Personal trainer certification in Virginia

2 personal trainer programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these personal trainer programs, and Virginia has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

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

In Virginia, both programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Both are the same kind of program: personal trainer certification course.

See the 2 programs

How much does personal trainer certification cost in Virginia?

$4,000 to $6,100

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: Not reported; Neither program reports it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; Neither program reports it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; Neither program reports it
Length: 18 to 25 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Virginia may also offer personal trainer certification. How these figures are made

Is there free personal trainer certification in Virginia?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program 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. These programs cost $4,000 to $6,100.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 2 personal trainer programs in Virginia approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Personal trainer certification courseOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent
HF-3000: NASM Personal Trainer and Nutritian Coach
MedCerts, LLC
Based in Livonia, MI
High school diploma or equivalent
MedCerts, LLC, based in Livonia, MIPersonal trainer certification courseOnline · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$4,000
More details about HF-3000: NASM Personal Trainer and Nutritian Coach at MedCerts, LLC
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
18 weeks, 16 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$4,000
Personal trainer certification courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Personal Training (39-9031.00)
National Personal Training Institute
Huntingdon Valley, PA
High school diploma or equivalent
National Personal Training Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PAPersonal trainer certification courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Virginia; Virginia approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,100
More details about Personal Training (39-9031.00) at National Personal Training Institute
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
25 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$200
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,100

How to pay for personal trainer certification in Virginia

WIOA funding can pay for personal trainer certification in Virginia

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for personal trainer certification

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for personal trainer certification

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Virginia

How personal trainer certification compares with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Virginia

Where the Virginia personal trainer program numbers come from

Which Virginia personal trainer programs are on this list?

These are the personal trainer programs Virginia approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Virginia offers.

How the prices and results of Virginia personal trainer programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about personal trainer certification in Virginia

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