Pennsylvania lets you sit for the exam with 120 semester credits. Act 27 of 2025 took effect June 30, 2025 and set three licensing routes. You can combine a bachelor's with 150 credits and one year of experience. Or you can use a bachelor's under 150 credits with 24 relevant credits and two years of experience.
Or you can combine a master's degree with one year. A licensed CPA must verify your experience. It must fall within 60 months before you apply. There's no ethics exam. If you're finishing a bachelor's, check the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy snapshot to compare routes.
How to Get a CPA License in Pennsylvania
Every route also asks you to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Here's how the education and experience fit together in Pennsylvania.
| Route | Education | Experience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150-hour route | A bachelor's degree and 150 credits, with 24 credits in accounting, auditing, business law, economics, technology, finance or tax, plus 12 more in accounting, auditing or tax. | 12 months or 1,600 hours, verified by a CPA. | In effect since June 30, 2025 |
| Bachelor's plus 2 years | A bachelor's degree with under 150 credits, including 24 relevant credits. | 24 months or 3,200 hours, verified by a CPA. | In effect since June 30, 2025 |
| Graduate degree plus 1 year | A master's or post-graduate degree. | 12 months or 1,600 hours, verified by a CPA. | In effect since June 30, 2025 |
Education to Sit for the CPA Exam in Pennsylvania
You need at least 120 semester credits of post-secondary education to sit for the exam.
Coursework: 24 credits in accounting, auditing, business law, economics, technology, finance or tax. The 150-credit route adds 12 more in accounting, auditing or tax.
Ethics Exam
Pennsylvania has no ethics exam. You complete 4 ethics credits within 80 hours of continuing professional education.
What Changed Recently
Act 27 of 2025 (SB 719) took effect June 30, 2025.
What Accountants Earn in Pennsylvania
Accountants and auditors in Pennsylvania earned a median of $79,000 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $62,330 and $99,990. About 54,290 people held these jobs in the state.
Accounting Programs in Pennsylvania
7 programs on our main rankings are based in Pennsylvania. A degree from a school in the state is often the simplest way to match the board's coursework rules.
- Temple University, Accounting: #16 of 100 bachelor's accounting programs
- Elizabethtown College, Bachelor of Science in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA): one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Pennsylvania State University-World Campus, Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Villanova University, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Bucknell University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting & Financial Management (Accounting): one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Lehigh University, Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
See every program we rank in the state on our Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania stand on the bachelor's-plus-experience route.
- Delaware CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 1, 2026
- Maryland CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since October 1, 2026
- New Jersey CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since February 11, 2026
- New York CPA requirements: bachelor's route starts November 21, 2026
- Ohio CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since January 1, 2026
- West Virginia CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since May 24, 2026
Check With the Pennsylvania 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.