TEFL Certification Cost: How Much is a TEFL Course?

Most jobs to teach English abroad require applicants to have a TEFL certification.

This means that before you receive your first paycheck, you’ll have to invest a big chunk of your money on a TEFL course.

Actually, how much does TEFL certification cost?

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The overall costs can vary widely due to factors like program length, location, and add-ons to the certification itself.

This post will help you understand the prices for TEFL courses, as well as other expenses you may encounter on your way to getting TEFL certified.

Is Taking a TEFL Course Really Worth it?

If you’re serious about teaching English as a second language, you should absolutely take a TEFL course.

Not only is a TEFL course mandatory for getting an ESL teaching job in many countries, but it will also prepare you to teach properly.

A TEFL course is really worth it for some reasons:

First, the certification will put you in a position to get a job that will help you quickly offset the cost of the course. You’ll be able to get higher-paid jobs.

Often, TEFL course providers offer job guidance and maintain good contacts with schools and language training centers. They can assist you in finding good jobs quickly.

The teaching skills in a TEFL course will help you to start teaching with confidence and deliver effective ESL lessons right from the beginning. When you stand in front of your class on day one, shaking in your boots, you will realize the value of a decent training.

If you take the TEFL course in the place where you’ll be teaching, you may also build relationships with people who will remain your friends after the course ends.

Do All Jobs Require TEFL Certification?

TEFL certification isn’t required for all jobs. Many online ESL teaching jobs and some countries don’t require it, for instance.

In the cases where a TEFL certificate isn’t required, your certification will give you an edge above other applicants and make you look more prepared to teach in the eyes of potential employers.

Note that certain jobs require different certifications. For example, if you’re applying for a job in Saudi Arabia or other countries in the Middle East, you’ll need CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL certification rather than the TEFL.

Make sure to always check the specific requirements for a given job before spending money on a TEFL course.

You also may not need a TEFL certificate if you have a teaching degree or a teaching certificate in your home country or state, or if you have many years of teaching experience.

Buy a 120-hours TEFL Course

Although some jobs have different requirements for how many hours of TEFL certification you should have, 120 hours is the standard length.

A 120-hour TEFL course is comprehensive enough to leave you feeling comfortable in any ESL teaching setting. It’s also long enough to cover almost anywhere’s TEFL certification requirements.

What Are the Costs of Taking an In-Person TEFL Course?

We can’t answer that question with one figure. How much the TEFL course itself costs, depends on a couple of decisions; so do the additional costs. Let’s dive into the details:

Course Tuition

Choosing whether to take your TEFL course in person or online is a big decision to make, not least because in-person courses are much more expensive than online ones. (Of course, price should not be the only factor to consider.)

Two popular providers of in-person TEFL courses are the International TEFL Academy and International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT). Their courses are full-time, four weeks long, and scattered all around the globe.

Typically, 4-week in-person TEFL courses range from $1,500 to $3,000.

Most in-person courses come with benefits like job search guidance, airport pickups, and assistance finding housing. Of course, you should be sure to double-check on what is and isn’t included in the courses you’re considering before choosing one.

The cost of the course itself will be affected by the region you choose to get certified in. Your locale will also affect other incidental costs that may be incurred during and surrounding the course, like housing, food, and activities.

The United States, Europe, and the Middle East will be more expensive, while Central America, South America, and Asia will be cheaper.

The nature of your TEFL course will vary depending on whether you get certified at home or abroad.

Here are some factors to weigh when choosing between these two options:

Where to Take the TEFL Course

Getting TEFL Certified at Home

Whether or not you should get TEFL certified at home is dependent on some of the specifics of your situation.

If you don’t know what kind of teaching job you want yet (or where or when you want to start teaching), then you can go ahead and get certified at home while you decide.

It might also be a good idea to get a certification at home if you intend to teach in a country like South Korea, Japan, or Germany, where there are fewer options for TEFL courses.

However, TEFL courses in North America and Europe tend to be more expensive than courses abroad.

The money you’ll save on travel by taking a TEFL course might not matter in the end anyway, as you’ll have to travel to your teaching destination at some point regardless. Unless you find a class right in your neighborhood, you’ll have to pay for housing during the course.

If you already have a job lined up in a foreign country or know what country you want to teach in, it makes sense to take the TEFL there. That way, you can be looking for long-term housing and getting settled while you take the course.

Getting TEFL Certified Abroad

Getting TEFL certified abroad is generally less expensive than you might think.

Course tuition and living expenses vary depending on what region you’re in, but generally, you can live cheaply and find inexpensive TEFL course options abroad.

Some TEFL courses even include housing!

Of course, you need to consider the cost of airfare when you’re traveling abroad.

However, if you’ll be in the country where you’re taking the TEFL anyway, then you might save on airfare by only traveling to one location instead of going one place for the TEFL and then a second place for your job.

If you travel to a foreign country to take the TEFL it’s a good idea to secure a teaching job before or during your TEFL course. This way, you can start working directly after the course.

Getting a job right after the course will help make sure you have enough money to live on.

You may find that the connections you make during your TEFL course help you find a job. The people you meet during your course can also help you build a network of expats and locals and get advice on the country you’ll be teaching in!

Getting a TEFL certification at your destination rather than at home is also a good idea because some employers prefer teachers to be certified in the country where they’ll be working.

The Overall Cost for In-Person Certification Courses

The biggest thing to keep in mind when budgeting for an in-person TEFL course is your living expenses during the course.

Since in-person courses are typically four weeks long, you’ll need to figure out the cost of living in your destination and budget accordingly.

As mentioned, the region you choose to take your TEFL course in heavily affects the overall costs during your training time.

Another important factor is your lifestyle: If you live frugally in a shared apartment and prepare your meals at home, you’ll save a lot more than if you reside in a downtown loft and go out every night.

Let’s get concrete. We calculated the expected overall costs for 4-week in-class TEFL training in different locations on different continents.

Tuitions are from International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT); Airfare costs are calculated based on someone traveling one-way from somewhere at the East Coast, USA. Keep in mind that airfare prices shift throughout the year according to travel volume.

In-Class TEFL Course in New York, USA

Expense
$2,290
$100
$1,000–$2,500
$800–$1,200
$4,190-$6,090

Learn more about the ITTT course in New York, USA (discounts available).

In-class TEFL course in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America

Type of costExpense
Tuition$2,140
Airfare$800
Housing$700–$1,200
Living costs$400–$600
Estimated total$4,040-$6,740

Learn more about the ITTT course in Buenos Aires, Argentina (discounts available).

  • Tuition: $1,600
  • Airfare: $300
  • Housing: $200 – $500
  • Expected living costs: $500 – $800
  • Estimated total: $2,600 – $3,200

In-class TEFL course in Florence, Italy, Europe

Type of costExpense
Tuition$1,995
Airfare$500
Housing$500–$1,200
Living costs$800–$1,000
Estimated total$3,795-$4,695

Learn more about the ITTT course in Florence, Italy (discounts available).

In-class TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Asia

Type of costExpense
Tuition$1,690
Airfare$700
Housing$400–$1,000
Living costs$600–$800
Estimated total$3,390-$4,190

Learn more about the ITTT course in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (discounts available).

Important note: If you plan to stay and find a job after your course ends, you should save up an additional month or two of housing and living expenses to hold you over until you start getting paid.

How Much Does Online TEFL Certification Cost?

Online TEFL certifications tend to be the cheapest option, and many people decide to go this route for its ease and affordability. (During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the only possible option for a long period.)

The best part of getting certified online is that you can continue working full-time while you take the course and thus easily finance yourself. This means that your only real cost is that of the course itself.

Online courses that are internationally recognized, accredited and at least 120 hours can cost as little as $200 or as much as $2,500.

Here’s a list of popular online TEFL courses tuition (providers regularly provide discounts):

Course providerSpecialsTuition
International House Berkely / TeachAway
More Info
Focus on intercultural exchange and leadership$1,095
University of Toronto OISE / TeachAway
More Info
Among the world’s top 10 univerisities; specialization units$995-1,495
Manhattan College / TeachAway
More Info
20-hour practicum in New York, USA (coming soon: virtual practicum)$1,095-2,100
ITTT International TEFL and TESOL Training
More Infos
specialization units$249–$999
Premier TEFL
More Info
specialization units$349-$867
Let’s TEFL
More Info
––$169

As you see, the price varies widely mainly based on the organization providing the course and their reputation, and whether an observed teaching practicum is included.

Depending on if and where you choose to do your practicum teaching hours, you may have transportation and housing expenses.

Adding on course supplements like Business English or Teaching English to Young Learners may also increase the overall cost of your certification.

Some providers offer cheap introduction courses with less than 120 hours. Just ignore them, they will get you nowhere. You will almost certainly need nothing more and nothing less than a 120-hour TEFL certificate. (Plus optional extra hours for specialization.)

Carefully read each course’s terms and graduate reviews to find out how much support and what perks, like job search guidance, you’ll receive from a given TEFL program.

Online courses do not typically require you to purchase supplies of any kind, and the headteachers provide everything you might need during your practicum hours.

Should You Buy a Cheap TEFL Course?

Well, there are lots of online TEFL courses with price tags under $500. They receive decent reviews and their graduates usually can land a teaching job somewhere. So, they can’t be wrong, and you can learn teaching English with them.

But you know what they say: You always get what you pay for. When you pay $800 more for one course than for another, there must be a difference.

Typically, cheap TEFL providers produce a series of video lessons, exercise sheets and assessment quizzes. And then they sell it for years…

Pricier providers (with a reputation to lose), typically constantly work on their courses, develop and optimize their curriculums, lessons, and assessments. They often involve education experts and university professors in the course development and use the latest teaching strategies.

Is this a thing you’d like to pay extra for? You decide.

The point is: It’s easy to watch the video lessons and complete some multiple choice quizzes in a TEFL course … and still know nothing about teaching, let alone confidently planning a lesson and managing a class.

TEFL courses using advanced training strategies and providing up-to-date materials can make learning so much more easy and effective; and they are an investment which will pay off quickly.

If you are aware of the pitfalls and want to receive your TEFL certification on a budget, we can truly recommend the Let’s TEFL 120-hours online course for as little a $169. You’ll get a decent course including an extra module on teaching online, personal tutor support and job guidance.

What Does CELTA Certification Cost?

First and foremost, let’s distinguish CELTA from TEFL.

TEFL stands for “Teaching English as a Foreign Language”, and can be used as a broad umbrella term for teaching English to non-native speakers (TESOL and TESL mean essentially the same thing).

CELTA, on the other hand, is a specific TEFL program sponsored by Cambridge University.

CELTA has strict standards, and cannot be administered by anyone besides Cambridge. With CELTA, the quality is guaranteed, while TEFL programs are varied and require more research to ensure that they’re valid and accredited.

Because it’s considered the “gold standard” of TEFL courses, the CELTA cost is significantly higher than your average certification — typically ranging between $1,500 and $4,000.

One benefit to the price tag is that a CELTA certification has prestige and international recognition, so you may be able to get higher-paying jobs and more teaching opportunities.

In the Middle East, which is said to be the region with the highest-paying jobs, you will most likely need a CELTA (or a Trinity CertTESOL) to get hired.

Conclusion

Regardless of your situation, you should be able to find a TEFL certification that suits your goals and your wallet.

You can continue your normal lifestyle while taking an online course for as little as $200, or you can move to a new location and immerse yourself in your TEFL course full-time for a budget of $3,000-$5,000 overall.

When you decide on a course, the TEFL certification cost should not be your sole criterion. Make sure that the TEFL course you choose includes the benefits you want and provides quality training which will help you land a well-paying job teaching English abroad.

The demand for English teachers is growing, so you should be working and earning money in no time after your course.

With so many course options and possible countries to teach in, the hardest part will be making a decision!

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1 thought on “TEFL Certification Cost: How Much is a TEFL Course?”

  1. Avatar
    Oluajo Kolawole Martins

    Hi,
    I am a Nigerian and a teacher of English language for almost 25 years. I have a degree in English and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. I am interested in teaching English abroad, especially in the Middle East. Please what is my chance if I decide to enrol for any of the online courses you have mentioned?
    Best regards,
    Oluajo Kolawole Martins.

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