From May to September 2026, our research team studied how much it costs a martial arts school to win one new paying student in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. We compiled data from 19 sources, including national advertising cost data, federal wage, population, and regional price data, martial arts tuition and trial conversion benchmarks, school referral and discovery studies, and fitness lead-to-member funnel data.
This report answers what a martial arts school pays to acquire one new student, and how that cost changes by state, region, and marketing channel. In the sections below, we break down each of those benchmarks, along with how many months of student tuition it takes to earn the cost back.
Average Martial Arts School Student Acquisition Cost by State: 2026
The table below breaks down the average cost for a martial arts school to acquire one new student in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., along with how each state compares to the U.S. average.
| Rank | State | Avg. CAC | % vs U.S. Average ($388) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $429 | +10.6% |
| 2 | Hawaii | $426 | +9.8% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $426 | +9.8% |
| 4 | New Jersey | $422 | +8.8% |
| 5 | New York | $418 | +7.7% |
| 6 | Washington | $415 | +7.0% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $410 | +5.7% |
| 8 | Maryland | $407 | +4.9% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $404 | +4.1% |
| 10 | Connecticut | $402 | +3.6% |
| 11 | Florida | $401 | +3.4% |
| 12 | Oregon | $401 | +3.4% |
| 13 | Colorado | $399 | +2.8% |
| 14 | Alaska | $397 | +2.3% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $396 | +2.1% |
| 16 | Virginia | $392 | +1.0% |
| 17 | Arizona | $390 | +0.5% |
| 18 | Nevada | $388 | 0.0% |
| 19 | Illinois | $387 | -0.3% |
| 20 | Delaware | $387 | -0.3% |
| 21 | Utah | $383 | -1.3% |
| 22 | Minnesota | $382 | -1.5% |
| 23 | Vermont | $380 | -2.1% |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $378 | -2.6% |
| 25 | Texas | $376 | -3.1% |
| 26 | Maine | $376 | -3.1% |
| 27 | Georgia | $373 | -3.9% |
| 28 | Michigan | $373 | -3.9% |
| 29 | Idaho | $370 | -4.6% |
| 30 | Montana | $367 | -5.4% |
| 31 | North Carolina | $366 | -5.7% |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $365 | -5.9% |
| 33 | South Carolina | $363 | -6.4% |
| 34 | Indiana | $362 | -6.7% |
| 35 | Ohio | $360 | -7.2% |
| 36 | Wyoming | $359 | -7.5% |
| 37 | New Mexico | $357 | -8.0% |
| 38 | Tennessee | $356 | -8.2% |
| 39 | Missouri | $352 | -9.3% |
| 40 | Kentucky | $349 | -10.1% |
| 41 | Nebraska | $349 | -10.1% |
| 42 | Kansas | $349 | -10.1% |
| 43 | West Virginia | $347 | -10.6% |
| 44 | North Dakota | $345 | -11.1% |
| 45 | Alabama | $344 | -11.3% |
| 46 | South Dakota | $343 | -11.6% |
| 47 | Louisiana | $342 | -11.9% |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $340 | -12.4% |
| 49 | Iowa | $340 | -12.4% |
| 50 | Mississippi | $337 | -13.1% |
| 51 | Arkansas | $337 | -13.1% |
The data shows that California schools pay about $92 more per new student than Arkansas schools, a 27% gap that mostly tracks cost of living. Channel still matters more than location: Google Ads costs about 6 times a referral in every state. Higher-cost states usually charge higher tuition too, which helps cover the higher CAC.
Average Martial Arts School Student Acquisition Cost by Region: 2026
The table below breaks down the average cost for a martial arts school to acquire one new student in each U.S. region, along with the lowest and highest state in each. Regions follow U.S. Census groupings, with D.C. counted in the South, and each regional figure is a population-weighted average of its states.
| Region | Avg. CAC | Lowest to Highest State |
|---|---|---|
| West | $411 | $357 (New Mexico) to $429 (California) |
| Northeast | $406 | $376 (Maine) to $422 (New Jersey) |
| South | $374 | $337 (Arkansas) to $426 (D.C.) |
| Midwest | $366 | $340 (Iowa) to $387 (Illinois) |
The data finds that the West is the most expensive region at $411, pulled up by California. The South has the widest range ($337 in Arkansas to $426 in D.C.), so a regional average is a weak guide there. The Midwest is cheapest, and no Midwest state tops the $388 national average.
Average Martial Arts School Student Acquisition Cost by Channel: 2026
The table below breaks down the average cost for a martial arts school to acquire one new student through each marketing channel, along with the weighted average across all channels.
| Channel | Ad and Marketing Cost | Intro Visit Staff Time | Total CAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral | $145.00 | $15.53 | $160.53 |
| Meta lead ads | $373.93 | $15.53 | $389.46 |
| Organic search and Google Business Profile | $462.22 | $15.53 | $477.75 |
| Google Search Ads | $929.10 | $15.53 | $944.63 |
| Weighted average | $372.08 | $15.53 | $387.61 |
The data indicates that referrals are by far the cheapest way to get a student, and paid ads are the expensive ones. Staff time barely moves the number. Google Ads costs about 6 times as much as a referral, so schools that lean on paid ads will see a much higher average CAC than schools that get most students from word of mouth.
Average Martial Arts School CAC Payback: 2026
The table below breaks down how many months of student tuition it takes a martial arts school to earn back the cost of acquiring a new student through each channel, based on average monthly tuition of $145.
| Channel | CAC | Months to Earn It Back |
|---|---|---|
| Referral | $161 | 1.1 |
| Meta lead ads | $389 | 2.7 |
| Organic search and Google Business Profile | $478 | 3.3 |
| Google Search Ads | $945 | 6.5 |
| Weighted average | $388 | 2.7 |
The data suggests every channel pays for itself within a year, and the average student is earned back in about 2.7 months. Google Ads is slowest at 6.5 months, so it only works if students stay well past the intro. Longer enrollments and steady tuition are what turn a paid-ad student into profit.
If you’d like a PDF copy of this report or help lowering your martial arts school’s student acquisition cost, contact Altus.
Sources
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