{
  "slug": "microschool-per-pupil-cost",
  "title": "Microschool Per-Pupil Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Microschool Per-Pupil Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/microschool-per-pupil-cost",
  "summary": "Tuition needed per student to break even on a small independent school model.",
  "description": "Microschools and learning pods run on a handful of students, so fixed costs like a lead teacher's salary and space rental get divided across a small denominator, making per-pupil cost very sensitive to enrollment. This calculator totals staffing, space, and materials cost, divides by enrollment, and shows how tuition per student must change if enrollment moves up or down by a couple of students.",
  "formula": "Total cost = staffing + rent + materials + insurance. Tuition per pupil = total cost × (1 + margin%) ÷ enrollment.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=microschool-per-pupil-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "staffing",
      "label": "Staffing cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 85000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "rent",
      "label": "Space rent/utilities per year",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 18000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "materials",
      "label": "Materials & supplies",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "insurance",
      "label": "Insurance & admin",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "enrollment",
      "label": "Enrolled students",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 30
    },
    {
      "id": "margin",
      "label": "Target margin",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 40
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "tuition",
      "label": "Tuition needed per student",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "tuitionPlus1",
      "label": "Tuition with one more student",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "tuitionMinus1",
      "label": "Tuition with one fewer student",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "totalCost",
      "label": "Total annual cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Staffing cost: 85000 $",
      "Space rent/utilities per year: 18000 $",
      "Materials & supplies: 6000 $",
      "Insurance & admin: 4000 $",
      "Enrolled students: 10",
      "Target margin: 8 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Tuition needed per student: $12,204",
      "Tuition with one more student: $11,095",
      "Tuition with one fewer student: $13,560",
      "Total annual cost: $113,000"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter staffing cost ($).",
      "Enter space rent/utilities per year ($).",
      "Enter materials & supplies ($).",
      "Enter insurance & admin ($).",
      "Enter enrolled students.",
      "Enter target margin (%).",
      "Read your tuition needed per student on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "staffing": 51000,
        "rent": 11000,
        "materials": 3500,
        "insurance": 2500,
        "enrollment": 6,
        "margin": 5
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "staffing": 85000,
        "rent": 18000,
        "materials": 6000,
        "insurance": 4000,
        "enrollment": 10,
        "margin": 8
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "staffing": 136000,
        "rent": 29000,
        "materials": 9500,
        "insurance": 6500,
        "enrollment": 16,
        "margin": 13
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why is per-pupil cost so volatile at small enrollment?",
      "a": "With fixed costs dominating and only 8-15 students, each additional or lost student shifts per-pupil cost by 8-12%, far more sensitive than a traditional school with hundreds of students absorbing the same fixed base."
    },
    {
      "q": "What margin should a microschool target?",
      "a": "5-10% is typical for a sustainable small operation, enough to cover a bad enrollment year or unplanned repair without immediately raising tuition mid-year."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should materials cost scale with enrollment?",
      "a": "Partially — put the per-student portion (workbooks, supplies) into a variable line if enrollment swings a lot, and keep shared curriculum licensing in the fixed staffing/materials line."
    },
    {
      "q": "How does this compare to microschool tuition in the market?",
      "a": "Most microschools charge $8,000-$15,000 per year; if your computed break-even tuition is well above that range, you likely need higher enrollment or a lower-cost space before the model works."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/student-teacher-ratio-staffing-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/homeschool-annual-budget"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Microschool Per-Pupil Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/microschool-per-pupil-cost)"
}