Vault's Top 25 Accounting Firms

The first firm you join can define your early career. From the outside, it’s not always clear what truly sets these workplaces apart from one another. For students trying to understand which firms truly invest in their people and what those early years feel like, credible and data‑driven insight can make a huge difference.

This year’s Vault Accounting 25 ranking have the inside scoop. Vault received responses from 8,000 accounting professionals and considered any accounting firm that received several survey responses.

Prestige gets the biggest slice at 35%, while 20% goes to firm culture. Satisfaction, Compensation, and Work/Life Balance each account for 10%. The remaining 15% is divvyed out equally between Business Outlook, Formal Training, and Informal Training. Vault also releases a standalone Most Prestigious Accounting Firms ranking — with PwC, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young LLP taking the top three spots for 2027.

That’s the prestige picture, but the broader view comes from the full weighted methodology. Here’s how firms landed in the overall Vault Accounting 25.

THE TOP 25 ACCOUNTING FIRMS TO WORK FOR

2027 Rank	2026 Rank	Firm	Index Score
1	1	PwC	8.434
2	2	Ernst & Young LLP	8.11
3	3	KPMG LLP	8.057
4	4	Plante Moran	7.657
5	5	BDO USA	7.387
6	7	Baker Tilly	7.2
7	6	CohnReznick	7.139
8	9	PKF O’Connor Davies	7.077
9	8	RSM US LLP	7.067
10	11	Eide Bailly LLP	6.983
11	21	Aprio	6.868
12	16	Withum	6.847
13	13	Whitley Penn	6.825
14	22	Calibre CPA Group	6.697
15	10	CBIZ	6.65
15	19	Cg, a Springline company	6.65
17	Not Ranked	Keiter CPAs	6.555
18	14	HCVT	6.545
19	20	KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller)	6.541
20	25	Cherry Bekaert Advisory, LLC	6.528
21	15	Grassi	6.52
22	17	Schellman Compliance, LLC	6.51
23	Not Ranked	Schneider Downs & Co., Inc.	6.466
24	23	Frazier & Deeter	6.444
25	Not Ranked	Schulman Lobel Advisors, LLC	6.32

A LOOK INSIDE THE TOP 3

You’ll find PwC in the front of the pack. PwC has a reputation for offering their employees structure with genuine flexibility. Employees here said the company provides them with clear promotion paths, strong coaching, and a culture that trusts people to manage their work responsibly.

One PwC employee said, “Most people within the firm have adopted the ‘be well, work well’ mindset. As long as you can get your work done and take responsibility for your workload, you can work however you please. There is very little micromanaging that I have experienced. Busy season can be a tough stretch simply because of the hours, but that is expected. Employees generally know what they are getting into when they apply for a job at PwC.”

Ernst & Young LLP (EY) took second place, recognized for its deep commitment to development. Employees here say that mentoring, training, global exposure, and hands‑on learning are woven into early roles. On Vault, one Ernst & Young employee surveyed framed it this way. “[There is a] tremendous amount of flexibility at the higher ranks within the firm, and a reasonable amount of flexibility at the early career ranks considering the level of experience and needs of the business.”

In third this year was KPMG LLP. Employees here say that leadership supports their mobility across roles, locations, and practice areas. This firm values wellness, inclusion, and community, with policies like flexible schedules, unlimited PTO, and generous parental leave. One employee said that at KPMG LLP, they have “Flexible days, alternative work arrangements, unlimited PTO, amazing parental leave policies.”

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