but ultimately, it falls on the students to have a relentless work ethic and a determination to succeed. I can testify that those are the types of students that Grace College attracts,” said Stichter.

One such student is Noah Hicks.

Hicks graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s and master’s through Grace’s dual degree program and passed his CPA with strong scores. He now works in Detroit, Michigan, at Plante Moran — one of the largest audit, accounting, and tax firms in the nation.

“Grace effectively prepares students for the CPA exam by structuring its courses in a way that challenges students and teaches them to learn well. Learning how to learn well is half the battle, and Grace’s accounting program helped me to develop this skill,” said Hicks.

For more information about Grace College’s accounting program, contact Roger Stichter at stichtrl@grace.edu, or visit www.grace.edu/major/accounting/.