Which school has the stronger undergraduate accounting program, UMD or Penn State?

For undergraduate accounting, Maryland’s Smith School is also well regarded and can be especially compelling for students targeting Washington, D.C., Baltimore, or government-adjacent accounting and advisory work. Both schools hold AACSB business accreditation, and both can prepare students for CPA-track graduate study.

Penn State fits a student who wants a large, traditional business-school environment with a particularly deep accounting community. That reach can be valuable for a student who is open to starting a career in Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, or another major market and wants a large on-campus recruiting ecosystem.

Maryland fits a student who sees the D.C. region as part of the education, not just a place to visit after graduation. Smith’s location gives students practical access to federal agencies, government contractors, nonprofits, consulting firms, and regional accounting offices, alongside employers in Baltimore and D.C. Students interested in assurance, internal audit, compliance, forensic accounting, or public-sector-related financial work may find that setting particularly useful.

Neither undergraduate degree alone typically supplies the 150 college credits required for CPA licensure, so examine each school’s accounting graduate options, combined-degree possibilities, and the state-specific CPA course requirements for where you expect to work.