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Accounting and bookkeeping classes by state

1,461 accounting and bookkeeping programs in 48 states and 2 territories, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved accounting and bookkeeping classes?

733 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a bookkeeper do, and how do you become one?

Bookkeeping and accounting clerks record and check financial data so an organization keeps complete, accurate books. Some employers want college classes or a degree in accounting, others hire people with a high school diploma and train them on the job; certification is not usually required.1 Anyone paid to prepare or help prepare federal tax returns needs a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from the IRS.2

PR4VI1
Approved programsup to 78 to 1617 to 40more than 40

How much do accounting and bookkeeping classes cost?

Most accounting and bookkeeping programs approved for WIOA funding cost $2,430 to $7,880 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $1,995 to $5,201 and two-year degrees $7,600 to $12,760. Prices also differ by state: most cost $1,064 to $10,130 in Colorado and $4,136 to $10,635 in Tennessee.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare accounting and bookkeeping classes by state: cost, pay and results

Accounting and bookkeeping classes by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alaska8$4,725 to $18,000about $42,60064%58%
Arizona19$2,378 to $5,848about $31,100100%37%
Arkansas12$4,464 to $10,562about $27,30058%42%
California146$1,050 to $4,828about $40,50059%73%
Colorado7$1,064 to $10,130Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Connecticut11$2,524 to $3,799Not enough dataNot enough data94%
Delaware8$2,449 to $13,562Not enough dataNot enough data90%
Florida46$2,446 to $3,810about $33,40073%60%
Georgia53$3,738 to $7,788about $33,00073%20%
Hawaii1Too few figures to show
Idaho4Not enough dataNot reportedLeft outNot enough data
Illinois81Left outNot enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
Indiana89$2,456 to $9,519about $35,00065%58%
Iowa32$3,793 to $12,866about $35,20080%31%
Kansas4Too few figures to show
Kentucky5Too few figures to show
Louisiana30$2,195 to $5,715Not enough dataLeft outLeft out
Maine20$486 to $2,375about $30,70068%80%
Maryland9$2,688 to $3,845about $33,90068%70%
Massachusetts40$2,750 to $7,358Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Michigan59$2,734 to $10,485about $36,30075%23%
Minnesota91$4,039 to $9,930about $32,70079%42%
Mississippi11$6,955 to $8,325Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
Missouri53$3,040 to $7,715Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Montana7Too few figures to show
Nebraska22$2,238 to $7,636about $35,70071%38%
Nevada19$2,001 to $3,856Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
New Hampshire34$700 to $5,715Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
New Jersey16$2,670 to $4,000Not reportedNot reportedNot enough data
New Mexico14$2,172 to $5,077about $44,10063%Left out
New York7$2,762 to $9,770Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
North Carolina29$3,380 to $5,320Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
North Dakota2Too few figures to show
Ohio67$2,795 to $10,781about $53,80076%39%
Oklahoma9$2,459 to $5,017Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Oregon16$4,320 to $11,434about $38,600100%Not enough data
Pennsylvania34$3,845 to $13,393Not enough dataLeft out72%
Puerto Rico4Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outLeft out
Rhode Island4Too few figures to show
South Dakota11$6,368 to $16,031Not enough dataLeft out68%
Tennessee20$4,136 to $10,635about $29,70080%50%
Texas120$2,969 to $7,110about $31,30069%57%
US Virgin Islands1Too few figures to show
Utah5$2,376 to $5,986Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Vermont1Too few figures to show
Virginia21$2,849 to $8,751Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Washington98$2,713 to $9,586about $36,50068%57%
West Virginia1Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Wisconsin51$2,231 to $9,566about $36,80078%54%
Wyoming9$2,195 to $9,360Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer accounting and bookkeeping classes too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Bookkeeping course or accounting degree? What the 1,461 programs are

By kind, the 1,461 programs approved for WIOA funding are bookkeeping certificate or course (572 programs), accounting (associate degree, 394 programs), accounting certificate (285 programs), QuickBooks and accounting software (116 programs), and 94 more of 3 other kinds.

Across the US, 525 of the 1,461 programs take students without a high school diploma, 801 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 133 ask for earlier courses first, 1 asks for an associate degree and 1 asks for a bachelor's degree.

Are there free accounting and bookkeeping classes in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the accounting and bookkeeping program numbers by state come from

Which accounting and bookkeeping programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).7 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about accounting and bookkeeping classes

Show the 7 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
  2. Internal Revenue Service: PTIN requirements for tax return preparers
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List