How Much Does TEFL/TESOL Certification Cost?

But first things first. To teach English as a foreign language abroad or online, you need a TEFL certification. You’re awarded a TEFL certification on completion of a TEFL course. This is a teaching qualification which gives you the tools and knowledge you need to teach English as a foreign language.

The next question is: how much does TEFL/TESOL certification cost?

The average cost of a Level 3 online TEFL course from the 8 biggest TEFL course providers, including us, is about £170 ($215). 

Similarly, the average cost of a Level 5 online TEFL course from these providers is approximately £385 ($480).

The price range for online TEFL courses ranges from the lowest of £99 ($120) (Level 3) going as high as £970 ($1,200) (Level 5), depending on the provider. 

When considering the combined course option, which includes an in-person component, the average cost among the 8 biggest TEFL course providers is around £800 ($1,000). 

Qualifications are an investment of time and money. Luckily for us, a TEFL course is not as long or as expensive as a diploma or degree. The costs of TEFL certification vary based on a number of factors. TEFL courses differ in many respects, such as length, quality and cost.

There is no gold standard for TEFL courses. The quality of a TEFL certificate varies from course to course.

The TEFL Academy offers a 120-hour Level 3 online TEFL course for approximately £350 ($440), as well as a Level 5 168-hour online course for approximately £450 ($560). 

[Sshh! Don’t tell anyone but we often have sales with even lower prices!]

The major benefit of an online TEFL course is the flexibility and convenience. You don’t need to give up your job to complete the course because you can study in your own time.

A combined TEFL course with The TEFL Academy costs approximately £700 ($875). 

Because the combined course includes a practical component, the course cost is a bit higher than a 100% online course, but this is to be expected.

With The TEFL Academy you can choose to do a combined TEFL course with a practical component, but there is also the option of taking the Level 5 40-hour Observed Teaching Practice course.

A good TEFL course offers a comprehensive theoretical component to prepare you to step into the TEFL classroom. But it’s so much more than the theory. There are a number of factors which influence the price of a TEFL course:

• Course delivery method: You can do a course online or in-person, in your home town or abroad. 
• Course location: If you choose to do a TEFL course abroad, and your TEFL course includes accommodation, this will increase the cost of your TEFL course significantly. You also need to consider the costs of travelling overseas, visa costs and the costs of living during the course.
• Number of hours: The shorter the course, the cheaper the course – that makes sense. But remember, you don’t want to do a TEFL course with fewer than 120 hours. Anything less than that and employers won’t take your certification seriously.
• Course content: Does the TEFL course cover everything you need to know about teaching English as a foreign language, or is it just an overview? A  TEFL course with valuable course content will naturally be more expensive to develop which is reflected in the cost of the course.
• Tutor support: A good TEFL course will provide you with support from experienced and well-qualified TEFL tutors. If it’s an online course there should be technical as well as administrative and moral support. If a course doesn’t offer support from tutors and is largely a self-study course, you can understand the cost will be greatly reduced, but at what cost to you?
• Post-graduation support: Once you’ve completed your TEFL course, your journey is only just starting! A quality TEFL course offers support in finding a job once the course is finished.

A TEFL certificate opens doors to many different opportunities. The obvious benefit of a TEFL certification is that it allows you to teach English as a foreign language. With a TEFL certification you can apply for jobs in state schools, private schools, universities, in-company, private language centres or private lessons – face-to-face or online. 

But there are other options available to you. 

As a TEFL teacher you can work full-time or part-time, volunteer or intern. You can do TEFL immediately after high school or university graduation, as a gap year, or between jobs. 

You can also work in materials development, write lesson materials, blog, contribute to coursebooks, present at conferences, become a teacher trainer or a Director of Studies – or even open your own TEFL school.

And even if you don’t continue teaching after your TEFL stint, being an English teacher abroad adds a range of transferrable skills to your CV – so you’ll have a head start on your next job search! 

Read more: 13 Different Jobs For TEFL Teachers

It’s important to remember that when it comes to TEFL, you get what you pay for. TEFL courses which are cheap as chips probably aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. 

After all, a TEFL certification should help you get a job teaching English. If your TEFL certification is not accredited, internationally recognised or comprehensive, TEFL employers won’t take a second look at your job application.

Even licensed teachers require a TEFL certificate to teach English as a foreign language. The only qualification you can get for teaching English as a foreign language is a TEFL qualification.

But getting a TEFL certification is not only for your employer’s benefit, it’s for yours too. Can you imagine walking into a classroom of thirty expectant faces and not have the faintest idea of how you’re going to pass 45 minutes? Talk about a nightmare!

As a higher qualification, a TEFL certificate is definitely worth both the time and the money you invest in it. Besides giving you the opportunity to teach English at home, abroad or online, it will upskill you with transferrable skills. Plus, a TEFL qualification never expires!