Strengthen enrollment and improve program outcomes by building on what accounting programs are already doing well
The enrollment cliff no longer looms. It’s here. And institutions that can’t demonstrate clear workforce outcomes are about to face intensifying pressure. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which ties federal funding more directly to evidence programs deliver on their promises, takes effect on July 1, 2026.
This federal pressure is converging with what students and employers are already saying. 63% of employers identify skill gaps as their biggest barrier to business transformation (World Economic Forum). 80% of freshmen say getting a better job is a very important reason for attending college, but nearly half of recent graduates report feeling unprepared for the workforce (Strada). Students are arriving with expectations their programs may not be meeting.
Institutions that move on workforce alignment now will build a structural advantage in enrollment and employer partnerships before competitors catch up. The question is where to start.
For many, the answer is already in their course catalogue. Accounting is one of the most career-aligned undergraduate degrees available. It’s already structured around professional standards and mapped to licensure. It should be the easiest workforce-readiness story in higher education, but over 60% of hiring managers in finance and accounting say it’s much more challenging to find skilled professionals now than a year ago. Even those who do find qualified candidates are reporting skills gaps in areas like data analytics, IT governance, critical thinking, soft skills, and AI tools (Robert Half).
What Accounting Programs Already Have
Many accounting programs at traditional four-year schools are closer to bridging this gap than they might think. They already weave experiential learning into the student experience, whether it’s internships and co-ops, participation in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs, or capstone projects with employer partners. They have faculty expertise, rigorous technical content, strong relationships with employers, and a proven track record of CPA exam preparation. Students are building real skills—the same ones employers are struggling to find. Students (and employers) just need help connecting the dots.
Four Changes That Move the Needle Without a Full Program Overhaul
Existing accounting programs don’t need to be redesigned from scratch. They just need to make what they are already doing more visible, measurable, and marketable.
Here are four changes traditional accounting programs can make right now:
- Employer-validated competency-mapping: Employers know what skills they need in a newly minted CPA. Programs should work with employers to identify their most critically needed skills and map them across the entire accounting program to show how and where students are acquiring those key competencies. Any gaps they uncover are potential opportunities to modernize current course offerings to fit these needs.
- Assessment designed around demonstration: Students in traditional programs are already applying their skills through internships and VITA clinic work. Programs should find meaningful ways to assess this learning and connect it to competencies employers are looking for. They should also equip students with evidence they can share with employers: comprehensive learning records, portfolios, or skills profiles.
- Sequenced real-world practice: Many traditional accounting programs already include opportunities for experiential learning. But without deliberate design, these experiences are a missed opportunity. Programs should connect them so that each experience is a progressive step that culminates in demonstrable, employer-relevant skills.
- Industry-recognized certifications: The Institute of Management Accountants already encourages students to become Certified Management Accountants (CMAs) while still in school. Accountants with both a CMA and a CPA earn 149% more than their noncertified peers (Strategic Finance). Many traditional programs are already structured so students complete the coursework they need to pass the CMA exam before they graduate, making this a low-lift, high-impact addition to any program.
These changes will require close partnership with employers and professional bodies—but accounting programs have many of those relationships already. The biggest design challenge will be in creating an intentional arc around the experiential learning that already exists in these programs and providing students with employer-ready evidence.
Why Programs Should Act Now
Students and families are scrutinizing return on investment more than they used to, and a shrinking applicant pool means they have more choices. When an accounting program aligns its curriculum to employer-validated competencies, it can document outcomes in ways that generic program data can’t. That’s a stronger value proposition for prospective students who are comparing options, and a stronger value proposition converts at a higher rate.
Many traditional four-year accounting programs already have the experiential depth and employer relationships that online and alternative credential providers can’t easily replicate. The program that combines that richness with the structural clarity of skills alignment will occupy a new—and competitive—space in the market.
Accounting isn’t the ceiling. It’s a proof of concept. A program that builds this infrastructure in accounting has a model it can extend into finance, health sciences, education, and beyond. The institutions that put them together first will look back on this period not as a threat they survived but as an advantage they seized.
Six Red Marbles can partner with institutions to map competencies, design performance-based assessment, scaffold experiential learning, and build employer-aligned program architecture without requiring full curricular overhauls. If your institution is exploring workforce alignment, now is the time to assess where you’re closer than you think.
Sources
Robert Half, “2026 Finance and Accounting Hiring and Job Market Trends”
Survey data on hiring challenges, skills gaps in AI literacy, data analytics, and FP&A and employer strategies for upskilling finance and accounting teams.
Strategic Finance, “Dual CMA and CPA Certification: A Winning Combination”
Proposes a nine-step plan for undergraduate accounting majors to pass the CMA exam before graduation and the CPA exam within six months after.
Recommended Reading
Accounting Talent Gaps and Employer Skills Needs
CFO Pulse Survey 2024 (via AACSB)
Reports that 83% of financial leaders could not find qualified accounting talent in 2024, up from 70% in 2022.
Intuit, “Accountant Technology Survey 2024”
Industry survey on hiring challenges, the growing importance of soft skills and critical thinking, and the shift toward advisory services in accounting.
ICAEW, “Five In-Demand Skills for Accountants in 2025”
UK perspective on employer demand for data analytics, AI integration, strategic business partnering, and critical thinking in accounting.
AICPA/NPAG, “Accounting Talent Solutions Draft Report” (2024)
Comprehensive analysis of root causes behind the accounting pipeline shortage, including demographic shifts, rigid licensure requirements, and declining enrollments.
AACSB, “Rebuilding the Pipeline for Accounting Talent” (2025)
Three accounting educators from the US, the UK, and Taiwan examine how programs are adapting through advisory boards, technology emphasis, and recruitment diversification.
Skills-Based Education in Higher Ed
CAEL, “Skills-Based Education: Lots of Interest, Little Action” (via Inside Higher Ed, January 2024)
Foundational survey finding that 86% of faculty and staff see a need for skills-based learning models but only 22% of institutions have implemented them.
KnowledgeWorks, “Breaking Down Silos: Why Skills-Based Education Is Gaining Momentum” (January 2026)
CBExchange 2025 panel recap on why skills-based education progress has been slow, featuring perspectives from C-BEN, Gates Foundation, Carnegie Foundation, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
AACSB, “Top 3 Higher Education Trends to Watch in 2025”
Covers skills-aligned curriculum design, microcredential frameworks, and the use of real-time labor market data to align programs with workforce needs.
Accounting Programs to Check Out
Experiential Learning in Accounting (Program Examples)
UT Dallas, Accounting Internship Requirements — Requires internship completion for all accounting undergraduates.
University of Cincinnati Lindner College, BBA Accounting Program — Mandates two co-op rotations for accounting majors.
Rider University, Accounting Co-op Program — Mandatory nine-credit co-op program with a companion course for all accounting majors.
UConn, VITA Program — Student-run tax preparation clinic serving community members.
University of Illinois, VITA Program — Student-run tax preparation clinic serving community members.
Texas State University, VITA Tax Clinic — Student-run tax preparation clinic serving community members.
Online CBE Accounting Programs
WGU, B.S. in Accounting — Largest competency-based accounting program, graduating over 1,300 students annually.
Capella University, FlexPath — Self-paced competency-based education model with mastery-based progression.
Purdue Global, ExcelTrack B.S. in Accounting — Accelerated competency-based accounting degree for working adults.
SNHU, B.S. in Accounting — Fully online accounting program with career-focused curriculum.
OnlineU, “2026 Best Online Accounting Degrees” — Ranking data and graduation figures across online accounting programs.
