Facebook Ads Insights Tool

Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Education

See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type

Cost Per Lead for Education

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

  • Education leads are consistently below the global benchmark: average cost per lead (CPL) of $19.40 vs. a global baseline of $35.80, around 46% lower.
  • Clear seasonality: a Q4 uplift with a peak in November 2024, followed by a sharp reset in January; a secondary spike in May; and the lowest CPL in September 2025.
  • Higher volatility than the market: average month-to-month swing of $6.88 (≈36% of the series average) vs. $4.50 (≈13%) in the baseline.
  • Strong downward trend over the period: -74% from September 2024 to September 2025 vs. -37% in the baseline.

What the data covers

This analysis looks at cost-per-lead trends for industry Education and target country All countries available compared to the global trend. The analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. Timeframe: September 2024 through September 2025.

Education cost-per-lead trends

  • Average: $19.40 across 13 months.
  • High/low:
  • High at $30.87 in November 2024.
  • Low at $7.44 in September 2025.
  • Trend: From $28.71 (Sep 2024) to $7.44 (Sep 2025), a -74% change.
  • Volatility:
  • Average absolute month-to-month move: $6.88.
  • Largest increase: +$12.13 from October to November 2024.
  • Largest drop: -$10.42 from December 2024 to January 2025.
  • Seasonal notes:
  • Q4 uplift: October–December averages about $25.31, peaking in November.
  • Q1 reset: January–March averages about $15.71, with a local low in March ($13.06).
  • Mid-year bump: May rises to $24.54 before easing into summer and a new low in September 2025.

How this compares to the global baseline

  • Baseline average: $35.80 (high $41.58 in November 2024; low $20.63 in September 2025).
  • Baseline trend: -37% from September 2024 to September 2025.
  • Baseline volatility: $4.50 average month-to-month change; largest monthly drop of -$16.40 in September 2025; largest gain +$10.45 in November 2024.
  • Relative positioning:
  • Education CPL sits below market in every month observed.
  • Typical gap vs. global: about $16.40 per lead on average.
  • The gap is smallest in September 2024 (≈$4.17) and widest around April–June 2025 (peaking near $23.74 in June).

Seasonality and month-by-month movement

  • Both series show a pronounced November spike, aligning with typical Q4 advertising intensity.
  • The Education series shows bigger swings and a sharper January reset than the market.
  • May brings a notable, temporary uplift in Education CPL before a steady decline into late summer, culminating in September lows for both the Education series and the global baseline.

Understanding cost-per-lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Education and All countries available helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Education industry, Facebook ad costs can be moderate, with higher costs for professional and specialized courses. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.

Why we use median instead of average

We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.

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The data behind the benchmarks

All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.

This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.

What is considered a good cost per lead on Facebook in 2025?

A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.

Why is my CPL higher than industry averages?

Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.

Does campaign objective impact CPL?

Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.

How can I generate leads at a lower cost without hurting lead quality?

Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.

Should I optimize for leads or conversions if my goal is pipeline growth?

If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.