Best TEFL Certification Programs

International TEFL Academy (ITA) courses are consistently rated highly by both students and independent reviewers. ITA's academic rigor and international reputation are why it earned our top spot overall.

ITA offers online and in-person courses. In person course are in various locations around the globe where you could end up teaching after the course. Job assistance in the course country is included. Course usually run somewhere between about $1,000 and $2,000. Most are either in a four-week, full-time format or eleven-week, part-time format. Both are level 5 TEFL courses, which means the United Kingdom's Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) has recognized them as meeting a high standard of academic rigor. 

Qualified instructors teach all ITA courses, and all certification courses include opportunities for students to practice teaching in-person or online. Online courses feature live lectures, webinars, and chats. ITA also provides students with lifetime TEFL job search assistance.

Premier TEFL was one of the first companies to offer online and hybrid TEFL courses. The program's wide range of online classes earned it our spot for the best online program.

Premier TEFL's online fast-track courses are great for beginners and take 120 to 310 hours to complete. The 120-hour course includes personal tutor support and 24/7 access to study materials. The 180-hour online course includes several additional features, including material on teaching business English. Premier TEFL's 120-hour online course is regularly priced at $439, and its 180-hour online course is available for $1,199, though there are steep discounts often available.

Premier TEFL also offers level 5 courses. Like its fast-track courses, these Ofqual-regulated courses are appropriate for beginners but are more challenging. However, earning a level 5 TEFL certification may make you a more competitive applicant during your job search. Premier TEFL's 310-hour course includes online teaching practice and costs $1,899, though again, discounts are available.

Students use Premier TEFL's app to study online. Each lesson is divided into short blocks and includes video lectures and short quizzes. Premier TEFL provides job coaching and other forms of support to students during their job search.

If you want to get paid to travel the world, becoming TEFL-certified can be a great way to do it. However, the cost of enrolling in a reputable course can be a little daunting. For would-be TEFL teachers on a budget, International TEFL and TESOL (ITT) offers quality courses at affordable prices. 

ITT's basic class includes 120 hours of course content and usually costs $199. However, it is frequently marked down when on sale.

Each ITT course module features assignments, quizzes, and videos. Students receive personalized tutor feedback and can reach out for help via email or online chat. Most ITT classes do not include a final exam.

Those who graduate from ITT courses will have lifetime job placement support. Former students say ITT's job placement services are excellent, and several reviewers say they earned their certifications quickly. However, students can take as long as they need to finish their coursework.

All TEFL Org courses include full tutor support and lifetime access to the program's job center. Additionally, TEFL Org's website provides detailed information about the curriculum that each course covers so students will know exactly what they will learn with each course.

TEFL Org offers online TEFL certification courses in various forms, including a virtual classroom experience. Its online, 120-hour course is TEFL Org's most popular and covers standard TEFL subjects, such as English grammar and teaching methodologies. The course starts at $529. The program also offers a 188-hour online level 5 class featuring a 79-hour English language teaching methodology module. It costs $879 for the course, but TEFL Org frequently runs sales.

TEFL Org's instructors are all qualified EFL teachers with hands-on experience teaching English abroad. Online courses include access to the TEFL Org learning platform and downloadable PDF resources, and every student receives personalized tutor support.

International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT) combined TEFL courses offer both the flexibility of online learning and the immersive experience of in-person teaching. ITTT's courses allow students to gain overseas teaching experience without spending several weeks abroad.

Students enrolled in ITTT's hybrid courses complete phase one of their training online and then begin phase two of the class at a training facility in the U.S. or abroad. They can choose among five-day, eight-day, and 10-day on-site course options. 

Those interested in observed teaching training can complete their studies in 10 days in Phuket, Barcelona, Rome, or Bangkok. Alternatively, they can complete the program in eight days in New York or Paris. Those who want to complete the second stage of their course in five days can attend classes at one of several locations across the U.S. The five-day option does not include observed teaching practice. 

Students can access ITTT's course materials online, or they can be downloaded. ITTT offers graduates lifetime job assistance, including help preparing for interviews, downloadable lesson plans, and information on TEFL vacancies. Although ITTT's hybrid courses start at $1,450, its online-only courses start at $420, and fully in-person courses start at $1,990. However, with frequent discounting you'll very likely pay less.

Teach Away/University of Toronto's international reputation and unique specialization modules can help students take their TEFL skills to the next level.

The University of Toronto OISE/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education teamed up with Teach Away to offer 100-, 120-, and 150-hour TEFL courses. Students who enroll in either the 120- or 150-hour course must complete two specialization modules. Teaching English to young learners and teaching business English are among the most popular specializations. However, Teach Away also offers modules in teaching English to Arabic speakers, teaching English to Korean speakers, and teaching English to Mandarin (Chinese) speakers, which few other programs provide. There is also an option for teaching test preparation courses.

Teach Away/University of Toronto's online courses are self-paced. However, students who study two to three hours a day typically finish in 6 to 12 weeks. Teach Away/University of Toronto provides graduates with assistance during the job search, and over half of the program's graduates receive job offers within three months of completing coursework.

TEFLPros does more than help students refine their resumes and prepare for interviews. Graduates leave the program with a portfolio of lesson plans, which can help them during their job search.

Unlike some other TEFL programs, TEFLPros includes instructional material on how to prepare for the job search. The program's interview and resume guide offers tips on crafting resumes and details what students can expect during job interviews. 

TEFLPros offers one 120-hour online course. The course's 11 modules cover lesson planning, student interaction, grammar, and more. At the end of the course students take a final exam and submit a portfolio of the lesson plans they developed. Students can then use their professionally vetted portfolio as evidence of their teaching skills when applying for jobs.

TEFLPros course modules include discussion sessions, video slides, and 17 hours of in-class observation videos recorded in real EFL classrooms. Instructors grade students based on quizzes, final exams, and final portfolios.

TEFL certification provider i-to-i offers several different course options for students who want to hone their teaching skills.

Students might consider i-to-i's 300-hour online TEFL course. This course is available for $1,129 with frequently running discounts. It includes three specialist modules, one of which focuses on teaching English online. The other specialist modules cover teaching business English, which is a skill in high demand and teaching young learners. 

The course comes with 27 weeks access, but most people complete it in eight to 16 weeks. The course is approved by the UK government's Ofqual and their stamp of approval is on the certificate. Job finding support and resources are also available from i-to-i.