The Best Virtual Assistant Course: Your Roadmap to Remote Freedom (2026)

You don’t need a university degree to become a Virtual Assistant, and you certainly don’t need to spend thousands to find the best virtual assistant course. In fact, you don’t even need a “certificate” to get started.

If you ask a six-figure business owner why they hired their VA, they won’t talk about a diploma from a fancy university. They’ll tell you it’s because that person knew how to organize a chaotic inbox, manage a calendar without double-booking, and handle billing without being asked.

That’s the reality most training programs hide from you. They sell you on the idea of a “credential,” but the market pays for competence.

If you walk away from a course with a shiny certificate but no portfolio—no sample emails, no social media graphics, no mock invoices—you haven’t bought an education. You’ve just bought a very expensive receipt.

We are going to skip the generic lists and get straight to the point: which programs actually force you to build the skills that get you hired?

Quick Summary: The Winners

• If you want clients yesterday: The Savvy System or 90 Day VA. These focus on speed and sales.

• If you need a formal title: Penn Foster or IAP Career College. Good for corporate jobs that require a “Certified Virtual Assistant” badge.

• If you’re broke: Udemy. Don’t buy a “VA” course; buy specific skill courses (like Excel or Canva).

What Actually Matters in a Course?

Before you drop $500 (or $5,000), let’s look at the playing field. The industry is split in two.

On one side, you have the Aggregators like Udemy and Coursera. These are great for learning buttons. If you need to know where the “Formula” tab is in Excel, go here. They are cheap and low-risk.

On the other side, you have the Business-in-a-Box academies. These are programs like The Savvy System. They are pricey, but they teach the one thing Udemy doesn’t: how to get paid. Knowing how to type is useless if you don’t know how to write a contract or send a pitch email.

Your Checklist:

Don’t buy anything unless it covers these four bases:

1. Tech: Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack.

2. Marketing: Basic Canva design and email tools.

3. Money: How to invoice and set your rates.

4. Sales: Where to find clients who aren’t on Upwork.

Top Tier: The “Business-in-a-Box” Programs

These are heavy investments. But if you treat this as a business startup cost rather than just “school,” the ROI makes sense.

1. The Savvy System (by Abbey Ashley)

This is widely considered the big dog in the space. The philosophy here is “Virtual Savvy”—basically, launch before you’re ready.

• The Vibe: High energy, community-focused.

• The Verdict: Pick this if you want to build an agency eventually, not just be a freelancer forever. It’s expensive, but the support network is massive.

2. 90 Day VA (by Esther Inman)

This one targets the travel crowd. If you want to work from a laptop in Bali, this is the branding that speaks to you. It covers a lot of ground, from podcast management to content repurposing.

• The Vibe: Fast-paced and modern.

• The Verdict: Best for people who want to be digital nomads. It also includes an internship program, which is a rare find in this industry.

Mid-Tier: The “Official” Route

Some people just feel better with a diploma on the wall. Or maybe you want to work for a law firm or a medical office that cares about accreditation.

1. Penn Foster

This is a regionally accredited school. It’s academic. You’ll read textbooks. You’ll take exams.

• The Good: It looks great on a traditional resume.

• The Bad: It can feel stiff. You might learn office procedures from 2015, and you won’t learn much about finding clients on Instagram or LinkedIn.

2. IAP Career College

This is the quick fix. You get a “Master Virtual Assistant” title for a couple hundred bucks.

• The Good: Cheap and fast.

• The Bad: It’s mostly text-based. If you learn by watching and doing, you might get bored.

The Budget Play: The DIY Method

You can absolutely hack this together for under $50. You just have to be disciplined. Instead of buying a generic “How to be a VA” course on Udemy, buy specific deep-dives.

Build this stack:

1. Project Management: Find a course on “Mastering Trello” or “Asana for Beginners.”

2. Money: Get a QuickBooks Online crash course.

3. Design: Take a “Canva Masterclass.”

You won’t get the business coaching, but you’ll have the hard skills.

The Data: Breaking It Down

Here is how the numbers stack up.

Table 1: Cost vs. Time

Table 2: What Do You Actually Learn?

The Skills No Course Will Teach You

I looked at hundreds of job postings to see what people actually want. It’s usually not “data entry.” It’s resourcefulness.

1. The “Google It” Instinct: Can you find the answer before you ask the boss?

2. Anticipation: Can you look at a calendar, see a meeting has no Zoom link, and fix it before anyone asks?

3. Thick Skin: Can you handle a rude customer email without taking it personally?

If a course talks about “Mindset,” don’t skip it. That’s the stuff that keeps you employed.

Bottom Line

Stop “preparing” and start doing.

The best course for you is the one that fits your wallet right now.

• Need the piece of paper? Penn Foster.

• Need someone to kick your butt into gear? Savvy System.

• Broke? Udemy.

Pick one, finish it, and send that first email. The market is waiting.