UW-Madison’s accounting programs ranked in top 10

Both the undergraduate and graduate accounting programs of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business have been ranked in the top 10 in the nation by Public Accounting Report.

The independent newsletter covering the accounting profession ranked UW–Madison’s undergraduate program in accounting 10th in the nation in its October issue, up three spots from last year.

UW–Madison’s graduate program was identified as one of two “biggest movers” in the publication’s graduate rankings, along with the University of Alabama. UW–Madison’s graduate program in accounting moved up to ninth after being ranked 19th last year.

Public Accounting Report rankings for undergraduate and graduate programs are based on a reputational survey sent to accounting professors, department heads and department chairs, who were asked to identify programs they felt most consistently turn out students capable of someday attaining partner status.

“This is a very important ranking in the accounting domain, because this is what the accounting firms follow and it has an impact on where they focus their resources in terms of hiring,” says Jon Davis, chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems in the School of Business.

For its doctoral rankings, the newsletter asked participants to identify Ph.D. programs they regarded as turning out quality accounting professors. Wisconsin’s doctoral program was ranked 21st, compared to 20th the previous year.

“The School of Business has a long tradition of having some of the strongest accounting programs in the nation,” says Dean Michael M. Knetter. “Having both our undergraduate and graduate accounting programs ranked in the top 10 by Public Accounting Report is gratifying and will help us spread the word of the caliber of education offered here. As with all our program rankings, we remain focused on the fundamentals: recruiting the best students, delivering a superior experience and providing outstanding career opportunities.”