PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accountancy company, has hired 20 new graduates for its office in Newcastle.
The new employees, many of whom are studying for the Association of Chartered Accountants qualification, will join the firm's tax, assurance, risk assurance services and public sector departments.
Local universities including Durham University, the University of Newcastle and Northumbria University, supplied more than half of the graduates.
PWC has been named as the leading graduate employer six years in a row in The Times.
Senior partner at PwC LLP in Newcastle, Paul Woolston, said the new graduates would be "a welcome addition to a very strong and committed team here in Newcastle".
He added: "PwC believes in fostering and retaining the region's graduates along with supporting the local community, this will help to further strengthen our practice and our local expertise which, in turn, benefits our clients.
"I'm delighted to welcome them to our Newcastle office and wish them all the best with their careers at the firm."
