Our Top Life Coach Certification Programs
- Best for Dual Life and Health Coaching: Health Coach Institute Dual Life and Health Coaching Certification
- Best for Group Classes: Coach Training Alliance
- Best for Quick Completion: Certified Life Coach Institute Life Coach Certification
- Best for Support After Graduation: Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching
- Best for Electives: Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification
Best Life Coaching Certification Programs of 2024
Best for Dual Life and Health Coaching
Health Coach Institute Dual Life and Health Coaching Certification
5.0
All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
- Program cost: One-time payment of $5,450 or 12 payments of $495.83
- Program length: About six months, committing five to six hours per week
- Specialty/focus: Health and life coaching
- Self-paced or scheduled: Self-paced
- Includes live lessons: No
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+; Trustpilot rating: 4.6 out of 5
On Health Coach Institute Website
Why We Picked It
Editor’s Take
Pros & Cons
Best for Group Classes
Coach Training Alliance
4.5
All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
- Program cost: $4,339
- Program length: Six months
- Specialty/focus: Life coaching
- Self-paced or scheduled: Both
- Includes live lessons: Yes
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+; Trustpilot rating: N/R
On Coach Training Alliance's Website
Why We Picked It
Editor’s Take
Pros & Cons
Best for Quick Completion
Certified Life Coach Institute Life Coach Certification
4.5
All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
- Program cost: $1,295 for Certified Life Coach (CLC), $2,495 to combine with the Master program
- Program length: 33 training hours for CLC, 37 training hours for Master program
- Specialty/focus: Life coaching
- Self-paced or scheduled: Scheduled
- Includes live lessons: Yes
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+; Trustpilot rating: N/R
Why We Picked It
Editor’s Take
Pros & Cons
Best for Support After Graduation
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching
3.9
All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
- Program cost: Option of one-time payment of $13,395, $4,665 payable over three months or $1,083 payable over 12 months with a $2,495 down payment
- Program length: 320+ hours, with the two phases taking a total of about one year
- Self-paced or scheduled: Both
- Specialty/focus: Life coaching with ability to include niche training in areas like health and wellness, executive coaching and more
- Includes live lessons: Yes
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+; Trustpilot rating: 4.7 out of 5
On iPEC's Website
Why We Picked It
Editor’s Take
Pros & Cons
Best for Electives
Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification
3.9
All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
- Program cost: $7,800 in full, or contact the school to establish a payment plan
- Program length: 130 hours, which includes 88 hours of required courses and 42 hours of electives
- Self-paced or scheduled: A combination of both self-paced and scheduled classes over the course of one-and-a-half to two years, depending on your schedule and how fast you can complete the required courses
- Specialty/focus: Life coaching with the chance to specialize through elective courses centered on topics such as wellness, grief, career and more
- Includes live lessons: Yes
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+; Trustpilot rating: N/R
Why We Picked It
Editor’s Take
Pros & Cons
Methodology: How We Picked the Best Life Coach Certification Programs of 2024
To determine the best life coach certification programs of 2024, we considered several factors including:
- Program cost (35%)
- Are payment plans available? (15%)
- For online programs, are there video/virtual learning sessions? (5%)
- Is instructor feedback on assignments available? (5%)
- Can users self-pace their program? (5%)
- Training available in specialized areas? (5%)
- Accredited by the International Coach Federation? (15%)
- Is there a learning community for users to interact with other life coaching students? (5%)
- BBB rating (2.5%)
- BBB complaints to reviews ratio (2.5%)
- Trustpilot rating (2.5%)
- Trustpilot # of reviews (2.5%)
We weighed the factors differently in our scoring based on what seemed most important in selecting a life coaching certification program.
What Is a Life Coach?
A life coach works with an individual to guide them in defining the ideal version of their life and help them work toward living it, often incorporating goals related to work-life balance, well-being, relationships and more.
Life coaching—and coaching in general—is a popular and growing profession. According to a 2020 survey conducted by the International Coaching Foundation (ICF), there were 71,000 coach practitioners globally in 2019, which is a 33% increase from 2015[1]2020 ICF Global Coaching Study: Executive Summary. International Coaching Federation. Accessed 3/8/2023. .
“A life coach is a professional who works with people to help them achieve personal and professional goals, improve their quality of life and overcome challenges,” says Sophie van het Erve, an IFC-certified life coach and founder of The 1 Reset. “They do so by providing a mirror, helping spot blindspots and creating action plans to achieve their goals.”
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What Educational and Professional Background Should a Life Coach Have?
There are no formal educational or professional background requirements for becoming a life coach, but a non-scientific survey conducted by Zippia, a company that provides online recruitment services, analyzed 5,835 life coach resumes and found that most coaches have completed some form of higher education: 55% of people held a bachelor’s degree, and 21% held a master’s degree. The most popular majors included psychology and business[2]Life Coach Education Requirements. Zippia. Accessed 3/8/2023. .
How to Become a Life Coach
Anyone can call themselves a life coach, but having a certification from an ICF-accredited program is a good idea for a few reasons.
“I would highly recommend going through a coaching program and/or working one-on-one with a certified coach, to not only determine whether this is truly what you want, but also so you can ground yourself in the reasons why,” says van het Erve.
Ultimately, she says, becoming a life coach is a big investment of money and time. “The journey to become a life coach is invigorating but can be a rollercoaster as well,” advises van het Erve. “If you know you want to sign up for a program, I would talk to people who have gone through it recently and attend the free webinars that most schools provide. While the ICF-accredited programs uphold the same standards, their approaches differ, and it’s important to find the right fit.”
How Much Does Life Coach Training Cost?
The cost of life coach training varies widely. Because you don’t officially need a certification to be a life coach, becoming a life coach is technically free. But if you’re going a more formal route, you can expect life coach training to cost between $2,500 and $12,000[3]How to Become a Certified Life Coach. Become. Accessed 3/8/2023. . The programs on our ranking range from $995 to $7,800.
How Long Does Life Coach Training Take?
The amount of time it takes to complete a life coach certification program varies depending on which program you choose. Some programs offer intensive training over the course of a few days, while others require a few hours of classes per week over several months, or even a few years.
Life Coach vs. Therapist: What Is the Difference?
The difference between a life coach and a therapist is an important distinction. Therapists need a bachelor’s degree and typically, a master’s degree in order to practice, while a life coach doesn’t technically need a certification or any formal education to call themselves a life coach.
Additionally, life coaches and therapists have different goals in working with clients. “The way I often explain it is that a therapist is a mental health professional who is trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and trauma,” says van het Erve. “A therapist helps you heal. A life coach helps you build for the future and supports you through developing strategies to achieve goals in a way that is aligned with your dreams, your values and how you want to live your life.”
Here are some differences between a life coach and a therapist:
LIFE COACH | THERAPIST | |
---|---|---|
Credentials | Certifications available, but not needed to become a life coach | Must have a bachelor’s and usually a master’s degree to practice, along with appropriate licensing |
Insurance | Not covered by insurance | Covered by some insurance plans or by HSA/FSA funds |
Focus | Plans for the future and obstacles to achieving those plans | The treatment of mental health conditions and/or dealing with past or present issues |
Topics | Career and life goals | Mental health and ways to cope with challenges |
Session plan | Varies, but may have a defined number of sessions | Varies, and often depends on treatment plan and goals |
Benefits of Becoming a Life Coach
There are plenty of benefits to becoming a life coach, says van het Erve. They include:
- The ability to work with individuals to help them make more conscious choices
- Helping people transform their lives with small changes
- It can bring a sense of joy and contentment to your career and life
Additionally, life coaching is a growing field that can be lucrative: According to data collected from Glass Door, life coaches can make around $61,000 per year[4]How Much Does a Life Coach Make? . Glass Door. Accessed 4/20/2023. .
Above all, van het Erve says, being a life coach is fulfilling. “[As a life coach], you see that one step at a time, we can change our end destination with purpose, passion and energy,” she says. “And it absolutely fills me with joy and creates a fulfillment in and contentment with my life that I had not yet experienced before.”
Summary: Best Life Coach Certification Programs
Programs | company_logo | Forbes Health Ratings | forbes_advisor_rating_image | Best For | Program Cost | Program Length | Specialty/Focus | View More | learn_more_cta_below_text | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Coach Institute Dual Life and Health Coaching Certification | 5.0 | Best for Dual Life and Health Coaching | One-time payment of $5,450 or 12 payments of $495.83 | About six months, committing five to six hours per week | Health and life coaching | Get Started | On Health Coach Institute Website | https://issa.sjv.io/c/1955282/2004725/12162" rel="nofollow" | ||
Coach Training Alliance | 4.5 | Best for Group Classes | $4,339 | Six months | Life coaching | Get Started | On Coach Training Alliance Website | https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2163431&u=2719178&m=60575&urllink=&afftrack=" rel="nofollow" | ||
Certified Life Coach Institute Life Coach Certification | 4.5 | Best for Quick Completion | $1,295 for Certified Life Coach (CLC), $2,495 to combine with the Master program | 33 training hours for CLC, 37 training hours for Master program | Life coaching | View More | #certified_life_coach_institute_life_coach_certification_section | |||
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching | 3.9 | Best for Support After Graduation | Option of one-time payment of $13,395, $4,665 payable over three months or $1,083 payable over 12 months with a $2,495 down payment | 320+ hours, with the two phases taking a total of about one year | Life coaching with ability to include niche training in areas like health and wellness, executive coaching and more | Learn More | On iPEC's Website | https://ipeccoaching.pxf.io/c/1955282/1776368/20198?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.ipeccoaching.com%2Fprogram-guide&subid1=P1197674730_1696412344979868947&subid2=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fhealth%2Fmind%2Fbest-life-coach-certification-programs%2F&subid3=Health" rel="nofollow" | ||
Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification | 3.9 | Best for Electives | $7,800 in full, or contact the school to establish a payment plan | 130 hours, which includes 88 hours of required courses and 42 hours of electives | Life coaching with the chance to specialize through elective courses centered on topics such as wellness, grief, career and more | View More | #institute_for_life_coach_training_professional_certification_section |
Become a Certified Coach and Create Your Dream Career
Whether you choose the full 7-month program with 320+ training hours and 3 certifications, or you start with 3 days of high-impact Coaching Fundamentals training, there's a path for you at iPEC to kickstart your coaching journey.
On iPEC's Website
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it worth getting a life coach certification?
As life coaches do not require a certification in order to practice, it is up to each individual considering a career in life coaching to decide whether investing their time and money in becoming a certified life coach is worth it. However, having a certification can help bolster a person’s professional reputation—it’s noteworthy that according to a survey conducted by the International Coaching Federation, 80% of life coaches agree that their clients expect them to be certified[5]2023 ICF Snapshot Survey. International Coaching Federation. Accessed 6/7/2024. .
What certifications do you need to be a life coach?
A life coach does not need any certifications or specific degree to take on clients, but training programs may help an aspiring life coach learn to deliver advice and guide clients more effectively.
Are life coaches in high demand?
According to the ICF survey, 57% of life coaching clients are having their sessions paid for by a third party, such as an employer, suggesting life coaches may be in high demand across certain industries[5]2023 ICF Snapshot Survey. International Coaching Federation. Accessed 6/7/2024. .
Sources
Footnotes
- 2020 ICF Global Coaching Study: Executive Summary. International Coaching Federation. Accessed 3/8/2023.
- Life Coach Education Requirements. Zippia. Accessed 3/8/2023.
- How to Become a Certified Life Coach. Become. Accessed 3/8/2023.
- How Much Does a Life Coach Make?. Glass Door. Accessed 4/20/2023.
- 2023 ICF Snapshot Survey. International Coaching Federation. Accessed 6/7/2024.
References
- Certified Life Coach: What It Means to Become One. Coursera. Accessed 3/8/2023.
- What Degree Do You Need to Be a Therapist?. Point Loma Nazarene University. Accessed 3/8/2023.
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Leigh WeingusContributor
Leigh Weingus is a New York-based freelance writer and former senior editor at HuffPost, Elite Daily and Mindbodygreen. Her work has been featured in Well+Good, Glamour, Parade, Bustle, NBC News and more. When she's not writing, Leigh can be found taking a (virtual) yoga class, running in Central Park or whipping up her latest smoothie creation.
Rufus Tony Spann, Ph.D., L.C.P.C., L.P.C.Mental Health / Holistic Health
Dr. Rufus Tony Spann is a nationally certified school psychologist, licensed professional counselor, yoga teacher and reiki master. Over the years, he has served as a department chair, adjunct professor, assistant professor, speaker and trainer. Dr. Spann owns private practice You in Mind Psychotherapy and Consultation, which focuses on providing culturally responsive therapy, and he assists many therapists of color in receiving their independent licenses. He also is part of a research team looking to develop a new instrument that measures clients’ perceptions of whether counselors are effective in their ability to discuss the contextual dimensions of race, ethnicity, and culture (REC) with clients. Dr. Spann is a founding team member and the former chief clinical officer of Hurdle, a digital health platform for people of color.
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