If you need online accounting courses to reach 150 hours, fill a missing requirement, or qualify to sit for the CPA exam, you have more options than you might think. The hard part is that they are not all built for the same purpose. Some are full degree programs, some are certificates, and some are self-paced individual courses you can finish on your own schedule. The right choice depends on how many credits you need, how much flexibility you want, and, most importantly, whether your state board will accept the credit.

Below are the five best online accounting course options, starting with the one best suited to CPA candidates who need to fill credits quickly, affordably, and on their own terms.

1. CPA Credits (Best Overall for CPA Candidates)

CPA Credits is built for one job: helping you earn the exact accounting, business, and elective credits you need for CPA eligibility, without enrolling in a full degree. That focus is what puts it at the top of this list.

Courses are delivered through Upper Iowa University, which is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, so the credit is the kind state boards look for. Every course is worth three credits, fully online, and genuinely self-paced, with new courses starting on the first of each month and no fixed semester schedule to work around. There are no prerequisites to enroll, so you can take just the one or two courses you actually need.

What sets it apart from a single-university program is breadth. Whatever your transcript is missing, upper-level accounting, business, or general electives to top off your total hours, you can find it in one catalog. On top of the courses, CPA Credits offers a transcript and NASBA evaluation review to help you figure out exactly what you still need, and a credit gap calculator that maps your requirement by state. It is also affordable relative to degree programs and even many community colleges; Becker, one of the largest CPA review providers, points candidates to CPA Credits and notes its rates are often more affordable than most colleges.

Best for: CPA candidates who need flexible, accredited, board-accepted individual courses to reach 150 or fill specific requirements.

Worth knowing: This is a course provider for earning credit, not a CPA exam review course. Pair it with a review provider when you are ready to study for the exam.

Start with the free transcript evaluation to see what you need, then browse the self-paced catalog.

2. Community College Online Accounting Courses

Accredited community colleges remain one of the most affordable ways to pick up accounting and general credits online. Per-credit tuition is often low, the credit is regionally accredited, and many colleges offer online sections you can take without committing to a degree.

Best for: Budget-conscious candidates who need general or lower-division credits to reach a total-hour requirement.

Worth knowing: Two catches. First, availability and enrollment can be clunky, with term-based schedules and admissions steps. Second, some state boards restrict where core, upper-level accounting and audit courses can be taken, and may not accept community college credit for those specific requirements (New York is a well-known example). Community college is often better for filling general or business credits than for upper-level accounting, so check your board’s rules first.

3. Online Post-Baccalaureate Accounting Certificate

Many regionally accredited universities offer online post-baccalaureate certificates in accounting, designed for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree and need to add accounting coursework. These package a set of undergraduate accounting courses into a structured, credit-bearing certificate.

Best for: Career changers and non-accounting majors who need a foundation of accounting courses and like the structure of a defined program.

Worth knowing: A certificate is a bigger commitment than a few individual courses, often with a set course sequence, admissions requirements, and start dates. If you only need a handful of specific credits, it can be more program than the situation calls for. If you need a broad set of accounting courses and want the structure, it is a solid path.

4. Southern New Hampshire University Online CPA Certificates

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) offers online graduate CPA certificates that align with the discipline areas of the CPA exam, and they can stack toward a master’s in accounting. SNHU is regionally accredited by NECHE, and the certificate route can help you build toward the 150-hour requirement while also earning a graduate-level credential.

Best for: Candidates who want a recognized graduate certificate, or a stepping stone toward a master’s, rather than just loose credits.

Worth knowing: Graduate certificates are a larger investment of time and money than individual courses, and they are aimed at graduate-level study. If you only need a few undergraduate accounting or business credits, this is likely more than you need. If you want the credential, it is a strong option.

5. Online Master’s in Accounting

An online master’s in accounting, whether an MAcc or an MBA with an accounting concentration, is the most comprehensive option on this list. Because most programs run around 30 credits, a master’s can close the entire gap between a bachelor’s degree and the 150-hour requirement in one move, while adding a graduate degree to your resume.

Best for: Candidates who want the degree itself, not just the credits, and who plan to reach 150 and level up their credentials at the same time.

Worth knowing: This is the biggest commitment in both time and cost, typically a one-to-two year program with tuition well beyond a handful of courses. It is the right call if you want the master’s. It is overkill if you are only a few credits short.

How to choose the right option

Work backward from your state board, not from price. The cheapest course is worthless if your board will not accept it, so the first question is always whether the credit is regionally accredited and whether it satisfies the specific requirement you are filling. Be wary of low-cost platforms that offer only ACE-recommended credit rather than regionally accredited college credit, since many state boards do not accept it toward CPA requirements.

From there it comes down to fit. If you want a full graduate degree, a master’s makes sense. If you want a structured certificate, the post-baccalaureate or graduate certificate routes fit well. If you mainly need general credits and your board is flexible, a community college can be economical. And if you need to fill specific accounting, business, or elective credits with maximum flexibility and minimum friction, individual self-paced courses are the most direct route.

For most CPA candidates in that last group, which is most candidates, CPA Credits is the option built exactly for the job: accredited, board-accepted, self-paced, and focused on getting you to 150 without a detour through a degree you do not need.

Run your numbers through the credit gap calculator to see your fastest path, or browse the course catalog to get started.

CPA education requirements vary by state and are changing quickly, and credit acceptance depends on your state board and your individual evaluation. Confirm current requirements and course acceptance with your state board before enrolling. Program details and pricing for the providers above are subject to change; verify current information on each provider’s site.