A new ranking for 2026 from career website Vault.com is now out to remind accountants and soon-to-be accountants in college about which public accounting firms are considered the most prestigious in the U.S.
There are 50 firms included in Vault’s 2026 prestige ranking, which was released on April 15. Vault surveyed more than 10,000 accountants in the U.S. and asked them to rate firms other than their own on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most prestigious. Participants were asked only to rate firms with which they were familiar, and they weren’t allowed to rate their own (or former) employer. Vault averaged the prestige scores for each firm and ranked them in order.
- Related article: 13 is Not an Unlucky Number For PwC
With a score of 8.906, the most prestigious accounting firm is PwC, which was also named the best firm in public accounting to work for in 2026 by Vault in a separate ranking released yesterday.
Being the most prestigious accounting firm is nothing new to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Big Four firm has been named “most prestigious” 17 times in the 20-year history of Vault’s ranking. Deloitte led all firms in prestige in 2024 and 2009, while Ernst & Young (EY) took the crown in 2007.
Why is PwC so prestigious? Here’s what Vault had to say:
PwC is ideally looking for hardworking, technically sound candidates with a questioning mindset and solid critical-thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills. For students, the firm runs a valuable internship program, offering interns hands-on experience, the ability to network with other interns and senior professionals, and, during winter internships, a good look at what a busy season actually looks like. For its full-time professionals, PwC offers extensive growth and learning opportunities, including numerous trainings, the ability to rotate through different departments, clear promotion paths, and more.
Although long hours are typically required during the busy tax season, it’s very possible to achieve a healthy work/life balance outside that time. This is in large part due to the schedule flexibility that PwC offers. According to PwC insiders, this flexibility allows you to prioritize family and other personal commitments outside of work. With respect to compensation, the majority of insiders say that pay, although market rate, could be higher given the number of hours they work. On the other hand, benefits are said to be very generous. In addition, there are many wellness offerings, including access to free counseling, mental health coaches, meditation apps, and more.
As for the firm’s culture, it is very inclusive, and PwC’s workforce is very diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ status, military veterans, and individuals with disabilities. However, insiders note that while there are many women at the entry levels, there are relatively fewer women at the senior and leadership levels. With respect to PwC’s business outlook, although there are some concerns among staff around the uncertainty of the economy, changing government policies, and high turnover, insiders say the firm will continue to grow and they’re generally confident that the new leadership team will steer PwC in the right direction.
Based on the results of the survey, here are Vault’s 50 most prestigious accounting firms for 2026:
- PwC
- Deloitte
- EY
- KPMG
- Grant Thornton
- BDO USA
- RSM US
- Baker Tilly
- Crowe
- CohnReznick
- Moss Adams
- CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)
- Forvis Mazars
- EisnerAmper
- CBIZ
- Plante Moran
- Citrin Cooperman
- Cherry Bekaert
- Eide Bailly
- Armanino
- Withum
- Wipfli
- PKF O’Connor Davies
- UHY
- Elliott Davis
- Aprio
- Weaver
- Cohen & Co.
- RubinBrown
- CRI (Carr, Riggs & Ingram)
- Novogradac & Co.
- Grassi
- Whitley Penn
- Anchin
- BPM
- Bennett Thrasher
- Sikich
- Frazier & Deeter
- Frank, Rimerman + Co.
- Anders
- Baker Newman Noyes
- HCVT
- SingerLewak
- Wolf & Co.
- Warren Averett
- Wiss & Co.
- Prager Metis
- Schneider Downs
- HBK
- KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller)
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