Hillsdale College was named one of Michigan’s top accounting schools by the website accountingcareersfordummies.com this month.
The ratings were determined by a combination of academic rigor, admission selectivity, faculty experience, job placement and post- graduation results, class size, freshman retention, educational value, accreditation, and financial aid availability, according to the organization’s press release.
Professor of Accounting Michael Sweeney said he was not surprised that Hillsdale was included as one of the top schools.
“I know we have a good program and we’ve placed our people at all four of the Big Four firms,” he said, referring to accounting firms Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KMPG.
Professor of Accounting Bruce Ikawa said he was unaware of the rating from accountingcareersfordummies. com.
“You will be relieved to know I’ve never read Accounting for Dummies,” he said.
The accounting program has an average of 15 students graduate per year, although Ikawa said this fluctuates. Hillsdale is a four-year program, compared to programs at schools such Calvin College, which has a five-year track.
Since accounting majors have to finish 150 credit hours, Ikawa said a five-year program could help students spread out the course load.
“That doesn’t seem an attractive option, but people do it,” he said of the five-year programs.
And for accounting graduates, Ikawa said that job placement after graduation is good, though not as good as the department would like.
“They get jobs,” he said. “Not necessarily their first choice of jobs — but they get jobs.”
Ikawa said accounting students’ scores on the Certified Public Accountant exam reflect the strength of the program at Hillsdale. The department compiles the CPA exam scores and compares them to other accounting programs across the nation.
In 2009, the last year the department has data for, 50 percent of Hillsdale accounting students passed all four parts of the exam. This was double the national average of 25 percent.
Ikawa said the students are what make the accounting program at Hillsdale so suc- cessful.
“While we would like to take credit,” he said, “the main thing is we have great students. They’re a talented and hard-working group.”
