Where Accounting Graduates Work
HPU accounting graduates have built careers with organizations including:
- Ernst & Young
- PwC
- KPMG
- Deloitte
- Withum
- EisnerAmper
- CliftonLarsonAllen
- Baker Tilly
- Paul, Cox & Todd
- Edelstein and Company
Graduates have also accepted positions with BDO, Citibank, Cone Health, Credit Suisse, Franklin Templeton, General Electric, Key Bank, Lincoln Financial, Lowe’s Companies, Oracle, Novant Health, RSM, Truist, Wells Fargo Advisors and Zurich North America.
Accounting Salary and Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $83,680 for accountants and auditors in May 2025 and projects employment to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 115,300 openings each year.
U.S. News & World Report ranks High Point University #1 among Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major in Best Colleges 2027. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
Job Titles Accounting Graduates Hold
- International Tax Associate
- Tax Associate
- External Audit Associate
- Trust Solutions Associate, Audit
- DAT Associate
- First-Year Audit Associate
- Staff 1 Auditor
- Forensic Integrity Services Staff
- Tax Staff I
- Risk and Financial Advisory Analyst
- Commercial Tax Associate
- Healthcare Associate
Roles Accounting Graduates Can Pursue
An accounting degree prepares graduates for roles such as staff accountant, internal auditor, management accountant, budget analyst, loan officer, financial analyst, forensic accountant, IT accountant, cost accountant, controller, tax advisor, personal financial planner and government accountant.
Accounting Student Organizations
- Accounting Club, open to all majors, with guest speakers, speed networking events, student-run internship panels and case-study competitions
- National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), supporting the academic, professional and career development of students interested in accounting, finance and business
- Delta Mu Delta, the business honor society
- Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity
- Floyd T. Craven Investment Club
- Business Professionals of America
Accounting students also join the HPU Economics Association, the American Marketing Association, the Real Estate Club and the Healthcare Management Club.
Meet the Firms
Each September, the Meet-the-Firms accounting career fair brings the Big Four and area accounting firms to campus for internship and post-graduation recruiting. The Office of Career and Professional Development supports students throughout the search, from résumés to interview preparation.
Student Leaders Who Built the Clubs
Sean DeMarco created the Accounting Club as a junior and served as its vice president, and Natalie Ryan credits Christina Griffith with helping her start it. Sierra Wilder chartered HPU’s NABA student chapter, and MJ Edwards joined its executive council and attended the NABA national conference in Las Vegas.
Hear From an Alum
Constance Marino, Forensic Integrity Services Staff Member at Ernst & Young
Major: Accounting
How HPU helped: “HPU prepared me for a future in accounting. Building strong relationships with professors and utilizing resources to discuss my goals helped me create a path for a successful future. The Office of Career and Professional Development was a valuable resource beginning my freshman year. I often met with career advisors to navigate searching for jobs and to update my resume. I also asked questions which helped me become more confident in my abilities and land a job in my desired field.”
Most impactful mentors at HPU: “My most impactful mentors at HPU were George Noxon and Scott Davis, associate professors of accounting. They were always available to discuss career choices with me, and they helped me figure out the path I wanted to take after college. Often, I stopped by their offices to ask a quick question about coursework, but then I stayed to listen to their stories and share a laugh. They consistently advocated for me throughout my time at HPU.”
Accounting Graduates in Their Own Words
Graduates describe the people and moments that led to offers at KPMG, PwC and Ernst & Young.
Nicholas Desmond
Accounting major, Sales minor · First-Year Audit Associate, KPMG
“HPU helped me network with different accounting firms during job and career fairs on campus. At HPU’s Meet the Firms event, a job fair with accounting firms, I met with a KPMG representative who took interest in me. From there, I was able to set up an interview for my summer internship with the company.”
Sierra Wilder
Accounting major, Economics minor · External Audit Associate, PwC
“The most impactful moment at HPU was when my professors sent my resume to PwC after I was feeling discouraged during my internship search. Accounting can be challenging, and many students secure internships 1 to 2 years in advance, so I was nearing the end of the summer internship cycle without any luck. However, an HPU alum reached out to my professors, and all three of them forwarded the email to me with my future in mind. Thanks to their recommendation, I was able to secure an internship with PwC, a Big 4 company, which was my ultimate goal as I prepared to graduate with a job.”
Evan Leszczynski
Accounting and Finance major · Tax Associate, PwC
“The relationships I’ve built with my professors in the Phillips School of Business have been especially meaningful. They’ve challenged me academically, encouraged me to pursue my CMA and CPA certifications and genuinely cared about my future. HPU also gave me the opportunity to connect with professionals at PwC. I’m incredibly grateful for the people who have believed in me, opened doors for me and helped turn a goal I’ve had since freshman year into a reality.”
Morgan Dean
Accounting major · Assurance Staff, Ernst & Young
“Dr. Sundaram has been my biggest mentor at HPU. From my first financial accounting class, she believed in my abilities when I didn’t have the confidence to. She showed care in helping me succeed and I am very grateful. She helped me land my first public accounting internship and my post-graduation job. Dr. Sundaram greatly impacted my experience at HPU for the better.”
Max Gregory
Accounting major, Finance minor · Tax Associate, PwC
“My most impactful mentor at HPU has been Mr. Noxon. There were many times when I was in his office multiple times a day to nail a concept or with questions about homework, and he was always able to make time for me, in addition to him being the department chair and all of his other responsibilities. He also helped me get the internships I had and ultimately helped me establish a full-time job offer before graduation.”
Tyler Maher
Accounting major, Finance and Nonprofit Leadership minors · Audit Associate, KPMG
“My most impactful mentor at HPU is Professor Scott Davis. By challenging me in the classroom, he prepared me to be successful in my internship and now in my career. Between learning in the classroom and giving me career advice, he has helped me succeed and find happiness in my career choice.”
Accounting Graduate Outcomes
- Aidan Britt, International Tax Associate, Ernst & Young, Boston
- Amanda Vecchione, DAT Associate, PwC, New York
- Natalie Ryan, Trust Solutions Associate, PwC, Manhattan
- Ainsley Frederick, Tax Staff I, EisnerAmper, New York
- Isabel Clark, Tax Associate, Paul, Cox & Todd
- Sean DeMarco, Staff 1 Auditor, Withum
- Rachel Lynch, Risk and Financial Advisory Analyst, Deloitte, New York
- Ally Rowe, Assurance Staff Accountant, Ernst & Young, Baltimore
- Melissa Exner, Core Assurance Associate, PwC
- Jenna Weidner, Audit Associate, CliftonLarsonAllen
- Victoria Sapraicone, Commercial Tax Associate, Baker Tilly
- Mikayla Call, Healthcare Associate, Edelstein and Company, Boston
- Nicholas Desmond, First-Year Audit Associate, KPMG, Charlotte
- Evan Leszczynski, Tax Associate, PwC, Greensboro
- Sierra Wilder, External Audit Associate, PwC, Greensboro
- Morgan Dean, Assurance Staff, Ernst & Young, Baltimore
Accounting Internships
- Andrew Rampaul-Pino, Embark Scholar Intern, KPMG
- Constance Marino, Assurance Intern, Ernst & Young
- Josh Topper, Audit Intern, Deloitte
- Kynley Simerson, Applied Learning Intern in Audit and Advisory, Coca-Cola
- Preston Hoey, Accounting Intern, Coca-Cola Consolidated
- George Synodinos, Accounting Intern, CKH Group
- MJ Edwards, Financial Services and Support Intern, Allegacy Financial
HPU also offers an Internship Guarantee to every student who completes the Office of Career and Professional Development’s five-phase professional development program.
Graduate School
- Kristen Arena, Master of Science in Accounting and Analytics, Stony Brook University
- Michaela Wasersztrum, Master of Science in Audit and Advisory Services, DePaul University
- Patti Suchan, Master of Science in Accountancy, University of Notre Dame
- Andrew Colitti, Master of Science in Accountancy, Wake Forest University
- Christina Drake, Master’s in Accounting, North Carolina State University
- George Synodinos, MBA, High Point University
Earn a Tuition-Free Master’s Degree at HPU
HPU students can earn a tuition-free master’s degree by living at HPU.
For accounting majors, the closest fit is the MBA.
HPU in the City
HPU in the City takes competitive cohorts of students to New York City, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta over fall break to meet employers and alumni. A record 271 students applied for the fall 2026 program, and 64 were selected.
Kynley Simerson, an accounting major, met Chick-fil-A’s talent acquisition staff on the Atlanta trip. “During my trip to Atlanta over fall break with HPU in the City, I was able to network with the talent acquisition staff at Chick-fil-A and then applied when their internship opportunities opened the following week.” She went on to intern as a restaurant accountant at Chick-fil-A’s corporate office.
Accounting in the News
Ainsley Frederick
Ainsley Frederick Joins EisnerAmper as Tax Staff I
Ainsley has accepted a position with EisnerAmper as a Tax Staff I on the Financial Services Team in New York City, New York.
MJ Edwards
MJ Edwards Interns at Allegacy Financial
“My current most impactful moment at HPU is when I joined my first Executive Council, NABA, and then I went to the National Conference in Las Vegas.”
Aidan Britt
Aidan Britt Lands Accounting Career With Ernst Young
As an International Tax Associate, he will be assisting in the analysis and preparation of international tax issues and returns for Fortune 100 companies.
Preston Hoey
Internship Profile: Preston Hoey Learns at Coca-Cola Consolidated
“HPU gave me the opportunity to connect with Coca-Cola Consolidated at the Career and Internship Expo in the fall. At the event, I networked with many companies and learned about their open positions.”
Jenna Weidner
Class of 2020 Outcomes: Jenna Weidner Audits for CliftonLarsonAllen
Weidner joins CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) as an audit associate. She will work specifically with nonprofit and higher education clients.
Victoria Sapraicone
Class of 2020 Outcomes: Victoria Sapraicone Uses Accounting Major as Tax Associate
Sapraicone joins Baker Tilly Virchow Krause as a commercial tax associate, where she will be following tax procedures and preparing various tax returns including individual, corporations, s-corporations, trusts and not-for-profits.
Accounting Innovators in Residence
HPU’s Access to Innovators program connects students with global leaders for networking, mentorship and experiential learning.
Mark Bradburn, HPU’s Wealth Management Expert in Residence, has hosted HPU students at his New York City headquarters as part of HPU in the City. Alan McCollough, HPU’s Executive in Residence, has discussed the role of cash and capital management with business students. Dee Ann Turner, HPU’s Talent Acquisition Expert in Residence, meets with students on campus, and accounting graduate Morgan Young named a small-group meeting with Turner her most impactful HPU moment.
Mark Bradburn
Wealth Management Expert in ResidenceFounder and Co-Managing Financial Advisor of The Bradburn Group at Morgan StanleyMeet the Innovators ›
Alan McCollough
Executive in ResidenceFormer Circuit City CEOMeet the Innovators ›
Dee Ann Turner
Talent Acquisition Expert in ResidenceChick-Fil-A Former Vice President for TalentMeet the Innovators ›
Start Your Accounting Career at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU accounting ranks.
Accreditation & Awards Curriculum & Research
Questions about the program? Email Christina Griffith, chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance, at [email protected].