Surgent vs Universal CPA Review:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Surgent had more branded searches than Universal CPA Review among CPA review courses in the United States. Surgent had about 1,000 branded searches, while Universal CPA Review had 720. Surgent made up 3% of all CPA review course searches we track, and Universal CPA Review accounted for 2.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about CPA review courses, Surgent and Universal CPA Review each appeared in two of the five answers. Surgent was mentioned before Universal CPA Review in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Surgent, about 39% more searches than Universal CPA Review
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Surgent, named ahead of Universal CPA Review in 2 of 2 answers
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Top CPA review courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Surgent and Universal CPA Review were each mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Surgent was listed before Universal CPA Review in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Becker5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
NINJA CPA Review5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Gleim5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
UWorld4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Surgent2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Universal CPA Review2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Wiley CPAexcel0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Maxwell CPA Review0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about CPA review courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best CPA review course?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which CPA review course is best for working full time?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest way to study for the CPA exam?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cpa review course”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cpa exam prep”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.
Is Surgent or Universal CPA Review more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Surgent and Universal CPA Review by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight CPA review course brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Surgent, Universal CPA Review. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Becker | NINJA CPA Review | UWorld | Gleim | Surgent | Universal CPA Review | Wiley CPAexcel | Maxwell CPA Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 60% | 17.9% | 6.6% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 0.56% |
| Nov 2025 | 59.1% | 17.6% | 7.5% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.46% |
| Dec 2025 | 61.3% | 14.9% | 7.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 3% | 2% | 0.58% |
| Jan 2026 | 64.1% | 15.6% | 6.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 0.75% |
| Feb 2026 | 61.5% | 15% | 7.8% | 5.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 0.58% |
| Mar 2026 | 64.5% | 15.7% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 0.75% |
| Apr 2026 | 60.6% | 18.1% | 7.3% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.7% |
| May 2026 | 64.8% | 15.8% | 6.4% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.61% |
| Jun 2026 | 65.6% | 15.9% | 6.4% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.62% |
| Jul 2026 | 66.6% | 16.2% | 6.5% | 3% | 3% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.78% |
| Aug 2026 | 65.3% | 15.9% | 7.3% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.62% |
| Sep 2026 | 66% | 16.1% | 6.5% | 4.8% | 3% | 2.1% | 0.95% | 0.62% |
How has the Surgent and Universal CPA Review comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Surgent was ahead of Universal CPA Review in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Surgent’s share of searches among CPA review courses in the United States moved from 4.3% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3K to 1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Universal CPA Review’s share of searches among CPA review courses in the United States moved from 2.9% to 2.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 880 to 720.
How did search popularity change for United States CPA review courses in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Surgent lost share of searches among CPA review courses in the United States, from 3.8% to 3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Universal CPA Review in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 880 to 720 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Surgent’s and Universal CPA Review’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Surgent
1 branded search term
- surgent cpa
Universal CPA Review
1 branded search term
- universal cpa
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