See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Education advertisers in India saw an unusually turbulent year in cost per lead (CPL), oscillating from single digits in mid‑year to an extreme spike in October. Compared to the global Facebook Ads benchmarks—which moved steadily higher into Q4—India’s pattern was choppy, with sharp lifts in late Q1 and early Q2, a deep mid‑year trough, and an outsized October jump that dwarfed the rest of the period.
This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Education in India compared to the global benchmark.
Across the available 10 months (Dec 2024–Oct 2025), Education CPL in India started near 46 and ended at approximately 6,430 per lead. The period average was about 710, but the median was a much lower 46.8, highlighting the influence of a single October outlier. Excluding October, India’s average from Dec–Aug was roughly 75.
Highs and lows were extreme: the peak came in October (≈6,430), while the low landed in June (≈2.34). Before October, notable highs included February (≈213), April (≈195), and May (≈133). A clear downswing followed: March eased to ≈18, then June collapsed to ≈2.34 with July (≈9.63) and August (≈9.59) stabilizing in single digits.
Volatility was the defining feature. Month‑to‑month movements averaged about 796 points including October; removing the October jump, typical swings averaged around 92. By contrast, the global benchmark shifted by only about 3 points month to month.
For context, the global Education CPL averaged about 40.5 over the same period, with a low near 33 (March) and a high around 48.1 (October), tracing a gradual climb into Q4.
The India series diverged from the familiar seasonal rhythm. While global CPLs generally firmed through Q4, India posted its highest pre‑Q4 costs in late Q1/early Q2 (February–May), then moved into a pronounced mid‑year trough (June–August) with single‑digit CPLs. October then surged dramatically—far beyond the typical Q4 lift visible in the global trend.
In practical monthly cadence:
Relative to the global benchmark, India’s Education CPL swung between above‑market spikes and deep below‑average troughs:
Across Dec–Aug, India averaged roughly 75 per lead versus a global 38, nearly double on average, even though four of those months ran below global levels. The narrowest gap occurred in December (India ~22% above global). The widest gap was October, where India’s CPL exceeded the global level by more than 130x. Overall, India was markedly more volatile than the steady global ascent (+16% from March to October).
Understanding Facebook Ads cost‑per‑lead benchmarks for the Education industry in India—alongside broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance—helps frame country‑specific ad costs against global patterns. This CPL analysis shows how Education ad performance in India compares to the global benchmark, highlighting a year defined by early spikes, a mid‑year trough, and an extraordinary October surge.
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. For campaigns targeting India, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. 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.
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.
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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October (Diwali), Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas), July–August (Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi)
CPMs might spike significantly during Diwali, especially in electronics, apparel, jewellery, and gifts. Black Friday/Cyber Monday and December could drive elevated ad competition. State-specific festivals might see regional campaign spikes. Bank closures during holidays may push online shopping to cluster in end-of-week periods.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.
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