EMG’s Independent School Google Ads Benchmarks Are Here

Written by Ryan Devito | Jan 21, 2025 5:00:00 PM

Enroll Media Group compiled data from the Google Ads accounts of over 100 independent schools to establish benchmarks and averages across day, boarding, and summer programs.

Here's what we learned:

In reviewing the data, we found that even campaigns with modest budgets can deliver excellent results. The key to success is in campaign optimization. A well-designed campaign strategy will enable any school to increase brand awareness and attract new leads.

There are a few high-level takeaways from our analysis. In general, the data showed that campaigns for day programs tend to be slightly more expensive than those for boarding programs. Summer programs are somewhere in between. Cost per click (CPC) is a hyperlocal metric that indicates how competitive a particular market is, and, in general, New England has the highest CPC. The average school in the Southeast could expect a relatively low CPC. Looking at cost per conversion, the Midwest region is on the low end of the spectrum, just half the average cost in the Mid-Atlantic region.

We were surprised to discover that as a campaign budget increases, so does the conversion rate. For example, a day school that spends $20 per day could expect to receive about 6 conversions per month on average. If the same day school increased its budget to $40 per day, they could expect to receive not 12 conversions, but about 16 conversions. A 100% increase in budget results in a 159% increase in conversions! In other words, each incremental dollar spent actually improves the performance of the campaign overall.

About the schools in the Google Ads data set:

To develop the benchmarks, we analyzed the Google Ads data of more than 100 school partners from a two-year period beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2024. Day schools, boarding schools, and summer programs were analyzed separately. The benchmark metrics include: cost per click, click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per conversion. The conversions measured are specifically form submission conversions, also known as leads.

We looked at the data in two ways. First, we developed national benchmarks that include all schools, regardless of location. The national benchmarks are helpful starting place for evaluating ad performance. Second, we developed regional benchmarks, which allow for more accurate comparisons between peer schools. Schools were segmented into five regions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, Southeast, and West.

The takeaways for schools:

Google is the dominant search engine in the United States and is a great way to reach new audiences through both Search and Display advertising. Whether the budget is small or large, Google Ads is a powerful advertising platform that can help schools attract high-quality top-of-funnel leads. Every school is unique, and digital advertising performance is affected by many factors, including budget, target audience, and market competition. Our benchmarks give you an idea of what to expect from your campaigns.

Want to see the full report? Complete this form to access the 2024 benchmarks and see how your ads stack up!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to info@enrollmediagroup.com and we can set up a one hour, no-strings-attached discussion to uncover ways your school can improve its digital marketing presence.

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