Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
True cost per child
$51.29
Total trip cost
$1,436
Subsidy per child vs. amount charged
$36.29
Total trip subsidy
$1,016
Chaperones/staff required
5
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter children attending.
- 2Enter admission cost per child ($).
- 3Enter bus/van rental for the trip ($).
- 4Enter required off-site ratio.
- 5Enter staff/chaperone day rate ($).
- 6Enter amount charged per family (0 if free) ($).
- 7Read your true cost per child on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Field trips get priced off the admission ticket price alone far too often, which is why they quietly lose money once transportation and required chaperone ratios are added in. This calculator sums per-child admission cost, bus or van rental, and the cost of extra staff or chaperones needed to meet a stricter off-site ratio (which is often tighter than the classroom ratio), then divides by the number of children attending to get a true cost per child. It compares that to what you're charging families (if anything) to show the subsidy per child the center or school is absorbing, and computes the minimum group size needed to hit a target cost-per-child if you're deciding whether a trip is viable at your current enrollment.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Children attending: 28
- Admission cost per child: 12 $
- Bus/van rental for the trip: 350 $
- Required off-site ratio: 6
- Staff/chaperone day rate: 150 $
- Amount charged per family (0 if free): 15 $
Results
- True cost per child: $51.29
- Total trip cost: $1,436
- Subsidy per child vs. amount charged: $36.29
- Total trip subsidy: $1,016
- Chaperones/staff required: 5
What each field means
Inputs
- Children attending
- The children attending used in the calculation. Starts at 28 so you have a working example on load.
- Admission cost per child ($)
- The admission cost per child used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 12 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Bus/van rental for the trip ($)
- The bus/van rental for the trip used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 350 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Required off-site ratio
- The required off-site ratio used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load.
- Staff/chaperone day rate ($)
- The staff/chaperone day rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Amount charged per family (0 if free) ($)
- The amount charged per family (0 if free) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- True cost per child
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total trip cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Subsidy per child vs. amount charged
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total trip subsidy
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Chaperones/staff required
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is the off-site ratio often tighter than the classroom ratio?
Many states and most center policies require a lower child-to-adult ratio off-site than in the classroom, because supervision risk (traffic, crowds, getting separated) is higher outside a controlled facility. Check your own policy and state guidance rather than assuming your normal classroom ratio applies on a field trip.
Should the center ever fully subsidize a field trip?
That's a values and marketing decision, not just a financial one — some programs treat field trips as part of the enrichment value baked into tuition and intentionally don't itemize a charge. This calculator just makes the size of that subsidy visible so it's a deliberate choice rather than an unplanned budget hit discovered later.
How do I find the minimum group size to make a trip affordable?
Increase the children input until cost per child drops to your target price point — transportation and staffing costs are largely fixed regardless of group size within a bus's capacity, so they spread thinner as more children attend, up until you need a second bus or additional chaperone tier.
Does this include the classroom's regular staff who'd be paid anyway?
No — enter only the marginal chaperone cost beyond staff who are already scheduled and paid regardless of the trip. If you're pulling in extra help specifically for the trip (a substitute to cover the classroom, or additional paid chaperones), that's what belongs in the staff day rate input.
Accuracy and 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.
Related tools
Summer Camp Session Margin Calculator
Model profit per weekly camp session after staffing, supplies, and field trips.
Daycare & School Bus Route Cost Per Rider
Find your true cost per child for a van or bus route, and the fare that breaks even.
Extended-Care / Before-After-School Margin Calculator
Check whether your before/after-school or extended-day program actually profits.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Field Trip Cost Per Child Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/field-trip-cost-per-child
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/field-trip-cost-per-child" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Field Trip Cost Per Child Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Field Trip Cost Per Child Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/field-trip-cost-per-child) (2026).