Connecticut added new routes on October 1, 2025. You can now get licensed with a bachelor's degree, a passing exam score, and two years of general experience. Two other routes need one year. One uses a postbaccalaureate degree with an accounting concentration.
The other adds 30 credit hours to a bachelor's. The rule to sit for the exam didn't change. You still need 120 credit hours, which means a bachelor's degree. If you're finishing a bachelor's, ask the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy which route fits.
How to Get a CPA License in Connecticut
Every route also asks you to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Here's how the education and experience fit together in Connecticut.
| Route | Education | Experience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate degree plus 1 year | Postbaccalaureate degree with an accounting concentration | One year of general experience | In effect since October 1, 2025 |
| 150-hour route | Bachelor's degree plus 30 additional credit hours | One year of general experience | In effect since October 1, 2025 |
| Bachelor's plus 2 years | Bachelor's degree | Two years of general experience | In effect since October 1, 2025 |
Education to Sit for the CPA Exam in Connecticut
You need 120 credit hours, which means a bachelor's degree. That requirement didn't change.
Coursework: 27 accounting hours and 24 business and economics hours, on the license application since October 1, 2025
Ethics Exam
You must pass the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Professional Ethics for CPAs self-study course and exam with a score of 90 percent or higher.
What Changed Recently
Public Act 25-36 (HB 7020) took effect October 1, 2025. It added the bachelor's plus two years route and the postbaccalaureate route.
What Accountants Earn in Connecticut
Accountants and auditors in Connecticut earned a median of $97,550 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $78,020 and $123,670. About 16,770 people held these jobs in the state.
Accounting Programs in Connecticut
8 programs on our main rankings are based in Connecticut. A degree from a school in the state is often the simplest way to match the board's coursework rules.
- Central Connecticut State University, Bachelor of Science in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Fairfield University, Bachelor of Science in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- University of Connecticut, Accounting (BS): one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Central Connecticut State University, Master of Science in Accounting: #5 of 50 master's accounting programs
- University of Connecticut, Master of Science in Accounting: #7 of 50 master's accounting programs
- University of Hartford, Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation: #13 of 50 master's accounting programs
- Fairfield University, Master of Science in Accounting: #24 of 50 master's accounting programs
- Sacred Heart University, Accounting: one of our 50 best master's accounting programs
See every program we rank in the state on our Connecticut accounting programs page.
CPA Requirements in Nearby States
Thinking about working across a state line, or studying in one state and licensing in another? Each state sets its own rules, so here's where the states near Connecticut stand on the bachelor's-plus-experience route.
- Massachusetts CPA requirements: bachelor's route proposed
- New York CPA requirements: bachelor's route starts November 21, 2026
- Rhode Island CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since June 23, 2026
Check With the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy
The board sets the rules and decides your application. We checked these requirements against official sources on October 12, 2026. Rules change, so confirm the details on the board's site before you apply.