Pricing
Published plainly. No joining fee, no fine print.
Novice debate usually forces a choice between a large class priced like a boutique program and an hourly tutor with no curriculum around them. Core is neither: small cohorts capped at 6-8, a published skill ladder, a written progress note after every session, and 1:1 access when you want it, all billed month to month with no minimum term. Here's the full price list, including the optional discount for paying ahead. The season's cohorts begin September 8, and because each cohort keeps its small, locked roster for the whole season, a limited number of seats are open at this introductory rate.
Already past that date? Joining mid-season explains the 1:1 catch-up hour and how the topic cycle shapes the best week to start. Enrolled already? Refer a family and get $100 off Core for each of their students who joins.
Core: introductory rate
$165 a month, billed month to month. Cancel any time.
Monthly
$165 billed every month
Cancel anytime
Semester
$640 due every 4 months
Prepay 4 months at once
Full season
$1200 due upfront
Prepay all 8 months
The full-season plan saves $120 versus paying monthly across the season.
- Weekly 90-minute live cohort (capped 6-8)
- Full six-level skill ladder
- Written progress notes, every session
- Always-on coaching access
- Internal tournaments included
Cohorts begin September 8. Rosters lock once the season starts, so space is limited, and no debate experience is needed to join.
Book a call to join the cohortNo card required for the call. No mandatory upfront fee beyond your chosen plan, and you can cancel anytime on the monthly cadence.
30-minute joining perk (a complimentary 1:1 credit) on top, regardless of cadence. A placement session, the short 1:1 where we settle where your student starts, is what this credit usually covers.
On the roadmap, not open yet
Growth
Coming soonA step up from Core with more structured 1:1 support built in. Contents are being shaped by real usage from this season's cohorts before we price and launch it.
Techne
Coming soonThe full program for committed competitors heading toward the circuit: deeper prep and tournament support.
Two ways to bring your rate down.
Buy in bulk
As low as $55/hr
Members who book multiple 1:1 hours at once bring their rate down automatically, and it stacks on top of the member rate Core already gives you.
Refer a family
$100 credit per student
Know a family who'd be a fit? Send them our way. For each of their students who joins Core, $100 comes off your own Core billing. No limit on how many times you can do this.
1:1 coaching, by the hour
One rate ladder. No separate rate for who's on the call. It depends on membership and volume, not seniority.
| Base rate (non-member) | $90/hr |
| Core member rate | $60/hr |
| Bundle: 5+ hrs at once | $58/hr |
| Bundle: 10+ hrs at once | $55/hr |
| Sibling/pair session | 1.5× a single session's rate |
Cancellation, plainly
Cancel at least 24hours ahead and there's no charge. Inside that window, or a no-show, is a 50% fee by default. Exceptions can be made case by case. Group cohort sessions never deduct credits.
Internal tournaments run at key points across the season, with placement based on each student's level on the ladder rather than a fixed bracket, and are included at no extra cost. External and travel circuit tournaments can be supported logistically, but Podium Debate doesn't cover those costs.
Full cancellation & refund policy →Need more individualized support or tournament preparation? Ask about a customized coaching plan.
How that compares.
Each program's own published pricing, taken from their public pages. Terms and inclusions vary widely, so this isn't an apples-to-apples match, just the order of magnitude.
| Program | Published price | Term | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podium Debate | $150-$165 | per month, cadence-dependent | LD-focused, drill-based |
| Bergen Debate Club | $1,790-$2,050 | per 13-17 week term | PF only, in-person cohorts |
| Potomac Debate Academy | $850-$1,100 | per 12-16 week term | PF & World Schools, not LD |
| DebateDrills | $4,275+ | per season (LD club membership, plus typical add-on tutoring) | 100% online, premium tier |
| Break Debate | $1,500-$4,000 | per season | LD-focused, circuit-oriented |
| TalkMaze | $280-$520 | per month | 1:1 public speaking/PF coaching (their most popular plan is $520/mo). They cite $360-600/mo as the going rate for comparable private coaching. |
| CME Strategy | $4,000 | per season (LD) | Circuit-focused, small-lab model |
| The Argument Institute | $3,250 | per season (in-season debate package) | General speech & debate, not LD-specific |
LD is Lincoln-Douglas, the one-on-one debate format we coach. PF is Public Forum, a two-person partner format. They're different events, which is part of why the inclusions above don't line up neatly.
These are the programs' own published rates and can change at any time on their end. Verify directly with the program before relying on any figure here.