LEWISTON, Idaho – For the second straight year, Lewis-Clark State College graduates recorded the highest average score and pass rate on the Certified Public Accountant exams among four-year public institutions in Idaho, according to data released by the Idaho State Board of Accountancy (ISBA).
In Idaho, a person must have completed 150 college credits, earned a college degree, and then work at least 2,000 hours in accounting-related areas in order to qualify to take the CPA exam. The ISBA pass rate data tracks where an individual earned their bachelor’s degree.
LC State graduates posted an average score of 72.5 in 2019, almost a full point higher than the next closest Idaho public institution. LC also had a pass rate of 57.6 percent, and was the only one of the four public institutions with a pass rate above 50 percent.
In 2018, LC State had the stop score among all public and private institutions in Idaho with a 72.2 score. LC also again had the only pass rate above 50 percent among the public institutions at 53.2 percent.
“LC State’s Business Division is committed to offering high-quality education and our CPA exam pass rates certainly validate this,” LC State Business Division chair Luther Maddy said. “Our faculty members are dedicated to student success and we are small enough to give students individual attention. Our business programs are accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education.
To become a CPA a person must pass the CPA exam, which consists of four, four-hour sections – Auditing and Attestation, Business Environment and Concepts, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Regulation. A person must pass all four sections within 18 months, earning a minimum score of 75 on each part.
LC State offers a bachelor’s degree in accounting both on campus and online.