Jim Young
Professors across the nation have once again rated NIU’s accountancy program among the elite in the nation.
The Public Accounting Report’s 27th Annual Professor’s Survey ranked NIU’s program 13th in the United States. Inclusion in the rankings places NIU in some highly regarded company, including six Big Ten schools (including Illinois) and Notre Dame.
The NIU program was the highest ranked non-Ph.D. granting public university program in the country.
The recently released survey asked accountancy professors what 10 programs they would recommend to students interested in entering the field. NIU’s accountancy programs have been a fixture in the survey almost since their inception.
“We are very proud to once again find ourselves in the upper echelon of programs on this list,” said Jim Young, chair of the NIU Department of Accountancy.
“The goal of this program has always been, and continues to be, sustained excellence, so it is very satisfying to be included on this list year after year,” Young said. “These rankings reflect the outstanding faculty, staff and students that we have at NIU. We are honored to carry on the tradition of excellence established by our colleagues over the past 35 years.”
Bolstering the program’s reputation, Young said, is that it has evolved and grown in recent years.
Over the last decade, the department has added a master’s of science in taxation and new programs to assist students preparing for CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) and CMA (Certified Management Accountant) exams. The department’s master’s of accounting science program has tripled in size during that time.
The NIU Department of Accountancy graduates approximately 200 undergraduates a year and 150 master’s students. The program is currently ranked 23rd in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.