In the 16 years that Vault has ranked public accounting firms by prestige, only three firms have taken the title of “most prestigious”: EY (2007), Deloitte (2009), and PwC (2008; 2010-current). With the release of Vault’s 2022 Accounting 50 last week, that’s 13 straight years now that PwC has been viewed by accountants as the most prestigious accounting firm in the U.S.

We’ve kinda run out of things to analyze, critique, and pontificate regarding PwC’s run of prestige through the years. Although here’s something: a synonym of “prestige” is “trustworthiness,” and PwC recently whipped out its prestige and smacked the other Big 4 firms in the face with it by calling its audit/assurance service line Trust Solutions (or something with the word “trust” in it). That takes some balls.

PwC’s prestige score of 8.880 out of 10 in 2022 is the highest ever in the history of Vault’s prestige ranking.

The top 11 firms are exactly the same as 2021’s prestige ranking. Here’s how the rest of the top 50 shook out:

1. PwC (1)
2. Deloitte (2)
3. EY (3)
4. KPMG (4)
5. Grant Thornton (5)
6. BDO USA (6)
7. RSM US (7)
8. Baker Tilly (8)
9. Crowe (9)
10. Moss Adams (10)
11. CohnReznick (11)
12. CliftonLarsonAllen (13)
13. BKD (12)
14. EisnerAmper (17)
15. Marcum (16)
16. Plante Moran (14)
17. Dixon Hughes Goodman (15)
18. CBIZ MHM (18)
19. Mazars USA (20)
20. Cherry Bekaert (19)
21. Citrin Cooperman (24)
22. Eide Bailly (21)
23. Friedman (26)
24. Withum (29)
25. Armanino (22)
26. Wipfli (23)
27. RubinBrown (28)
28. UHY Advisors (25)
29. Cohen & Co. (30)
30. The Siegfried Group (27)
31. PKF O’Connor Davies (31)
32. Squar Milner (50)
33. Marks Paneth (34)
34. Elliott Davis (33)
35. Blumshapiro (32)
36. Berdon (38)
37. Anchin (36)
38. Grassi & Co. (40)
39. Bennett Thrasher (42)
40. Carr, Riggs & Ingram (35)
41. Novogradac & Co. (37)
42. Sikich (46)
43. BPM (39)
44. The Bonadio Group (41)
45. Whitley Penn (43)
46. Aronson (49)
47. Frazier & Deeter (45)
48. Frank Rimerman + Co. (43)
49. Doeren Mayhew (48)
50. Baker Newman Noyes (NR)

So if you’re a prestige whore, here are your firms of choice. Sound about right? If not, discuss.

Related article:

Vault Accounting 50: PwC Remains No. 1; Top 5 SALY (2022)

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