Virginia has offered a bachelor's plus two years route since January 1, 2026. You now have three paths to a license. A master's degree needs one year of experience. A bachelor's plus 30 credit hours also needs one year. A bachelor's alone needs two years.
An actively licensed CPA verifies your experience directly to the board. You'll also finish an ethics course and score 90% or better. If you applied before January 1, 2026, you can ask for a re-review under a new pathway.
Check the Virginia Board of Accountancy before you apply.
How to Get a CPA License in Virginia
Every route also asks you to pass the Uniform CPA Exam. Here's how the education and experience fit together in Virginia.
| Route | Education | Experience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate degree plus 1 year | A master's degree | 1 year | In effect |
| Bachelor's plus 30 hours | A bachelor's degree plus 30 credit hours | 1 year | In effect |
| Bachelor's plus 2 years | A bachelor's degree | 2 years | In effect since January 1, 2026 |
Education to Sit for the CPA Exam in Virginia
You need a bachelor's degree or higher with an accounting concentration or the equivalent. That includes 24 semester hours of accounting and 24 hours of business.
Coursework: 24 semester hours of accounting (including accounting information systems, auditing, financial accounting and taxation) and 24 semester hours of business, to sit for the exam. No more than 6 hours of accepted upper-level accounting can count toward the business hours.
Ethics Exam
You must complete the self-study ethics course from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants with a score of 90% or better.
What Changed Recently
The bachelor's plus two years pathway became available for applications on January 1, 2026.
What Accountants Earn in Virginia
Accountants and auditors in Virginia earned a median of $93,290 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $74,250 and $123,510. About 47,100 people held these jobs in the state.
Accounting Programs in Virginia
5 programs on our main rankings are based in Virginia. A degree from a school in the state is often the simplest way to match the board's coursework rules.
- James Madison University, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: #15 of 100 bachelor's accounting programs
- Old Dominion University, Accounting (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration): #24 of 100 bachelor's accounting programs
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting and Business Analysis: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- George Mason University, Bachelor of Science in Business with Accounting Concentration: one of our 100 best bachelor's accounting programs
- George Mason University, Master of Science in Accounting: #1 of 50 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 Virginia stand on the bachelor's-plus-experience route.
- Kentucky CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since July 15, 2026
- Maryland CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since October 1, 2026
- North Carolina CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since January 1, 2026
- Tennessee CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since January 1, 2026
- West Virginia CPA requirements: bachelor's route in effect since May 24, 2026
- District of Columbia CPA requirements: bachelor's route scheduled
Check With the Virginia 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.