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Compliance January 15, 2026
CFP Board Continues Trend of Record Certifications, Exam Candidates
In 2025, the board also saw the largest number of racially and ethnically diverse professionals certified in a single year.
Reported by Edward Rueda
The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. announced Thursday that 2025 saw record numbers of new CFP certificants and exam candidates. As of December 31, 2025, there are 107,529 CFP-certified professionals, up 4.3% from 2024.
A total of 11,307 candidates took the CFB Board exam in 2025, representing a 5.7% increase from the previous record set in 2024. Of the 6,709 certificants, 59% were younger than 35.
Last year’s certificant class also included the largest number of racially and ethnically diverse professionals in a single year, bringing the total number to 11,195—10.4% of all CFP professionals. The 9.3% yearly increase from 2024 was more than twice the overall growth rate of CFP professionals.
In 2025, 1,694 women earned CFP certification, increasing the total number of CFP-certified woman to a new high of 25,601—23.8% of total certificants.
“This unprecedented growth indicates that CFP certification is more valuable than ever,” CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller said in a statement. “CFP certification stands as the clear standard, one that firms actively prioritize and consumers increasingly expect.”
The announcement noted that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. became the first firm to exceed 6,000 CFP-certified employees and that Edward Jones has more than 5,000. The CFP Board also awarded more than $714,000 in scholarships in 2025—8.4% more than in 2024.