Wake Forest vs Ohio State for accounting: which is better for recruiting and internships?

For accounting specifically, Ohio State usually offers the broader recruiting machine, while Wake Forest offers a smaller, more personal pipeline with especially strong access in certain markets. Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business has a very large employer presence, a deep alumni base, and strong connections to Big Four and other major firms. Wake Forest’s School of Business is well regarded too, but its advantage is often the tighter advising, smaller classes, and more individualized access rather than sheer scale.

Ohio State makes the most sense for a student who wants lots of on-campus recruiting, many internship options, and the energy of a big business school where accounting firms recruit in volume. Columbus is a real plus here because it gives you access to internships during the school year as well as the summer, and Fisher is known for bringing in a wide range of employers. If you want the biggest network and the most choices without having to rely as much on a smaller circle of contacts, Ohio State is hard to ignore.

Wake Forest fits the student who wants a more curated experience and is likely to benefit from close faculty access, strong career coaching, and a polished professional culture. Recruiters do hire Wake accounting students, including into major public accounting firms, but the pipeline is usually narrower by geography and class size. Its alumni network can be very loyal, especially in the Southeast and certain finance and business hubs, and that can translate into strong internship outcomes if those are places you want to work.

If your priority is maximizing the volume of recruiting opportunities in accounting, I would lean Ohio State. If your priority is a smaller setting where relationship-building may be easier and you like Wake’s regional footprint and campus environment, Wake can absolutely lead to strong accounting outcomes too.