UNI students find CPA success through preparation, persistence and faculty support
UNI students find CPA success through preparation, persistence and faculty support
Elise Andersen ('25) was sitting in the office at her summer lifeguarding job when the email came through. She asked everyone to gather for a drumroll before she tapped it open on her phone.
It was good news. She passed the final section of the CPA exam.
“That feeling of passing was exciting, but it was also just calm, knowing the work was all worth it," Andersen said.
Andersen is one of many UNI students who have found success on the CPA exam before graduation. In fact, the Wilson College of Business is ranked first in the nation for passing all four parts of the CPA Exam, according to Accounting Today.
That reputation is built on a CPA review program woven directly into the accounting curriculum, taught by faculty who treat each student's path to licensure as personal. In five years or less, students can choose to complete an undergraduate degree, master's degree and a CPA certification.
For Andersen, accounting has always been a part of her life. Her mother works in private accounting, and an uncle in the field first pointed her toward it. But it wasn't until her first financial accounting course at UNI that the subject clicked, thanks to the real-world and practical approach of Professor Linda DeBarth.
That real-world grounding continued into UNI's CPA review program, which Andersen completed as a non-degree-seeking student the semester after graduation. The structure made the difference: daily assigned chapters, in-class discussion and professors who adjusted their teaching based on student feedback and pass-rate data.
I got so much more than memorization from the review course. I was inspired. I was asking questions. I think this experience is going to be huge for me to be able to speak up and feel comfortable asking questions in a work environment.
Kailey Koopmann ('25) found a similar rhythm, though her path to the exam looked different. Raised on a dairy goat farm in eastern Iowa, Koopmann majored in accounting and finance and went on to complete UNI's Master of Accounting before diving into CPA review. For her, the built-in structure of UNI's program — review coursework embedded directly into the curriculum, with college credit — set UNI apart.
I felt very prepared. I was anxious, of course, going into a four-hour exam. But with each section, I felt more confident because I had experience and more review from the last one.
Faculty support helped carry both students through. Koopmann singled out Professor David Deeds for his ability to untangle a confusing question and explain it a different way until it clicked. Andersen said the same of her professors.
"It doesn't feel like a lecture with your professors," Andersen said. "It feels like you're friends with that professor, and they're helping you every step of the way."
Now heading into her career at RSM, Koopmann sees the CPA as proof of the discipline it took to earn it. Andersen sees it the same way, and credits UNI's program for delivering something beyond exam prep.
"Firms see a UNI CPA, and they get excited," said Andersen, who is also beginning her career at RSM. "They know this is someone who's gone through a rigorous program. That speaks for itself."
Think you're ready to become a CPA? Explore UNI's nationally recognized accounting program and see how you can earn your degree, prepare for the CPA exam and launch your career with confidence.
