CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - After decades of maintaining accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, the Wilson College of Business at the University of Northern Iowa can now add AACSB’s supplemental accounting accreditation to its impressive resume. Wilson is the first business school in the world to undergo an accelerated path toward this accreditation and one of fewer than 200 schools globally to hold this prestigious honor, making it a top choice for students with an accounting major.

“For students, it's really about a signal of quality,” said Joseph Ugrin, professor and head of the Department of Accounting. “Employers understand the impact of accreditation and standards and benchmarks in their own businesses, but they also look for that in the places where they spend their recruiting dollars. They're going to select schools where they can expect a high quality of graduates.”

“AACSB is an organization that helps us focus on continuous improvement. It provides a stamp of quality, assuring the public we are achieving certain expectations,” said Leslie Wilson, dean of the Wilson College of Business. “When they come back and review us, they expect continuous improvement. They expect responsiveness to what is going on in the external world. They expect we are meeting the demands of employers. They expect that we are delivering upon our mission.”

A key driver behind the UNI accounting program’s success is the accounting department’s dedicated faculty, rigorous curriculum and integrated CPA review program, which provide students with the foundation for exceptional performance on the Certified Public Accountant exam. UNI ranks first in the nation for CPA pass rate success according to AccountingToday. Students preparing to graduate with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting participate in an integrated CPA review program, which has consistently yielded impressive results for this rigorous four-part exam. In fact, Wilson students outperform peers from the next best school by an average of 20 percentage points.

“When I was in high school, I knew UNI has a really good program for the CPA,” said Josiah Laddusaw, an accounting major who will begin his Master of Accounting in the fall. “That was the big selling point because I knew I wanted to be a CPA. I asked myself what was going to help me complete such a rigorous exam and give me the highest chance of passing all four parts. I knew it was getting my Master of Accounting at UNI with their integrated CPA review.”

Earning AACSB accounting accreditation is a multi-year process involving a comprehensive self-study, extensive feedback and an on-site peer review by deans from other accredited institutions. The peer review team visited UNI in March, evaluating the Wilson College of Business on everything from learner success to strategic planning.

Their report identifies several standout practices, including UNI’s high level of faculty-student engagement, made possible by small class sizes. Robust co-curricular opportunities through organizations like the Accounting Club have also led to a high level of student engagement. The club connects accounting majors with all of the Big Four accounting firms and numerous regional employers, often leading to internships and full-time jobs, as it has for Laddusaw who has already interned with both KPMG and Deloitte. The reviewers also highlighted the college’s Professional Readiness Program®, which equips students with critical soft skills sought by employers.

While the process of supplemental accounting accreditation typically takes seven years, UNI achieved this milestone in just three — a testament to the program’s longstanding excellence and history of innovation.

The University of Northern Iowa established its business college in 1982. It has consistently been AACSB-accredited since 1993, with reviews occurring every five years. Fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide hold AACSB accreditation, and only 2% hold the separate accounting accreditation..

AACSB International is the world’s largest business education association, connecting educators, learners, and businesses to create the next generation of great leaders. With members in over 100 countries and territories, AACSB elevates the quality and impact of business schools globally.