Jay Shetty is one of the biggest celebrities in the self-help world, with millions of followers and a net worth of the same size. Over two million people have taken his courses on relationships, purpose, and happiness.

So, naturally, many coaches are eager to know whether his coaching program is legit and worth the investment.

In this post, we’ll review The Jay Shetty Certification School and what graduates and the media say about it.

What Is the Jay Shetty Certification School?

The Jay Shetty Certification School is a coaching program launched in 2020 by Jay Shetty, a famous author and motivational speaker. The school offers holistic life coach certification with “Jay Shetty Certified Life and Success Coach” credentials.

The life coaching program includes:

• 165 hours of pre-recorded video lessons about coaching fundamentals like the Wheel of Life
• Access to a bonus program called Business Launchpad with video lessons on building a business
• Access to a community platform with other Jay Shetty Certified Coaches after finishing the program
• 12 hours of live training
• 20 hours of unsupervised coaching practice students need to record and submit
• Monthly Q&As with Jay Shetty
• A listing on the school’s coach directory for a year
• A final assessment

According to the website of the program, students are also required to complete 33 hours of self-selected activities, though it isn’t indicated what these activities are.

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Who Is Jay Shetty?

Jay Shetty is a bestselling author, former monk, and inspirational speaker in the areas of personal development, mindfulness, and purposeful living.

Born and raised in London, he became famous for his riches-to-rags-to-riches story of pursuing a business career, living as a monk in India, and then becoming a mega influencer.

Jay Shetty has built a following of over 50 million people across social media platforms by sharing inspirational content. His videos blend Eastern philosophies with popular psychology in an easily digestible language.

He’s authored several books, including Think Like a Monk, which draws on his personal experiences and shares his views on how to live a purposeful life.

He’s also a sought-after speaker. He delivers talks and workshops to audiences worldwide on how to better understand themselves and their potential. To this day, he’s one of the biggest celebrities in the self-help industry.

How Long Is the Jay Shetty Certification Program?

The Jay Shetty coaching program is self-paced, apart from its live classes, for which you’ll join a cohort.

According to the website, it involves 108 hours of learning over up to 6.5 months. It doesn’t disclose the exact breakdown of these hours or the intensity of the schedule.

How Much Does Jay Shetty’s Certification School Cost?

Currently, the website of the Jay Shetty Certification School has no information on tuition fees. Those interested in enrolling are encouraged to sign up for an introductory call.

The Guardian journalist, John McDermott, has reported that, upon signing up for the call, he received an offer for $7,400 to join the program. He writes:

“After 30 minutes of explaining the school’s schedule and curriculum, an enrollment adviser finally informed me about the sign-up cost: $7,400.”

He added, “The adviser was kind enough to offer me a one-time deal and cut the price to $6,800.”

A student reported a slightly different price of $7,800.

A Reddit contributor who attended the introductory call with the representative of the Jay Shetty Certification School said:

“The price of the training seems to vary a lot. He initially told me $7,400, but when I hesitated, he started lowering it. He just kept insisting that he wanted a clear yes or no answer from me.”

When they said they needed more time to decide, the school’s “advisor” told them they would be blacklisted from the program and charged $10,000 in the future.

These inconsistent and aggressive pricing tactics raise some concerns. Although educational programs sold through a funnel often have hidden prices, they typically have a set pricing structure and address the student’s concerns professionally.

So, is the Jay Shetty certification worth the high price tag? Let’s look at some reviews.

Reviews From Graduates and the Media

Student Testimonials

On the program’s website, Jay Shetty-certified coaches share how the program helped them find purpose and dream bigger. Many of them highlight:

• Gaining a sense of belonging through the community
• Mindfulness and spirituality incorporated into the lessons
• The support they received throughout the program

Although many of them praise the school for helping them grow and allowing them to start a meaningful career, they mention little about the quality of the course content.

A past student called Sergio Romero said that if you already know how to be a coach, he wouldn’t recommend the program.

With most testimonials emphasizing their new career path, this gives the impression that the course is best for those learning about coaching for the first time.

What the Media Says About the Jay Shetty Certification School

In recent years, several articles have been published questioning the validity of Shetty’s story. This piece in the Guardian sums them up well.

Shetty used to claim he had a degree in behavioral science, but it later turned out he had studied management. Having no qualifications related to coaching, his story about serving as a monk in India for three years was his best source of credibility, one that earned him bestselling books and catapulted him to fame.

However, after interviewing several people from Shetty’s circle, the timeline of his story doesn’t add up. What’s more concerning is that he was accused of plagiarism several times using other people’s content verbatim without their permission, which is what attracted his millions of followers.

The Guardian has also personally spoken to graduates of the Jay Shetty school. Although they claimed the program was a good investment, none of them were earning a full-time living from coaching a year after graduating.

Similar to the Tony Robbins program we reviewed before, some people see Shetty’s school as an MLM scheme with graduates joining his team and selling courses instead of coaching people.

The school’s halo effect comes from the fame and charisma of Shetty. However, as an anonymous Reddit user points out, he isn’t teaching the program personally.

Jay Shetty Certification School: Is It Worth It?

Is it worth becoming a Jay Shetty-certified coach at around $7,400? That depends on what you value in a coaching program.

You may consider:

• Your coaching style: Do you want to emulate Jay Shetty’s coaching style or would you rather create your own?
• Specialization: Shetty’s school isn’t specialized in any particular method or niche. It’s based on the style of his inspirational content. If you want to specialize in a particular niche as a professional life coach, you may consider a program centered around that.
• Coaching experience: We’ve not seen any reviews from experienced coaches about Shetty’s school. If you’ve been in this field for a while, this foundational program might not offer much to you.
• Accreditation: If you want to be associated with Jay Shetty and leverage his name to earn credibility as a coach, this is the way to go. However, many programs accredited by top coaching organizations cost less and offer more in-depth or specialized methodology.
• Community support: Several graduates highlighted the community aspect of the program. This isn’t unique to this coaching school, but it can support your long-term career in coaching.

If you’re an unwavering fan, this could be a great learning experience for you. However, if you’re looking for a reliable coaching program with a reasonable price that isn’t necessarily tied to a celebrity’s name, you may want to consider other options.

Coaching Certification Alternatives

If you’re looking for a comprehensive life coach training program with research-based methodology and excellent credentials, here are a few alternatives:

• International Coach Federation (ICF) Accredited Programs: The ICF is globally renowned as a leading accreditor of life coach training programs. They reinforce high standards of quality and ethics you can trust.
• Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC): iPEC offers comprehensive life coach training programs that blend traditional coaching techniques with energy leadership principles. They also have specialized programs in health, executive, and performance coaching.
• Institute of Positive Psychology (IPP): IPP offers life coach certification programs that integrate principles of positive psychology into coaching practices.
• Association for Talent Development (ATD): While ATD primarily focuses on organizational talent development, it also offers certification programs for corporate and performance coaches.

If you want to dig deeper, check out our other reviews and guides on coaching certification programs.

FAQ

Is the Jay Shetty Coaching Program ICF-Accredited?

No, the Jay Shetty Coaching School is not accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). It simply certifies professional life coaches as a Jay Shetty coach.

Does Jay Shetty Teach the Certification Program Himself?

No, Jay Shetty does not personally teach the program. According to the program’s website, he hosts monthly Q&A sessions, but the lessons are pre-recorded and the live calls are hosted by his team.

Is Jay Shetty’s Coaching School a Scam?

There’s no evidence that the school is a scam, but some prospective students have raised concerns about aggressive sales tactics, inconsistent pricing, and lack of transparency. It’s worth evaluating the program critically before enrolling.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2024 and has since been updated for accuracy.