How Families Perceive Value and Affordability in Independent Schools

Independent school leaders face a perfect storm: rising operational costs, fierce competition, and families who want savings without sacrifice.

In this conversation with Christina Dotchin, VP of Member Relations at the Enrollment Management Association, we unpack the newly released report Independent School Education: Family Perceptions of Value and Affordability and explore what its findings mean for school strategy, pricing, and communication.

Christina breaks down how families think about value, why price signals matter, and what schools risk when they try to be all things to all people.

This episode offers a clear path for leaders who want to differentiate, communicate value with confidence, and build stronger alignment across teams and boards.

What You'll Learn from Christina Dotchin:

1. Families want savings without sacrifice: Most will not accept lower quality, even at a lower price.
2. Access to high-quality academics drives decisions: Families consistently rate this as their top priority, yet many schools fail to communicate it effectively.
3. The mythological perfect school reflects unrealistic expectations: Families seek balance across academics, social-emotional learning, and traditional measures of success.
4. Families use complex strategies to afford tuition: Many rely on loans, grandparent contributions, and early 529 withdrawals.
5. Price signals quality: Higher tuition often suggests higher value, unless schools communicate their value clearly.