9 Best Customer Success Certifications to Take in 2025
Customer success certifications are designed for professionals looking to enhance their skills in engaging and retaining customers, making them useful for newcomers and experienced individuals in the customer success field.
I’ve outlined the best certifications along with notes on who they’re best suited for, helping you choose the right one for your career.
Best Customer Success Certifications Shortlist
- Certified Customer Success Manager (CCSM) — Best for foundational skills in customer success
- Certification as a Customer Success Management Professional (CCSMP) — Best for practical customer success management techniques
- Certified Customer Success Manager Level II — Best for advanced customer success strategies
- CSM Full Certification Program — Best for comprehensive customer success training
- Customer Success Training & Certification — Best for interactive training in customer success
- Online Graduate Certificate in Customer Success Management — Best for academic credential in customer success
- Cisco Customer Success Manager — Best for Cisco technology integration
- Certificate in Customer Success Management — Best for career advancement in customer success
- Customer Success Certificate Program — Best for professional development in customer success
Overview of the Best Customer Success Certifications
Below are my detailed summaries of the best customer success certifications that made it onto my shortlist.
1. Certified Customer Success Manager (CCSM) — Best for foundational skills in customer success
This certification teaches the core practices and strategies to enhance customer outcomes and drive business results. It focuses on solving everyday challenges and applying best practices to manage customer relationships effectively.
Issued by: SuccessCOACHING
Focus:
- Onboarding
- Success plans
- Business reviews
- Disengaged customers
- Account management
- Consultative approach
- Metrics
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Yes
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: Automatic renewal upon subscribing
Price: From $99 - $529
Who It’s For: This certification is for anyone looking for an introduction to the fundamentals of customer success management and a deeper knowledge of the key operating core practices.
2. Certification as a Customer Success Management Professional (CCSMP) - Best for practical customer success management techniques
This certification provides the knowledge and skills needed for effective customer success management, focusing on key practices and strategies for successful customer engagement, as outlined by industry experts.
Issued by: Practical CSM
Focus:
- Customer success fundamentals
- Business fundamentals
- Adoption planning
- Adoption implementation
- Value realization
- Preparation
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Yes
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: The certification does not expire
Price: $750
Who It’s For: This certification is for individuals looking to start or advance their careers in customer success management. It is also ideal for those seeking to gain the necessary skills and credentials to excel in the field.
3. Certified Customer Success Manager Level II - Best for advanced customer success strategies
This certification builds on foundational customer success knowledge, teaching advanced strategies for setting objectives, using health scores, and improving upsell and renewal strategies. It also covers managing internal relationships and understanding the pre-and-post-sales team's impact on the customer journey.
Issued by: University of San Francisco
Focus:
- Setting SMARTer objectives
- Maximizing proactive engagements
- Assessing and managing customer health
- Identifying and managing risk
- Responding to customer feedback
- Learning from Churn
- Increasing upsells and expansion
- Managing retention and driving renewals
- Aligning and communicating effectively with sales
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: CCSM Level I
Renewability: The certification does not expire
Price: $1,695 per level
Who It’s For: This certification is ideal for customer success managers looking to refine their expertise and manage larger portfolios effectively, positioning themselves as leaders in their field.
4. CSM Full Certification Program - Best for comprehensive customer success training
This certification offers strategies for delivering a strong customer experience, managing customer health and risk, and building trust through effective communication. It focuses on conducting strategic business reviews, engaging with executives, demonstrating ongoing value, and transforming customers into advocates.
Issued by: The Success League
Focus:
- Maximizing key touchpoints
- Leading successful conversations
- Focusing on customer ROI
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: The certification does not expire
Price: $1,795
Who It’s For: This certification is for professionals looking to demonstrate their expertise in customer success by effectively managing customer relationships and driving business growth.
5. Customer Success Training & Certification - Best for interactive training in customer success
This certification equips individuals with the skills to enhance customer relationships and drive success through effective customer engagement strategies. It provides a practical approach to mastering key customer success principles.
Issued by: Tri Tuns
Focus:
- Customer success program development
- Strengthening customer relationships
- Enhancing user adoption
- Driving higher software adoption rates
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Who It’s For: This certification is for individuals looking to enhance their skills in customer engagement and success strategies, helping drive customer satisfaction and loyalty within their organizations.
6. Online Graduate Certificate in Customer Success Management — Best for academic credential in customer success
This certification teaches how to design customer value strategies, leverage data to optimize customer behavior and use tools to improve customer experiences. This online course covers customer mapping, communication strategies, and the application of customer value management to meet business goals.
Issued by: RMIT University
Focus:
- Customer value strategy
- Customer solution and value analytics
- Customer relationships and influencing stakeholders
- Digital leadership + digital delivery with agile
- Digital leadership + customer experience strategy and design
Prerequisites:
- Education: Requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent
- Work Experience: 5 years of professional work experience
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: Typically does not expire; academic credentials are generally permanent
Price:
- AU$ 3,720 per course
- AU$ 14,880 for all course
Who It’s For: Ideal for individuals aiming to build or advance their careers in customer success management. It is designed for professionals seeking the skills and knowledge to engage, retain, and manage customers effectively.
7. Cisco Customer Success Manager - Best for Cisco technology integration
This certification validates the ability to develop and integrate solutions, remove adoption barriers, implement adoption frameworks, and analyze customer usage data. It focuses on leading customers to renewals and identifying new sales opportunities throughout the customer lifecycle.
Issued by: Cisco
Focus:
- Develop and integrate solutions
- Identify adoption barriers and how to remove them
- Implement adoption frameworks and interpret customer usage data
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Yes
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: Yes, it can be renewed. The certification is valid for three years, after which recertification is required.
Price: $250
Who It’s For: This certification is ideal for professionals aiming to become trusted advisors throughout the customer lifecycle, enhancing their skills in customer engagement and support within the Cisco ecosystem.
8. Certificate in Customer Success Management - Best for career advancement in customer success
This certification covers the customer success management role, customer journey, and lifecycle to improve engagement and retention. It teaches how to create persuasive communications, use customer data to generate sales plans, and develop playbooks for common account management challenges.
Issued by: York University
Focus:
- Mastering customer success concepts and best practices
- Understanding customer success in the lifecycle
- Creating success plans
- Overcoming common challenges
- Analyzing customer success metrics
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: The certification does not expire
Price: $2,499
Who It’s For: This certification is for aspiring customer success managers, professionals early in their careers looking to upskill, and customer support professionals transitioning into customer success roles, including implementation specialists, managers, and onboarding specialists.
9. Customer Success Certificate Program — Best for professional development in customer success
This certification covers the key principles and practices of customer success, including developing success plans, navigating challenges, and understanding metrics. It combines live instructor-led sessions with independent learning and insights from guest experts.
Issued by: Portland State University
Focus:
- Understand the CSM role
- Learn customer journey, lifecycle, and needs
- Create persuasive presentations and communications
- Use customer data for sales plans and ROI reports
- Develop playbooks for common account management issues
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education requirements
- Work Experience: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: Not required
Renewability: The certification does not expire
Price: $1,375
Who It’s For: This certificate program is designed for professionals looking to start a career in customer success or for experienced customer success professionals seeking to refresh and refine their skills.
FAQs about Customer Success Certifications
What is a customer success certification?
A customer success certification is a credential that validates an individual's knowledge and skills in managing and improving customer relationships, ensuring customer satisfaction, and driving customer retention and growth.
Why should I pursue a customer success certification?
Pursuing a certification can boost your career by showcasing your expertise in customer success strategies. It also helps you stay current with industry best practices and improve your ability to create value for customers.
How can I obtain a customer success certification?
You can obtain this by enrolling in a program from recognized organizations or educational institutions. These programs typically involve completing coursework, passing assessments and exams, and sometimes gaining practical experience.
Are there different levels of customer success certification?
Yes, there are often different levels of customer success certification, ranging from beginner to advanced. These levels cater to individuals with varying degrees of experience and expertise in the field.
What are some popular customer success certification programs?
Some popular customer success certification courses include those offered by the Customer Success Association, SuccessHACKER, and the Customer Success Institute. Each program may have its unique curriculum and requirements.
Other Useful Resources
Here are a few other useful resources to check out:
- Insightful customer success podcasts to listen
- Best customer success software
What's Next?
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