Texas opened a second route to the CPA license on August 1, 2026. Pathway A still needs a bachelor's or graduate degree, 150 semester hours, and one year of experience. Pathway B needs a bachelor's, 120 semester hours, and two years of experience.
Under Pathway B, the experience is non-routine accounting work. A licensed CPA in good standing must supervise it. If you're finishing a bachelor's, Pathway B asks for 30 fewer semester hours than Pathway A. Read the certification requirements at the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy before you plan your coursework.
How to Get a CPA License in Texas
Every route also asks you to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Here's how the education and experience fit together in Texas.
| Route | Education | Experience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150-hour route (Pathway A) | A bachelor's or graduate degree with 150 semester hours | 1 year | In effect |
| Bachelor's plus 2 years (Pathway B) | A bachelor's degree with 120 semester hours | 2 years of non-routine accounting work supervised by a licensed CPA in good standing | In effect since August 1, 2026 |
Education to Sit for the CPA Exam in Texas
You need a bachelor's or graduate degree with 120 semester hours. That includes 24 hours of upper-level accounting and 21 hours of upper-level business.
Coursework: 24 upper-level accounting semester hours (up from 21 on August 1, 2026) and 21 upper-level business semester hours, to sit for the exam.
Ethics Exam
Texas asks for a Board-approved 3-semester-hour ethics course before certification. No ethics exam is listed.
What Changed Recently
Pathway B, with 120 hours and two years of experience, became effective August 1, 2026.
What Accountants Earn in Texas
Accountants and auditors in Texas earned a median of $80,920 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $65,560 and $103,760. About 116,470 people held these jobs in the state.
Accounting Programs in Texas
9 programs on our main rankings are based in Texas. A degree from a school in the state is often the simplest way to match the board's coursework rules.
- University of Houston, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting: #1 of 100 bachelor's accounting programs
- Texas A&M University-College Station, Accounting - 5-Year Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Financial Management: #12 of 100 bachelor's accounting programs
- Texas Tech University, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- The University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- University of North Texas, Accounting Bachelor of Business Administration: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Texas State University, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- Texas A&M University-College Station, Master of Science in Accounting: #11 of 50 master's accounting programs
- University of North Texas, Master of Science in Accounting (Audit and Data Analytics concentration): one of our 50 best master's accounting programs
- The University of Texas at Austin, Master of Professional Accountancy: one of our 50 best master's accounting programs
See every program we rank in the state on our Texas 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 Texas stand on the bachelor's-plus-experience route.
- Arkansas CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since March 5, 2026
- Louisiana CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since August 1, 2026
- New Mexico CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since January 1, 2026
- Oklahoma CPA requirements: bachelor's route starts November 1, 2026
Check With the Texas State Board of Public 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.