Iowa added a 120-hour route on July 1, 2026. You can now license with at least 120 semester hours, a degree, and 2 years of experience. The 150-hour route still works, and it needs 1 year.
Your degree must be a bachelor's or higher with a concentration in accounting. Experience can come from government, industry, academia or the public sector, and you verify it yourself. If you're finishing a bachelor's, contact the Iowa Accountancy Examining Board to confirm which courses count toward your accounting concentration.
How to Get a CPA License in Iowa
Every route also asks you to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Here's how the education and experience fit together in Iowa.
| Route | Education | Experience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150-hour route | At least 150 semester hours and a bachelor's degree or higher with an accounting concentration | 1 year | In effect |
| Bachelor's plus 2 years | At least 120 semester hours and a bachelor's degree or higher with an accounting concentration | 2 years | In effect since July 1, 2026 |
Education to Sit for the CPA Exam in Iowa
Iowa lists four ways to sit. The simplest is a bachelor's degree in business or accounting plus at least 24 semester hours of accounting. Other routes use a graduate degree, or any bachelor's with 24 accounting and 24 business hours.
Coursework: 24 semester hours of accounting for exam eligibility, according to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. That includes a course each in financial accounting, auditing, taxation and management accounting.
Ethics Exam
You must pass an ethics exam before the board issues your certificate. The board accepts the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Professional Ethics comprehensive course with a minimum grade of 90.
What Changed Recently
House File 778, signed May 1, 2025, took effect July 1, 2026. It adds the 120-hour route with 2 years of experience. It also lets you verify your own experience.
What Accountants Earn in Iowa
Accountants and auditors in Iowa earned a median of $77,440 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $62,090 and $98,150. About 13,210 people held these jobs in the state.
Accounting Programs in Iowa
One program on our main rankings is based in Iowa. A degree from a school in the state is often the simplest way to match the board's coursework rules.
- University of Iowa, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
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 Iowa stand on the bachelor's-plus-experience route.
- Illinois CPA requirements: bachelor's route starts January 1, 2027
- Minnesota CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since January 1, 2026
- Missouri CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since August 28, 2026
- Nebraska CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 17, 2026
- South Dakota CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 1, 2026
- Wisconsin CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect
Check With the Iowa Accountancy Examining Board
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.