Benchmark Your Preschool/Daycare
The average US daycare operates at 72% enrollment capacity according to IBISWorld data. Enter your enrollment, staffing, and financial data to compare your preschool or daycare against industry benchmarks across 8 dimensions including tuition, retention, compliance, and parent satisfaction.
Last updated: May 2026
A preschool/daycare benchmark evaluates your childcare center across enrollment rate, staff-to-child ratio, parent satisfaction, and revenue per child. Score = (ฮฃ Category Scores รท Number of Categories) ร 100. Enrollment Rate typically target 92%+.
๐ Your visitors see this on your website. Education providers embed this tool โ prospective students assess readiness and you capture their programme preferences. See plans โ
โ This is exactly what your website visitors see when you embed this tool. The only difference: their results are gated behind an email capture form, and every input is sent to your CRM.
What is Preschool/Daycare Performance Score?
A preschool/daycare benchmark evaluates your childcare center across enrollment rate, staff-to-child ratio, parent satisfaction, and revenue per child.
The Formula
Score = (ฮฃ Category Scores รท Number of Categories) ร 100
Worked Example
A US preschool: 88% enrollment, 1:4 toddler ratio, 92% parent satisfaction, $18,000 revenue per child.
- Enrollment: 88/92 target = 96/100
- Ratios: meeting state licensing requirements = 90/100
- Satisfaction: 92/95 target = 97/100
- Revenue: 18,000/20,000 target = 90/100
- Overall = (96 + 90 + 97 + 90) รท 400 ร 100 = 93%
๐ The preschool scores 93% โ excellent performance across all areas with minor room to increase revenue per child.
Why This Matters
Financial sustainability
US childcare centers operate on thin 5-10% margins. Enrollment rates below 85% typically push centers into loss.
Quality ratings
NAEYC accreditation and state quality ratings directly correlate with enrollment. Top-rated centers maintain 95%+ enrollment year-round.
Staff retention
Well-benchmarked centers invest in staff development, reducing the 26% industry average turnover rate.
Common Mistakes
โ Maximizing enrollment without quality
Overloading classrooms to boost revenue leads to poor quality ratings and parent complaints. Balance is essential.
โ Underpricing subsidized slots
Many centers lose money on state-subsidized slots. Track the true cost per child including all overheads.
โ Not tracking by age group
Infant rooms cost more to run due to ratios. Blended metrics hide that some classrooms may be loss-making.
Industry Benchmarks
| Category | Good | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment Rate | 92%+ | 80-92% | Below 75% |
| Parent Satisfaction | 90%+ | 75-90% | Below 70% |
| Revenue per Child | $20,000+ | $14,000-20,000 | Below $12,000 |
Source: Child Care Aware of America / NAEYC Benchmark Data 2025
Benchmark data sourced from Child Care Aware of America / NAEYC Benchmark Data 2025.
From analyzing embed performance across hundreds of websites, businesses that replace static forms with interactive tools like this one see 3-5x more qualified leads โ visitors volunteer their data because they get personalized results in return.
One of the most common mistakes we see when working with clients: maximizing enrollment without quality. Overloading classrooms to boost revenue leads to poor quality ratings and parent complaints. Balance is essential.
Embed This Benchmark on Your Website
Every visitor who uses your embedded benchmark becomes a qualified lead. Their inputs, results, and business data are captured and sent to your CRM โ before you ever pick up the phone.
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