The Cost per Enrollment Study asks one crucial question: How much does each new student enrollment cost independent schools?
The question has important implications for independent schools’ revenue, mission, and admission work. By understanding where a school is investing its money along the new student journey, schools can make better-informed decisions, budgets, and strategic plans.
It can be difficult for schools to calculate their own cost per enrollment, as the data are often collected in different offices. And the data may be aggregated in a way that makes it difficult to accurately calculate CPE or may not be collected at all.
The goal of this study is to create both a pathway for schools to calculate their own CPE and a baseline against which to compare it. The study reports the cost per enrollment for the average independent school and breaks it down by school size, grade level, and region. The sample size of single-sex schools was too small to include in this report.
Sections include:
- Introduction and Key Findings
- Why Calculation Cost Per Enrollment Is Important
- How to Use This Report
- Report Findings
- Key Takeaways
- Begin Measuring Cost Per Enrollment
- Survey Methodology
- Downloadable Content
Full Report
- NAIS Research: 2025 Independent School Cost per Enrollment Study (PDF; member login required)
Quick View
Quick Views are high-level summaries showcasing key data points. They designed to serve as a quick reference point before diving deeper into the full analysis.