How do study abroad consultants get student leads?
Most consultancies get steady student leads from four sources: Google Search ads for country and course searches, Instagram and Facebook lead ads aimed at students and parents…
How much does a student lead cost for study abroad consultants?
Quick answer
Cost per lead varies widely with destination, city, season and how strictly you qualify leads. Google Search leads usually cost more than Meta form leads but convert better. Judge campaigns on cost per counselling session and cost per enrolled student rather than cost per lead, because cheap, unqualified leads waste counsellor time.
What changes the cost
- Destination: popular countries like Canada, the UK and the USA have more advertisers bidding.
- Season: costs rise in the months before major intakes.
- Channel: Google Search ads capture active intent; Meta lead forms are cheaper but include more casual browsers.
- Form design: asking for intake, budget and test scores lowers volume but raises quality.
The numbers that matter
| Metric | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cost per lead | Shows ad efficiency only |
| Cost per counselling session | Shows lead quality |
| Cost per enrolled student | Shows real return on spend |
How to lower it
Use separate campaigns per destination, add negative keywords such as “free” and “jobs”, and send lead data back to Google and Meta so they learn which leads became students.
Key takeaways
- Search leads cost more but convert better
- Measure cost per enrolment, not per lead
- Qualifying questions raise lead quality
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