2022 Independent School Cost-Per-Enrollment Study

Overview

As schools continue to navigate a changing economic and demographic landscape, evaluating admissions and enrollment success has never been more important. What does it cost to enroll an independent school student? More importantly, how do your school’s enrollment costs compare to schools like yours?
 
The 2022 Independent School Cost-Per-Enrollment Study provides the context to evaluate your school’s admissions work. The study represents a collaborative effort between the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Enrollment Management Association (EMA), and the National Business Officers’ Association (NBOA).

Executive Summary

Among the independent schools that participated in this research, enrollment costs were as follows:
  • The median cost-per-enrollment (CPE) was $3,677
  • The median cost-per-inquiry (CPI) was $697
  • The median ROI was $7 in tuition for each dollar spent to enroll a new student in their first year
Enrollment costs varied significantly across school demographics. The largest schools (those with 700+ students) had the lowest CPE of all school groups—and saw the highest return on their investment ($8.60 in tuition for each dollar spent on enrollment management in the first year of tuition). Elementary schools had the smallest cost per enrollment ($2,869 per enrollee vs. the median $3,677 per enrollee.) The median CPE for secondary schools was $5,844.
 
The full report contains additional data on enrollment costs sorted by school type (day/boarding), size, region, and grade levels served. 

Downloadable Content

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