Marketing Budget for Education: Plan Your Budget for 2025

How much do schools spend on marketing?

Schools and other members of the education industry spend an average of $1,000–$10,000 per month on marketing.

We will break down education marketing budgets through the following sections:

• How much do education companies spend on marketing?
• Education marketing budget breakdown
• Factors that impact education marketing budgets
• How to create an education marketing budget
• FAQs on education marketing budgets

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How much do schools spend on marketing?

Schools and other members of the education industry spend $1,000–$10,000 per month on marketing on average. In 2023, the educational services industry in the U.S. spent over $1.5 billion on advertising alone, so the collective industry is investing heavily in promoting their services and offerings.

Education marketing budget breakdown

How much you spend on your marketing budget for private/public schools will depend on the strategies you use. Consider the top strategies that organizations in the education industry invest in:

Here is a breakdown of the services that education companies invest in most and their prices:

Factors that impact education marketing budgets

Your budget will change depending on common industry factors and challenges. Here are a few to note:

• Available internal resources: Not all schools can perform marketing in-house. You might not have the resources or staff available, causing you to spend your budget on outsourced marketing.
• Growing competition: Between online schooling and new avenues for education, there is growing competition for your institution. Finding new ways to promote yourself while staying competitive will fuel how you spend your budget.
• Decreasing enrollment: If you are experiencing decreased enrollment, you might be spending your marketing budget incorrectly. Your marketing budget should serve existing and new students to maintain enrollment rates.

Below, you can also find the top challenges in your industry when it comes to marketing:

How to create an education marketing budget

How to Create Your 2025 Education Marketing Budget

• Allocate 5-10% of your total revenue for marketing
• Reserve between 11-15% of your marketing budget to invest in new marketing strategies

Now, let’s look at how you can create an education marketing budget that benefits your school or organization. Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Outline clear enrollment and growth goals for the year
2. Assess your institution’s budget, revenue, and costs
3. Research competing institutions
4. Evaluate to improve ROI

1. Outline clear enrollment and growth goals for the year

The first step to creating a marketing budget is determining what you want to accomplish.  Creating SMART goals — those that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely — will help you set attainable standards for your education marketing budget.

One SMART goal for a school might be, “We want to increase enrollment by X percent in the next two years.”

Ask yourself the following questions to evaluate your current marketing strategy and what you want to achieve:

• What do you want to accomplish this quarter/year?
• What marketing channels currently produce the highest ROI?
• How will you measure your success?
• What channels do your students and parents respond well to?

2. Assess your institution’s budget, revenue, and costs

You must also determine how much revenue you’re bringing in to determine what you can spend on marketing. Since 5-10% is the average for education, you can get a better dollar estimate based on how much revenue you generate per month or year.

While thinking about your available revenue, consider the costs you will have to pay for as well. Some examples of ongoing marketing costs include:

• Your marketing channels
• Your digital marketing provider
• Any tools or subscriptions you need
• Any website upgrades and improvements

3. Research competing institutions

You should also consider any market conditions as well as competitor strategies.

For example, enrollment rates might peak in the spring of the following school year. Your marketing strategies should be encouraging students to enroll, get accepted, and pay their deposits before any deadlines.

By looking at other competing institutions in your industry, you can get inspiration for what strategies are ideal for a school like yours.

4. Evaluate as necessary

Be sure to adjust your education marketing budget throughout the year to get the most out of your spending. Tracking what channels drive more enrollment, engagement, and retention can help you spend your funds more accurately and improve your ROI.

FAQs on education marketing budgets

If you want to learn more about marketing budgets for colleges and universities, as well as other educational institutions, check out our FAQ below!

Turn your marketing budget into a revenue-driving plan with WebFX

If you want to take control of your marketing budget for education, partner with WebFX. With our help, you can turn your marketing budget into a plan for driving revenue throughout the year.

Our agency has 61,900+ hours of experience in the education industry, which we use to get the most revenue out of every dollar you budget for marketing. With our digital marketing services, you can build your company’s online credibility and stand out in a competitive industry.

Contact us today to see how you can boost your ROI and grow your budget YoY!

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