Missouri added a bachelor's route on August 28, 2026. You can now license with a bachelor's degree that includes required accounting coursework, plus 2 years of experience. The older routes still work and need 1 year. They are 150 semester hours, a bachelor's plus 30 hours, or a post-baccalaureate degree.
To sit for the exam, you need 120 hours with a bachelor's, including 24 accounting and 24 business hours. Missouri also requires an ethics exam. If you're finishing a bachelor's, check the Missouri State Board of Accountancy for the new route's course list.
How to Get a CPA License in Missouri
Every route also asks you to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Here's how the education and experience fit together in Missouri.
| Route | Education | Experience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150-hour route | 150 semester hours | 1 year | In effect |
| Bachelor's plus 30 hours | Bachelor's degree plus 30 hours | 1 year | In effect |
| Graduate degree plus 1 year | Post-baccalaureate degree | 1 year | In effect |
| Bachelor's plus 2 years | Bachelor's degree with required accounting coursework | 2 years | In effect since August 28, 2026 |
Education to Sit for the CPA Exam in Missouri
You need 120 semester hours with a bachelor's degree, including 24 hours of accounting and 24 of business.
Coursework: 24 semester hours of accounting and 24 of business to sit for the exam.
Ethics Exam
Missouri rules require an ethics exam.
What Changed Recently
SB 1233 took effect August 28, 2026. It adds a bachelor's route with required accounting coursework and 2 years of experience.
What Accountants Earn in Missouri
Accountants and auditors in Missouri earned a median of $76,590 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $60,370 and $99,580. About 28,000 people held these jobs in the state.
Accounting Programs in Missouri
4 programs on our main rankings are based in Missouri. A degree from a school in the state is often the simplest way to match the board's coursework rules.
- Missouri State University-Springfield, Bachelor of Science in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Northwest Missouri State University, Accounting - Public: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Southeast Missouri State University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Missouri State University-Springfield, Master of Accountancy: one of our 50 best master'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 Missouri stand on the bachelor's-plus-experience route.
- Arkansas CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since March 5, 2026
- Illinois CPA requirements: bachelor's route starts January 1, 2027
- Iowa CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 1, 2026
- Kansas CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since April 23, 2026
- Kentucky CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 15, 2026
- Nebraska CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 17, 2026
- Oklahoma CPA requirements: bachelor's route starts November 1, 2026
- Tennessee CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since January 1, 2026
Check With the Missouri 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.