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Compare Coach Academy Texas to Other Top Programs

If you are visiting this page, I’m guessing you are seriously considering making an important investment in your career and your life. We know that you have several excellent options to consider. We also recognize that many factors will affect your decision — location, schedule, program format, faculty, and cost among them.

After we decided to pursue coach training, and before we began to design Coach Academy Texas in 2006, we found the research process to be daunting and almost overwhelming. There are so many variables to try to sort out, and the most complicated was costs. It was really hard to tease out ALL the costs so that we were really looking at apples and apples, not oranges and grapefruit.

Some programs incorporate all the mentor coaching hours and reference letters that you need for ICF certification, but many do not.
In some programs, you receive real practice and coaching for the ICF exams, but others do not.
Attractive payment plans are available with some institutions, but a few require all or most to be paid at the time of registration or before the start of the program.
Various programs provide all the course material and text books that you need while others do not. In fact, the textbooks alone cost more than $200 in several programs.
Travel expense is obviously going to vary by destination although obviously it doesn’t apply to virtual programs. Of course, there’s a big reason most top-notch programs are face-to-face: it’s a more effective, stimulating, and powerful learning environment. It’s that simple.

Because of all this confusion and the fact that you really have to dig, dig, dig to find all the relevant costs, we’ve tried to summarize below the essential economic factors for all the top programs as best we could. Of course, we believe that besides being the most comprehensive, practical, and exciting coach training program available today, Coach Academy Texas is also one of the least expensive and the overall best value in the market. See for yourself.

Institution *Program Name* Location	Total Cost *Breakdown of costs*	Program Overview: Structure, Admission Requirements, and Financial Considerations
Coach Academy Texas (CATx) *Integrated Certified Coaching Program* Dallas, TX Nashville, TN	$8,295	7-10 month In-person program integrating the best practices of coaching as defined by the ICF Competencies with the science of how the brain works based on NLP research and tools. *Everything is included in the price, including all materials, mentor coaching, exam preparation, and individual credentialing advisors who address all ICF levels – ACC, PCC, and MCC. Receive Certified NLP Coach (NLPC)* immediately upon course completion. $800 deposit. Easy payment plans available.
Coach U *Core Essentials Program* *Advanced Coaching Program* Primarily Virtual Chicago, IL Denver, CO	$6,738 $5,490 tuition + $1000 for mentor coach (estimated) + $248 texts	15-month program consisting of two components. The first is a 77-hour Core Essentials program that can be taken either in-person “intensively” or over the phone spread out over more months. After you have graduated from Core Essentials, you choose between Coach U's Advanced Coaching Program (ACP) or its Advanced Corporate Coaching Program (ACCP) (or both for an additional fee). Mentor coaching is required as part of the program but not included in the tuition. Required books are not included. Payment plans are available. A $150 fee applies to all payment plans plus the total tuition increases depending on the number of payments you choose.
Columbia University *Columbia* *Coaching Certification Program* Tarrytown, NY (24 miles north of Midtown Manhattan)	$14,000	Three-tiered in-person program consisting of an initial 5-day “intensive”, plus a field “practicum, and then a final 5-day “advanced intensive”. Participants who complete the first intensive must apply and be accepted into the Coaching Certification Program. Practicum includes mentor coaching. Receive 12 graduate credit hours. All fees must be paid before the start of the program.
Fielding Graduate University *Evidence Based Coaching Certificate Program* Santa Barbara, CA	$12,050 $9,975 tuition + $2,000 books & supplies + $75 nonrefundable application fee +cost of mentor coach	12-month certificate program consisting of three 12-week online courses (36 weeks total of self-study), 30 hours telephone training, plus 4 in-person skills training workshops, 2-3 days each. Apparently mentor coaching is not included except as part of the “telephone training”. Receive 12 graduate credit hours plus Fielding’s Evidence Based Coaching Certificate. Requirements for acceptance: Bachelors Degree and several years of work experience with decision making responsibility, resume, 1-2 page Statement of Purpose, official college transcripts from all colleges attended, and one reference letter. Required books are not included. Tuition of $4,525 is paid at registration with the balance paid in two additional installments, plus the out of pocket costs for books and other session costs paid when necessary.
Georgetown University Center for Continuing and Professional Education Certificate in Leadership Coaching Washington D.C.	$10,250 + application fee + cost of books	6-month program (144 hours). Six 3-day (Wednesday – Friday) on-site sessions approximately once a month, plus additional virtual team meeting, plus 6-10 additional hours per week for reading required books and articles, reflection, and writing papers. Final written paper of 20-25 pages. Designed for Practicing OD consultants or senior HR professionals—bachelor’s or master’s degrees in OD or equivalent and relevant experience required for admission.
Hudson Institute The Professional Certification in Individual and *Organizational Coaching* Santa Barbara, CA	$11,140 (*not including required mentor coach)* $2,495 tuition 1 $ 395 tuition 2 $8,250 tuition 3 +$1,250--$5,000 for required mentor coach + cost of books	1-year program. First, a 4-day “foundational” seminar, then a 1-day “coaching” seminar, then if your application is accepted, three 4-day (Thursday – Sunday) in-person sessions over 8 months plus 8-12 additional hours per week for conference calls, required reading, journaling, case studies, and other assignments including 6 taped coaching sessions, an oral presentation, and a formal written paper. Plus 25 hours of personal coaching with a trained coach is required but not included in the tuition (fees range from $50-$200 per hour). No practice exams. $2,500 deposit. No payment plans—total tuition is due 45 days in advance.
New Ventures West Professional Coaching Course San Francisco, CA 5 other major US cities	$9,195 $ $8,500* tuition* +$695 prerequisite class	1-year program, starting with the prerequisite two-day Coaching to Excellence class followed by four 4-day (Thursday – Sunday) in-person sessions (9 am to 7 pm) plus 5-10 additional hours per week spent on reading 10 assigned books and completing written assignments like case studies and essays. No practice exams. Some mentor coaching. No reference letters. Payment plan includes finance charges of $340.
Newfield Institute Coaching For Professional And Personal Mastery Boulder, CO Reston, VA	$10,400	11-month program in two modules consisting of four in-person conferences of 3 or 4 days each (Thursday or Friday – Sunday for a total of 14 days) plus 5-7 hours per week for additional reading and writing assignments, study groups, learning groups, teleconferences, group coaching and teaching what you’re learning to a group of 6-10 people who are not participants in the program. Some individual coaching sessions (30 – 60 minutes each) are included. Payment plans are available but fees are undetermined.
The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) *CPCC Certification Program* San Francisco, CA Chicago, IL Boston, MA 7 other major US cities	$9,475 $7,675 tuition +$1,800 for mentor coach ($300 per month) + cost of required recording device +cost of books	One-year program in two components: Core Coaching and Certification programs. The Core program consists of monthly 3-day weekend sessions in-person over five months. The Certification program is all over the phone with small “pods” of participants working with a supervising coach. Upon completion and successful exams, receive Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (not an ICF credential). Does not include training in the business aspects of coaching, which are offered separately. Required books not included. Recording device required and not included.
The NLP & Coaching Institute of California *Coach Certification Training Program* Burlingame, CA Salt Lake City, UT	$4,880 - $5,595 $3,900 tuition +$980-$1,695 for mentor coach +cost of books	Focused primarily on life coaching with some business coaching. 20-day in-person program of four bi-monthly modules (8 months total). Two required books are not included and must be purchased individually. No mentor coaching. No exam preparation or practice exams. Four payments of $975 each. The first payment is due at the time you register for the program. The remaining 3 payments are due on the first day of the first 3 training sessions.
University of Texas at Dallas *The Executive and Professional Graduate Certificate Coaching Program* Totally Virtual	$10,000 + $200 nonrefundable application fee + cost of books	Approximately 12-14 months with 3 classes per week plus the other requirements. All distance learning, NO in-person, face-to-face classes. Weekly 60-90 minute web-based classes covering approximately 24 modules plus 3-6 additional hours per week for additional readings, writing papers, peer-coaching, and coaching clients. Homework, class participation, and exams are graded. Receive 12 graduate credit hours and the mentor coaching hours required by ICF. Tuition includes 10 hours of supervised coaching by an ICF certified coach. Bachelors Degree, including official college transcripts from all colleges attended, five (5) years of “satisfactory” work experience, and three (3) letters of recommendation required for acceptance. Required textbooks, workbooks, and Harvard Business School case studies are not included and must be purchased separately. The $200 nonrefundable application fee is applied to the first tuition payments. The first 50% of tuition must be paid at the time of formal acceptance into the program, and the remaining 50% must be paid by the beginning of the second semester. An additional fee of 1.75% is charged for any credit card payments (i.e. an extra $175 if the total tuition if paid by credit card)