How can international schools attract NRI and expat parents?
Expat and returning NRI parents research schools online before they move, often from abroad. Rank for curriculum and city searches such as IB or IGCSE schools in your city…
How much does a school admission enquiry cost through ads?
Quick answer
A school admission enquiry from Meta ads commonly costs a few hundred rupees in Indian cities, while Google Search enquiries usually cost more but show stronger intent. The number that matters is cost per admission, which depends on how many enquiries turn into campus visits and how many visits turn into admissions.
What drives the cost
Enquiry costs depend on your city, the school’s fee level, competition from nearby schools and the season. Costs rise in peak admission months when many schools advertise to the same parents. Premium international schools usually pay more per enquiry because the audience is smaller and more selective.
The funnel to track
- Cost per enquiry: what each form or call costs.
- Enquiry-to-visit rate: how many families come for a campus tour.
- Visit-to-admission rate: how many visits become confirmed admissions.
- Cost per admission: total spend divided by admissions from ads.
Compare cost per admission with the annual fee and the years a student typically stays. A single admission can be worth several years of fees, which justifies a meaningful marketing cost.
How to lower your cost per admission
- Call or WhatsApp every enquiry the same day, ideally within an hour.
- Ask the child’s age or class on the form so you target the right parents.
- Promote a specific action — an open house or campus tour — rather than “enquire now”.
- Show fees or a fee range to filter families outside your segment.
- Retarget parents who visited your website or watched your videos.
- Collect and display Google reviews from current parents.
Channels compared
Meta delivers volume and is good for awareness and open-house registrations. Google Search captures parents actively comparing schools in your area. Most schools use both, then shift budget toward whichever delivers the lower cost per admission.
Set targets before the season
Decide how many seats you need to fill per class, then work backwards through your conversion rates to set an enquiry target and budget for the season.
| Metric | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cost per enquiry | Ad efficiency |
| Enquiry-to-visit rate | Follow-up quality |
| Visit-to-admission rate | Campus experience and fit |
| Cost per admission | True return on marketing |
Key takeaways
- Judge campaigns by cost per admission, not per enquiry.
- Promote open houses and campus tours, not generic enquiries.
- Show fee ranges to attract families in your segment.
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