After weeks of community submissions and a vetting process, here are the considerations for the top EP schools of 2026. All of the schools and courses were tested against our three core eligibility criteria, including:
- Operating their own dedicated training venues
- Offering globally accessible or internationally delivered training
- Providing recognised certification upon course completion
Here’s what to know about them before casting your vote.**
ISA Academy
Established in 1986, the ISA Academy has completed more than 190 projects in over 30 countries. Their presence is represented in the US, EU, and Southeast Asia.
The Academy offers tactical-level single training modules, as well as complete strategic security solutions, and tailor-made training courses and training events.
The four staple categories of their training program are:
- Bodyguard Training
- Advance Team Leader Training
- Combar Firearms Training
- Customized Training
ISA Academy® issues certificates to trainees who complete its programs, showing that they have successfully finished the course. However, these are internal certificates from the school itself, not externally accredited professional certifications from an independent industry body.
Executive Protection Institute (EPI)
Founded by Dr. Richard W. Kobetz, the Executive Protection Institute (EPI) has been operating since 1978. Their faculty members are acknowledged authorities in their subject specialities, and continue to be practitioners in the industry.
The EPI offers courses all-year round and a variety of courses to suit novices, as well as industry veterans. Their most notable courses include:
- Executive Protection
- Protection Firearms
- Protection Driving
- Defensive Tactics for Executive Protection
- Protection Specialty Courses
- Custom Protection Training Programs
- Online Courses
EPI offers a range of Virginia Certified Department of Criminal Justice Services Private Security Courses. Their 7-day Providing Executive Protection Program and Protectors Pistol Courses exceed the Commonwealth’s Standard for the Armed Personal Protection Specialist Credential.
Executive Security International (ESI)
Executive Security International (ESI) has been around for over 40 years, and they offer a variety of courses and programs tailored to their trainees. These cover executive protection with a 28-day resident training, tactical medic, covert protection, celebrity protection, and much more.
ESI offers certifications to trainees who successfully complete its programs. They award industry-specific credentials such as Certified Protection Specialist (C.P.S.), Certified PSD Protection Specialist (C.P.S.D.S.), Certified Security Specialist (C.S.S.), Certified Corporate Security Management Specialist (C.C.S.M.S.), and Tactical 1st Responder Medical based on performance and grading standards.
These credentials are approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Private Occupational School Board, and graduates receive certificates or credentials upon completion of coursework and training.
LaSorsa & Associates
The LaSorsa & Associates courses are developed and delivered by professionals with extensive field experience, including a former Secret Service Special Agent, former military personnel, former law enforcement officers, and internationally respected private-sector security practitioners. The curriculum emphasizes practical application, scenario-based learning, and industry-relevant skill development grounded in proven operational expertise.
Some more unique training courses and modules include:
- Church security and protecting religious figures
- Red team testing
- Workplace violence prevention
With LaSorsa & Associates, trainees receive an electronic certificate of completion for each program they complete (executive protection, defensive/evasive driving, protective medical response, private investigator, security consulting, TSCM, etc.).
For some specific components (like CPR/First Aid/AED and Stop-the-Bleed), the course includes external industry-recognized certifications (e.g., American Red Cross training and TECC content).
Pacific West Academy
With two campuses, in Los Angeles and San Diego, the Pacific West Academy covers the full spectrum of high-end security. Trainees learn about threat assessment, route planning, defensive tactics, and emergency medical courses.
The Academy also offers a variety of financial aid for its trainees and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET). All equipment and gear are included in the 10-week program, and there is lodging assistance available through the academy.
Their three most prominent programs include:
- Certified Executive Security Specialists (CESS) course
- Certified Protection Specialist (CPS) course
- Comprehensive Security Training (CST) course
Pacific West has also partnered with ASIS International and become part of their Preferred CPE Provider program. Their programs now count toward continuing professional education (CPE) credits towards ASIS recertification.
Israel Tactical School (ITS)
Israel Tactical School (ITS) brings decades of operational experience from one of the world’s most demanding security environments to its executive protection and tactical training programs. Founded and led by instructors with extensive backgrounds in military, special operations, and law enforcement disciplines, ITS focuses on preparing trainees for high-intensity security roles that require both tactical proficiency and strategic risk management.
ITS delivers a comprehensive curriculum that blends classroom instruction with rigorous, hands-on field exercises. Their core offerings include:
- Tactical Protection and Advanced Defensive Skills
- Operational Planning and Threat Mitigation
- Close Protection Techniques and Protective Formations
- Firearms and Use-of-Force Decision Making
- High-Threat Environment Navigation and Escape/Evasion Skills
Each course is designed to challenge participants physically and mentally, building confidence and capability for demanding assignments. Upon successfully completing ITS training, participants receive certification from the school that reflects their performance and mastery of the program’s learning outcomes.
UC Irvine’s Executive Protection Certificate Program: Private Executive and Corporate Protective Operations
The Executive Protection program at the UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education provides structured training in private and corporate protective operations. The curriculum covers legal considerations such as use of force and liability, site security planning for residences, hotels, and transportation assets, coordination with law enforcement, protective formations, and the integration of technology and cyber resources into security operations.
Courses are delivered in three sequential levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and emphasize applying protective methodologies within real-world business environments.
Students who complete three required courses (12 units) with a grade of C or better within five years are awarded a certificate. It is the Certificate in Executive Protection: Private Executive and Corporate Protective Operations from the UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education.
The program is designed for security professionals, law enforcement, military personnel, veterans, and individuals seeking to develop or formalize expertise in executive and corporate protection.
Elite Academy
Elite Academy positions itself as a modern executive protection and security training provider, delivering operationally focused courses designed to reflect today’s risk landscape. With an emphasis on practical skill development, their programs are structured to prepare trainees for real-world assignments across private, corporate, and high-risk environments.
Their training portfolio covers core executive protection competencies, including:
- Executive Protection Fundamentals
- Advance and Protective Operations
- Surveillance Detection and Counter-Surveillance
- Defensive and Tactical Skills Development
- Specialised Security Modules and Scenario-Based Training
Elite Academy delivers certification upon successful completion of its programs, confirming that trainees have met the academy’s performance and assessment standards. These certificates are issued by the academy and demonstrate completion of the relevant course requirements.
AS3 Driver Training
AS3 Driver Training specialises in advanced security and defensive driving instruction designed for executive protection teams, corporate security drivers, and individuals seeking elite vehicle control skills. Their programs combine techniques drawn from motorsport, law enforcement, and military experience to build measurable driving competence under high-stress scenarios.
Courses include advanced counter-ambush driving, accelerated skill-building modules, tactical motorcade operations, and specialised defensive/executive driving sessions delivered at multiple facilities across the United States.
Participants receive detailed skill performance reports upon completion of their course, which outline proficiency levels and capabilities developed during training. These reports serve as evaluative documentation of skill attainment rather than internationally recognised professional certifications from an independent industry body.
As with all schools in this year’s selection, we encourage voters to consider training depth, instructional background, facilities, international accessibility, and the overall reputation of the EP schools before making their final decision.
**Disclaimer: All finalists were submitted by members of the community, and their qualifications were reviewed by EP Wired based on publicly available information. No school or training program was intentionally excluded from consideration.