Public accounting firms hired a record 40,350 accounting graduates in 2012, up 21.1 percent from the 33,221 hired in 2010, according to the 2013 “Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits” report released today by the American Institute of CPAs. Eighty-nine percent of those firms forecast the same or increased hiring of graduates this year.

Signs look positive on the supply side as well. The report found record numbers of accounting graduates, as well as the highest number of enrollments in undergraduate and graduate accounting programs on record, indicating a strong pipeline of accounting talent.

Overall, the report showed a 19.7 percent increase in accounting graduates over the previous survey, with 82,177 accounting degrees awarded in the 2011-2012 school year. Both undergraduate and graduate degrees are at their highest level in the 40 years the AICPA has been conducting the survey. In addition, the 240,380 accounting enrollments for the 2011-2012 school year in both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs represent an all-time high.

The report is based on surveys of colleges and public accounting firms conducted between September 2012 and January 2013.