Best Executive Coaching Certification Programs

The Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL) is recognized as an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) and is known for being affordable, offering online instructor-led courses via Zoom.

IECL is designed for experienced coaches. The courses cost AU$3,850 to AU$6,300 plus tax. IECL members are charged lower rates. After paying the annual membership cost, you will still come out ahead. However, IECL provides free materials such as a blog, podcast, and videos to learn more about coaching or to get feedback on executive coaching practices.

Once you become a student, you’ll have the benefit of a coaching network (IECL Academy) with access to communities of practice, alumni, and resources to support your executive coaching practice.

IECL Academy includes an e-learning software tracking system to manage your training progress. You’ll participate in a peer group of co-learners, sharing feedback via online discussions. 

The IECL course and certification are available to executive coaches worldwide, and prepare the learner for more advanced education.

Coach Training Alliance is our runner-up due to the variety of ICF coach certification programs available. You’ll find workshops that will prepare you to coach individuals and groups, start your own executive coaching business, or publish your first book.

You’ll receive a free assessment to determine if you have what it takes to be a coach. In addition, the Coach Training Alliance offers free workshops, such as the Becoming a Coach workshop, to learn more about the program before you enroll. 

The Certified Coach Program costs $3,747. Participants provide rave reviews, citing solid instructors and a positive learning environment.

For educated, experienced, and senior professionals and business owners, the College of Executive Coaching provides a fast-track way to add the ICF’s PCC or BCC credential to your existing degree and certifications.

The College of Executive Coaching supports post-graduate students to obtain their ICF Professional Coach Certification (PCC) or Board Certified Coach (BCC) with a variety of options, including an intensive short course, a two-week online program, and multiple virtual course offerings. 

However, the certification program is pricey, costing from $8,490 to $10,800, depending on whether or not you take advantage of distance learning, discounts for multiple students, or additional factors.

The College of Executive Coaching was founded by Dr. Jeffrey E. Auerbach, a coach since 1986. Students like its focus on ethical standards and high-quality content taught by PhD-level instructors. Online company reviews are mostly positive, noting the powerful learning experiences and breadth of tools.

The Academies is our best low-cost option due to its affordability, small class sizes, and online program that can be completed in 8 to 12 weeks.

Courses through The Academies, LLC, often cost four payments of $675 or one payment of $2,597, but some are a bit more or less. However, until you click the link to enroll in the class, you are unable to see either the price or the schedule.

Classes are held once a week for two hours on Zoom, based on the instructors’ availability. The Certified Executive & Leadership Development Coach training results in a proprietary certificate and serves as 30 hours toward an ICF-certified coach designation.

The Academies is based in the U.S. It was launched by Susan Britton, an ICF-certified Professional Certified Coach (CCC) and author of seven career books. In addition to the Certified Executive & Leadership Development Coach program, it offers a Career Management Coach Certification and a Brain-Friendly Job Search Coach Certification program.

The Academies students rate it highly. Many of the online testimonials attest to the leadership of the CEO in addition to the quality of the executive coaching training programs, commenting on the customized approach, robust tools, and global focus.

Co-Active Training Institute is more costly due to the required academic coursework and practice required, but may be faster and less costly than spending four to six years at a university.

If you don't have a college degree and are starting from scratch, you’ll appreciate the one-on-one certification and personalized feedback in addition to a professional network. Those benefits may warrant the costs of over $12,000, as you can complete the program while working or managing your coaching business.

Co-Active Training Institute requires you to work with a professional coach through the organization, or a PCC or MCC certified by ICF. Paying for that one-hour-per-month coaching will increase your overall costs. College credits are available for those who wish to add executive coaching to an existing degree program.

Co-Active Training Institute receives strong third-party customer reviews which highlight its usefulness in developing and applying insight and effective communication. If you lack a college degree, it may be one of the few ICF-accredited executive coaching programs available to you.

Center for Executive Coaching offers flexible learning options available to professionals regardless of where they live or work. Those who have a master’s degree can fast-track their ICF designation. However, the prerequisites are flexible based on your work/life experience. A prior degree is not mandatory.

Depending on the training format you choose, you’ll pay between $5,000 and $7,500 for the coach training program. But you’ll receive the Center for Executive Coaching's proprietary systems, such as The Leadership Dashboard and KPIs, in addition to content required to achieve ICF certification.

Online reviews for the Center for Executive Coaching are top-notch, even on industry sites such as Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Participants rate it highly,  touting the certification prep and practice along with the professional instructors.

Once you enroll, you’ll have access to a member area with a just-in-time library and a variety of executive and leadership assessment tools to use in your coaching practice.

Royal Roads University’s Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching meets the ACTP requirements through the ICF. Graduates will receive their PCC hours as well as the Certified Executive Coach designation.

Enrollment into the graduate program at Royal Roads University, like all university programs, requires an existing degree. Costs for the entire program run from about $10,000 to $12,000, depending on whether you are a domestic or international student. While it doesn't specify, these are likely Canadian dollars as the university is located in Canada. Even though Royal Roads University is located in Canada, credits are transferable and financial aid may be available.

Although curriculum, timeframe, enrollment process, and certifications are similar to programs at U.S.-based schools like George Washington University or New York University, the cost for executive coach certification is much lower at Royal Roads University.

The Academy of Executive Coaching Limited (AoEC) offers the Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching as well as accreditation through three international coaching organizations including the International Coaching Federation (ICF), European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), and the Association for Coaching (AC).

The benefit of AoEC is that the certification is renewable and the training you receive is recognized by multiple accredited coach training organizations. The worldwide locations make this robust program available to student attendees in Poland, Ireland, UAE, and the UK, as examples.

You can choose either classroom or online options; the cost of 4,500 GBP is more affordable than attending a similar program at a university. Course participants rate the academy favorably, noting the coaching models and balance between theory and practice.

AoEC was founded in 1999, has 14 locations globally, and has trained over 13,000 people worldwide. It provides its student alumni with a knowledge bank full of podcasts, videos, and best practice coaching tools.