2025 cost-per-thousand-impressions benchmarks across platforms
Education CPM is strongly anti-Q4 — while most verticals spike in Q4, education CPM drops sharply as the holiday period suppresses enrollment intent. Q1 and Q3 (enrollment seasons) are peak.
Typical Education CPM falls between $5 and $14 depending on platform, targeting breadth, and campaign objective.
Average (blended): $8.90 (2025)
| # | Platform | CPM Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Search (equiv.) | $10–$18 | ⭐ Program/course intent queries |
| 2 | Meta | $7–$12 | Interest + life-event targeting |
| 3 | YouTube | $6–$10 | Course preview content |
| 4 | TikTok | $7–$11 | Short course / micro-learning |
| 5 | $35–$60 | Professional certification | |
| 6 | Display | $3–$6 | Retargeting applicants |
| Year | Average CPM |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $7.10 |
| 2023 | $7.80 |
| 2024 | $8.40 |
| 2025 | $8.90 |
| 2026E | $9.40 |
2026E = projected estimate.
Index 100 = annual average.
| Quarter | Index | Relative Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 120 | |
| Q2 | 108 | |
| Q3 | 114 | |
| Q4 | 58 |
Education advertisers can take advantage of low Q4 CPMs for brand awareness and content distribution — cost-per-impression drops 40–50% vs Q1, making it ideal for top-of-funnel.