Which schools offer WIOA-approved personal trainer certification?

89 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a personal trainer do, and how do you become one?

Personal trainers lead and motivate individual clients or small groups through exercise. A high school diploma is the usual starting point, but personal trainers usually must be certified before they work with clients or gym members, and most also need CPR and first aid certification.¹

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Approved programsup to 12 to 23 to 6more than 6

How much does personal trainer certification cost?

Most personal trainer programs approved for WIOA funding cost $1,572 to $5,566 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $1,374 to $4,000 and two-year degrees $7,743 to $10,449. Prices also differ by state: most cost $894 to $1,538 in California and $1,244 to $8,308 in Michigan.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare personal trainer certification by state: cost, pay and results

Personal trainer certification by state
State	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
California	9	$894 to $1,538	Not enough data	Not enough data	Not enough data
Connecticut	4	Too few figures to show
Hawaii	1	Too few figures to show
Indiana	2	Too few figures to show
Iowa	1	Too few figures to show
Louisiana	2	Too few figures to show
Maine	1	Left out	Not enough data	Not enough data	Not enough data
Maryland	2	Too few figures to show
Massachusetts	3	Too few figures to show
Michigan	11	$1,244 to $8,308	Not enough data	Not enough data	Not enough data
Minnesota	14	$2,784 to $6,422	about $20,800	66%	27%
Missouri	6	$2,442 to $4,224	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nebraska	1	Too few figures to show
Nevada	13	$1,691 to $2,765	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Hampshire	2	Too few figures to show
New Mexico	1	Not enough data	Not enough data	Not enough data	Left out
New York	1	Too few figures to show
North Carolina	6	$3,503 to $5,168	Not enough data	Not enough data	Not enough data
Ohio	19	$1,895 to $9,958	about $47,200	71%	37%
Puerto Rico	2	Not enough data	Not enough data	Left out	Left out
South Carolina	1	Too few figures to show
Texas	3	Too few figures to show
Utah	2	Too few figures to show
Vermont	1	Too few figures to show
Virginia	2	Too few figures to show
Washington	10	$1,682 to $2,977	Not enough data	Not enough data	Not enough data
Wisconsin	2	Too few figures to show
Wyoming	1	Not enough data	Not enough data	Left out	Not enough data

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer personal trainer certification too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

NASM, ACE and other personal trainer certification courses: what the 123 programs are

By kind, the 123 programs approved for WIOA funding are personal trainer certification course (71 programs), fitness or exercise science (associate degree, 26 programs), group fitness and yoga instructor course (14 programs) and fitness specialty or nutrition add-on (12 programs).

Across the US, 53 of the 123 programs take students without a high school diploma, 57 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 13 ask for earlier courses first.

Is there free personal trainer certification in the US?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program counted on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. Without funding, prices differ by state: most personal trainer programs cost $894 to $1,538 in California and $1,244 to $8,308 in Michigan. Each state's page lists every program with its price.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the personal trainer program numbers by state come from

Which personal trainer programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁶ Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about personal trainer certification

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Education and social services

Personal trainer certification by state