PocketCPA

The cheapest way to become a CPA

The cheapest way to become a CPA is to qualify for licensure without the 150-hour fifth year, not to pick a cheaper state to test in. The CPA exam fee is $262.64 per section in all 55 US jurisdictions because it is a national NASBA fee, and the total spread between the cheapest and most expensive jurisdiction is only $285 once application and evaluation fees are included. A fifth year of university tuition costs far more than that difference. Last reviewed 2026-08-10.

Is the CPA exam cheaper in some states than others?

The CPA exam costs $262.64 per section everywhere in the United States. That figure is set nationally by NASBA, not by the state board, so no jurisdiction offers a cheaper exam. States differ only in their application and education evaluation fees.

How much does it cost to take all four CPA exam sections?

Taking all four CPA exam sections costs $1,050.56 in section fees, plus a state application fee and, in most jurisdictions, an education evaluation fee. Totals run from $1,085.56 in Texas to $1,370.56 in Illinois. These are board and NASBA fees only. They exclude review courses, re-take fees, and the cost of the education itself.

Which jurisdictions have the lowest total CPA exam fees?

And the highest:

Ranked on four section fees plus application and education evaluation fees. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, US Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are excluded from this ranking because their boards do not publish every fee, and counting a missing fee as zero would rank them artificially cheap.

Can you become a CPA without 150 credit hours?

40 of the 55 US jurisdictions now describe a licensure route that does not require 150 semester hours, typically a bachelor's degree plus two years of experience instead of the traditional 150 hours plus one year. This is the result of a wave of 2025 and 2026 state legislation. Because a fifth year of tuition dwarfs every exam fee, this pathway is the single largest cost lever in becoming a CPA.

This count is read from each board's published notes in PocketCPA's jurisdiction data, not from a separately verified per-state field. Effective dates differ and several of these laws take effect during 2026. Confirm the pathway and its start date with the board before planning around it; every jurisdiction page below links its board directly.

What is the biggest cost in becoming a CPA?

After tuition, the review course is the largest controllable CPA cost: commonly $1,000 to $4,000, which is one to four times the $1,050.56 of exam section fees. The ethics exam adds roughly $245 to $320.

What is the total cost to become a CPA?

Becoming a CPA costs roughly $2,293 to $5,581 in fees and materials, covering application, four exam sections, a review course, the ethics exam and licensing. That range excludes university tuition, which is the largest cost of all for anyone completing a fifth year to reach 150 hours.

How much does the CPA exam cost outside the United States?

Testing outside the United States adds an international administration surcharge of about $390 per section, on top of the $262.64 section fee.

Studying for the CPA exam

PocketCPA covers all six CPA exam sections with 5,443 questions, each cited to the specific standard or statute it tests, and 1,012 lesson pages written from primary source text. A full-length FAR mock exam is free with no account.

CPA requirements by jurisdiction

Credit hours, fees, ethics and experience for every US jurisdiction are on the requirements index.