USA Accounting or economics? SCU‘s Leavey or UW's Foster? or UC?

[JT.H]

Hello, everyone. I'm a female high school graduate who is about to major in accounting at the undergraduate level. I've received several good offers now, but it's really difficult for me to make a choice. My parents can't offer much help in this regard. Therefore, I need your assistance. I sincerely hope that professionals and experts in the industry can give me some advice. Thank you!

I live in California. So far, I've been admitted to the accounting major at the Leavey School of Business of Santa Clara University（SCU) and the Foster School of Business of the University of Washington (UW). I've also been admitted to the economics major at the UCSD, UCD,UCI,UCSB.

My goal is to join one of the Big Four accounting firms after graduating from undergraduate studies. It would be best to join a Big Four accounting firms in California, and joining one in Seattle would be the second choice.

The first question: Is the Leavey School of Business at SCU beneficial for me to join a Big Four firm in California? If it's not very advantageous, is it more reliable for me to choose the accounting major at UW Foster and strive to join a Big Four firm in the Seattle area? What are the chances for a UW graduate to join a Big Four firm in California?

The second question: Are the opportunities for an economics major and an accounting major to join a Big Four firm similar, or is there a big difference? In order to achieve my goal, do I need to completely give up the opportunities offered by the UC econ?

I'm truly grateful for your guidance to those of us who are just starting out in this field!

 

[QBnewbie]

Where you go to school is far less important than what you study. If you intend to work as an accountant after graduation, go for an accounting major. If you want options, get your degree in accounting with an economics minor.

That said, your major is only one thing that hiring companies look at. Good grades are essential, but they also want to see achievements in leadership, and skills in business technology beyond spreadsheets. Are you a good communicator? Do you have critical thinking skills?

I also can't stress enough the importance of participating in a summer internship program in your chosen career field. This gets your foot in the door and gives you a chance to show off your skills to a potential employer and may help you decide if you want to specialize in a certain field of accounting.

Finally, maintain a good relationship with your professors. Professional contacts are the best way to score an interview, but they are also valuable references when you are job hunting.

Q.

 

[kirby]

A degree in Econ is not going to get you where you want to go.(Which speaks to your second question) So, decide between the two accounting programs. Given that you feel it is best to join a California CPA firm then keep in mind that the Schools invite local firms when they have placement interviews during senior year. (Which speaks to your first question) Also there is cost, Santa Clara is a private school. $$$ Then again UofW is public but you are an out of state student so the tuition will be higher for you. You need to know total annual cost of tuition, room and board.

Then again, I have seen people go the Econ route BUT to get hired by a CPA firm they then have to go to a two year MBA program and concentrate in Acctg. That's two years not earning any wages.

You can use US News & World Report's college acctg program rankings. Both the schools you are interested in are in the top 50. But you should look this up yourself in case the data I saw was old. Something to ask representatives of both schools is what is the program's pass rate on the CPA exam. That will give you an important factor.

Best of Luck!

 

[JT.H]

Where you go to school is far less important than what you study. If you intend to work as an accountant after graduation, go for an accounting major. If you want options, get your degree in accounting with an economics minor.

That said, your major is only one thing that hiring companies look at. Good grades are essential, but they also want to see achievements in leadership....

Q.

Thank you so much for your advice!
I will major in accounting and minor in a subject such as mathematics or auditing.
I will also attach great importance to internships during holidays and strive to start my internship in the summer vacation of my freshman year.
Thank you again for your help!

 

[JT.H]

A degree in Econ is not going to get you where you want to go.(Which speaks to your second question) So, decide between the two accounting programs. Given that you feel it is best to join a California CPA firm then keep in mind that the Schools invite local firms when they have placement interviews during senior year. (Which speaks to your first question) Also there ....

Thank you so much for your advice! It seems that studying economics indeed makes the path to achieving my goals more difficult.
You're right. The accounting major at SCU did have a good ranking in the past. It was ranked 26th by U.S. News in 2023, but this year it has dropped to the top 50+. Therefore, I'm a bit worried about its attractiveness to the Big Four. I plan to write a letter to the school as you suggested to find out whether SCU is a target school for the Big Four and how many of its previous graduates have joined the Big Four in the California region.
The accounting major at UW is ranked 24th in 2025, which looks quite good. Moreover, Seattle is a modern city with strong economic strength, so maybe it should be my top choice.
In fact, I have also received offers for the accounting major from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington and the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. However, since I don't want to go to the Midwest, they don't have enough appeal for me.
Thank you again for your help!