Enter your operating costs and enrollment goals to find the right monthly tuition. See your break-even point, annual revenue projection, and per-age-group pricing.
Enter your total monthly costs across the entire center.
Suggested Tuition
Based on 43 children at 85% occupancy with a 10% margin
Cost per child
$814/ mo
Annual revenue
$462,000
Break-even enrollment
40children
Revenue at full capacity
$537,209
Enrollment targets
Add your monthly expenses — staff wages, rent, food, insurance, and anything else it costs to operate.
Choose your target occupancy rate and the profit margin you want to hit. The calculator adjusts instantly.
Get a suggested monthly tuition, break-even enrollment, and annual revenue — with optional age-group pricing.
Annual rate review: Run your updated costs through the calculator before setting next year's tuition. You can see exactly how much a 5% cost increase changes the rate families pay.
Opening a new center: Before signing a lease, plug in your projected costs and capacity to see if the tuition you'd need to charge is competitive in your market.
Adding an infant program: Use the age-group breakdown to see how infant tuition should compare to your preschool rate — most centers charge 30–50% more for infants.
Budget shortfall: If you're running at a loss, the break-even number tells you exactly how many more children you need — or how much tuition needs to increase — to get back in the green.
Seedlist helps you manage your waitlist, forecast when spots will open, and contact families at exactly the right time. More seats filled means more revenue — without raising rates.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer — it depends on your operating costs, local market rates, and how many children you serve. This calculator helps you find a baseline tuition that covers your costs and meets your margin goals. From there, research what other centers in your area charge and adjust accordingly.
Infant care requires lower staff-to-child ratios — typically 1:3 or 1:4 compared to 1:10 or more for preschoolers. That means more staff per child, which drives costs up significantly. Most centers charge 30–50% more for infant care to reflect this reality.
Most childcare centers operate on thin margins — 5 to 15% is typical for well-run programs. Margins below 5% leave little room for unexpected costs or improvements. If you're a new center, starting at 10% gives you a reasonable cushion while keeping rates competitive.
If you offer part-time slots, adjust your capacity number to reflect full-time equivalents. For example, if you have 50 spots but 10 are part-time (3 days/week), count those as about 6 full-time equivalents. So enter 46 as your capacity. Your tuition result will be for a full-time spot — then price part-time as a percentage (typically 65–75% of full-time).
Yes. Extended hours before 7am or after 6pm require additional staffing, which increases your costs. Most centers either charge a flat monthly add-on ($50–$150) or an hourly rate for early drop-off and late pickup. Keep it simple for families — a flat fee is easier to communicate and budget for.