Retraining ReportJob training public funding can pay for

Find training

Accounting and bookkeeping classes in San Francisco, California

13 accounting and bookkeeping programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

8 schools offer these accounting and bookkeeping programs with classes in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

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

In San Francisco, 4 of the 13 programs take students without a high school diploma, 8 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 13 programs here are bookkeeping certificate or course (7 programs), accounting certificate (4 programs) and QuickBooks and accounting software (2 programs).

See the 13 programs

All 146 accounting and bookkeeping programs in California, including online programs

How much do accounting and bookkeeping classes cost in San Francisco?

$598 to $2,000 is what most accounting and bookkeeping programs in San Francisco cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 13 programs with a price. All of them: $315 to $10,000

In the typical program

Finished the program
78%
Working 6 months later
94%
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
16 to 30 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in San Francisco may also offer accounting and bookkeeping classes. How these figures are made

Are there free accounting and bookkeeping classes in San Francisco?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 13 accounting and bookkeeping programs in San Francisco approved for WIOA funding

Filters
What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
How it's taught
How to show the list

13 programs

  • Accounting certificateHybridNo diploma needed

    Certificate of Achievement in Applied Accounting, Occupational

    College of Marin

    Greenbrae

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    College of Marin, GreenbraeAccounting certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,058
    Program website, Certificate of Achievement in Applied Accounting, Occupational at College of Marin
    More details about Certificate of Achievement in Applied Accounting, Occupational at College of Marin
    Finished
    67%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    17 weeks, 12 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,295
    Students counted
    767
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,058
    Program website, Certificate of Achievement in Applied Accounting, Occupational at College of Marin

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseHybridNo diploma needed

    Bookkeeper

    Martinez Adult Education

    Martinez

    No diploma needed

    Martinez Adult Education, MartinezBookkeeping certificate or courseHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedLeft out
    Price if you pay yourself$900

    18 students trained with WIOA funding

    More details about Bookkeeper at Martinez Adult Education
    Finished
    45%
    Working at 6 months
    94%
    Earned in a quarter
    Left out
    Length
    36 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $625
    Students counted
    76
    Earned a year, estimated
    Left out
    Price if you pay yourself
    $900
    students trained with WIOA funding
    18

  • QuickBooks and accounting softwareIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Computerized Accounting

    Softtech

    Richmond

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Softtech, RichmondQuickBooks and accounting softwareIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$22,800
    Price if you pay yourself$10,000
    More details about Computerized Accounting at Softtech
    Finished
    88%
    Working at 6 months
    60%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,710
    Length
    52 weeks, 5 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    27
    Earned a year, estimated
    $22,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,000

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Accounting Assistant

    Liberty Adult Education

    Brentwood

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Liberty Adult Education, BrentwoodBookkeeping certificate or courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$23,600
    Price if you pay yourself$2,000

    6 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Accounting Assistant at Liberty Adult Education
    More details about Accounting Assistant at Liberty Adult Education
    Finished
    32%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,900
    Length
    30 weeks, 50 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $880
    Students counted
    24
    Earned a year, estimated
    $23,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,000
    students trained with WIOA funding
    6
    Program website, Accounting Assistant at Liberty Adult Education

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseHybridNo diploma needed

    Accounting Clerk

    Martinez Adult Education

    Martinez

    No diploma needed

    Martinez Adult Education, MartinezBookkeeping certificate or courseHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$42,600
    Price if you pay yourself$450

    6 students trained with WIOA funding

    More details about Accounting Clerk at Martinez Adult Education
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,646
    Length
    18 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $455
    Students counted
    22
    Earned a year, estimated
    $42,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $450
    students trained with WIOA funding
    6

  • QuickBooks and accounting softwareHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    MS Office Professional and Quickbooks for Accounting

    Amfasoft

    Fremont

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Amfasoft, FremontQuickBooks and accounting softwareHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$62,400
    Price if you pay yourself$5,325

    9 students trained with WIOA funding

    School website, MS Office Professional and Quickbooks for Accounting at Amfasoft
    More details about MS Office Professional and Quickbooks for Accounting at Amfasoft
    Finished
    94%
    Working at 6 months
    59%
    Earned in a quarter
    $15,600
    Length
    10 weeks, 20 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $375
    Students counted
    16
    Earned a year, estimated
    $62,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $5,325
    students trained with WIOA funding
    9
    School website, MS Office Professional and Quickbooks for Accounting at Amfasoft

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseIn personNo diploma needed

    Business Worker- Accounting/Bookkeeping/QuickBook Pro Certificate

    West Contra Costa Adult Educat

    Richmond

    No diploma needed

    West Contra Costa Adult Educat, RichmondBookkeeping certificate or courseIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$315
    School website, Business Worker- Accounting/Bookkeeping/QuickBook Pro Certificate at West Contra Costa Adult Educat
    More details about Business Worker- Accounting/Bookkeeping/QuickBook Pro Certificate at West Contra Costa Adult Educat
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    14 weeks, 28 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    51
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $315
    School website, Business Worker- Accounting/Bookkeeping/QuickBook Pro Certificate at West Contra Costa Adult Educat

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    BUSAC: Bookkeeping Certificate

    Diablo Valley College

    Pleasant Hill

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Diablo Valley College, Pleasant HillBookkeeping certificate or course · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$576
    Program website, BUSAC: Bookkeeping Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    More details about BUSAC: Bookkeeping Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $733
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $576
    Program website, BUSAC: Bookkeeping Certificate at Diablo Valley College

  • Accounting certificateHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    BUSAC; General Accounting Certificate

    Diablo Valley College

    Pleasant Hill

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Diablo Valley College, Pleasant HillAccounting certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$598
    Program website, BUSAC; General Accounting Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    More details about BUSAC; General Accounting Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $758
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $598
    Program website, BUSAC; General Accounting Certificate at Diablo Valley College

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseHybridPrerequisite courses

    Cert. of Achievement Accounting Technician

    Contra Costa College

    San Pablo

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Contra Costa College, San PabloBookkeeping certificate or course · Accredited schoolHybrid · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,127
    School website, Cert. of Achievement Accounting Technician at Contra Costa College
    More details about Cert. of Achievement Accounting Technician at Contra Costa College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 14 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,450
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,127
    School website, Cert. of Achievement Accounting Technician at Contra Costa College

  • Accounting certificateHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Accounting Advanced Certificate

    Diablo Valley College

    Pleasant Hill

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Diablo Valley College, Pleasant HillAccounting certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,288
    School website, Accounting Advanced Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    More details about Accounting Advanced Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 50 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,000
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,288
    School website, Accounting Advanced Certificate at Diablo Valley College

  • Accounting certificateHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    BUSAC: Advanced Accounting Certificate

    Diablo Valley College

    Pleasant Hill

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Diablo Valley College, Pleasant HillAccounting certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,288
    Program website, BUSAC: Advanced Accounting Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    More details about BUSAC: Advanced Accounting Certificate at Diablo Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,219
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,288
    Program website, BUSAC: Advanced Accounting Certificate at Diablo Valley College

  • Bookkeeping certificate or courseHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Computerized Accounting and Bookkeeping and MS Office Professional

    Amfasoft

    Fremont

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Amfasoft, FremontBookkeeping certificate or courseHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$6,000
    School website, Computerized Accounting and Bookkeeping and MS Office Professional at Amfasoft
    More details about Computerized Accounting and Bookkeeping and MS Office Professional at Amfasoft
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    14 weeks, 20 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $300
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,000
    School website, Computerized Accounting and Bookkeeping and MS Office Professional at Amfasoft

How to pay for accounting and bookkeeping classes in San Francisco

WIOA funding can pay for accounting and bookkeeping classes in San Francisco

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for accounting and bookkeeping classes

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for accounting and bookkeeping classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in San Francisco

How accounting and bookkeeping classes compare with the rest of business and office work across California: Business and office training in California

Where the San Francisco accounting and bookkeeping program numbers come from

Which San Francisco accounting and bookkeeping programs are on this list?

These are the accounting and bookkeeping programs with classes in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area that are approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Online programs are left out here; they are on the California page. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what the area offers.

How the prices and results of San Francisco accounting and bookkeeping programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about accounting and bookkeeping classes in San Francisco

Show the 10 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 Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. 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