Facebook Ads Insights Tool

Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Education in United States

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

Cost Per Lead for Education in United States

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Facebook Ads cost per lead benchmarks: Education in the United States vs global trend

This analysis looks at cost per lead (CPL) trends for the Education industry in the United States compared to the global trend. The analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks.

Key takeaways

  • Education in the United States ran below market across the entire period: 13 out of 13 months were lower than the global baseline, with an average CPL 36% below the global average (22.83 vs 35.80).
  • Clear seasonality: both series peak in November (Q4) and drop sharply at the end of the period, with a notable post-holiday softening in January.
  • Volatility: the selected series shows higher month‑to‑month variability than the global benchmark (average absolute MoM change 24.5% vs 12.6%).

Education, United States: monthly CPL performance (Sep 2024–Sep 2025)

  • Average: 22.83
  • High: 32.34 in November 2024
  • Low: 11.83 in September 2025
  • First-to-last change: down 56.4% (from 27.12 in September 2024 to 11.83 in September 2025)
  • Range: 20.51 across the period
  • Volatility: average absolute month‑to‑month swing of 5.56 (24.5%)
  • Notable moves:
  • Q4 spike: +25.0% from October to November 2024 (25.87 to 32.34), followed by a December ease to 29.16
  • Post-holiday dip: −34.8% in January 2025 (to 19.01)
  • Summer uptick: +46.1% in July 2025 (to 26.80) after June softness
  • Sharp late‑summer/fall drop: −47.0% from August to September 2025 (22.32 to 11.83), the period low

Global baseline: monthly CPL performance

  • Average: 35.80
  • High: 41.58 in November 2024
  • Low: 20.63 in September 2025
  • First-to-last change: down 37.3% (from 32.88 to 20.63)
  • Range: 20.95 across the period
  • Volatility: average absolute month‑to‑month swing of 4.50 (12.6%)
  • Notable moves:
  • Strong Q4 lift: +33.6% from October to November 2024
  • January softening: −10.3% vs December
  • Broad stability through mid‑year, then a steep September 2025 compression: −44.3% vs August

How Education in the United States compares to the global benchmark

  • Level: consistently below market. The selected series is lower than the global baseline in every month by double‑digit percentages.
  • Average gap: 22.83 vs 35.80 (−36% vs global).
  • Seasonality: patterns align with the market—elevated costs in Q4 (peak in November) and a typical January dip—indicating Education in the United States is in line with overall trends seasonally.
  • Volatility: higher relative swings than the global benchmark, especially around January, July, and September 2025.
  • End‑period compression: both series see the lowest CPL in September 2025, with the selected series falling more sharply and to a lower level than the market.

Understanding cost per lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Education and United States 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. For campaigns targeting United States, advertisers often face higher costs due to high competition and purchasing power. 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.

United States Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan 20Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb 17Presidents' Day
May 26Memorial Day
Jun 19Juneteenth
Jul 4Independence Day
Sep 1Labor Day
Oct 13Columbus Day
Nov 11Veterans Day
Nov 27Thanksgiving Day
Dec 25Christmas Day

Key Shopping Season

Late November (Thanksgiving & Black Friday weekend), December (Christmas), Back-to-school (July–September), Summer travel season (Memorial Day onwards)

Potential Advertising Impact

CPM and CPC might rise around major holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, especially in travel and entertainment. Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend triggers massive spikes in retail ad competition. December ad demand typically peaks—retail campaigns require significantly higher budgets. Back-to-school promotions drive increased competition. Juneteenth may see regional engagement rise.

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.