UMSL Master of Accounting students have the highest CPA exam pass rate for first-time candidates in Missouri. (Graphic by Erin Hart)

Passing the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination is no easy task.

Of the 80,000 Americans who take the test annually, about 50 percent fall short. University of Missouri–St. Louis graduate students succeed far above this national average, though. Nearly 85 percent pass on their first attempts.

This stellar pass rate is just one of the reasons why AccountingEdu.org has named UMSL one of the “Top Accounting Graduate Programs in the Nation.”

In the state-by-state ranking, UMSL touts the top Master of Accounting program in Missouri, coming in ahead of the University of Missouri–Columbia and Truman State University.

The online guide based its ranking on CPA exam pass rate, course delivery options, experiential learning opportunities, career services and tuition. AccountingEdu staff also acknowledged UMSL’s flexible, yet rigorous format designed for working adults.

“The University of Missouri–St. Louis’ Master of Accounting program will not only prepare you to take the Uniform CPA Exam, but it will also provide you with an advanced level of accounting expertise needed to become a change agent and leader in the accounting profession,” the ranking read. “We love that many of the program’s courses are scheduled in the evening as a way to accommodate busy, working professionals. We are also fond of the program’s superb accounting faculty, which is primarily composed of full-time scholars with extensive experience in the academic and professional practice sectors.”