Why is tutoring so expensive?

In our last post, we looked at choosing a tutor. If you search for a tutor online, the choice will be overwhelming. Naturally, many people focus on the price that various tutors are charging. This also varies wildly, from under £15/hour to well over £100. What causes this variation? Is there really such a difference?

Many factors play into the price a tutor charges. The location (inner London is more expensive than suburban areas), the level of student (primary costs less than A-level) and the subject (STEM subjects typically charge more than humanities and arts). None of these factors can be greatly changed. If you require A-level chemistry tuition, there would be little benefit in hiring a GCSE history teacher. If you live in a more expensive location, you may be interested in online tutoring. This is often cheaper than an equivalent tutor in-person but there are some drawbacks.

Having refined our search to tutors of our subject at our level and in our area, we will still notice a wide range. At this point, it may be worth considering some of the expenses which a tutor needs to pay and how these can vary depending on the business model.

A tutor has to pay travel costs to get to the tutoring location. They have to pay tax and national insurance and they have to provide resources. They may also have to pay a subscription to an agency or referral website.

Having taken off a substantial portion of the price of a lesson in costs, we can compare the tutors' incomes. A tutor charging £15 per hour will be taking home less than the minimum wage. That tutor is unlikely to have a great deal of experience. They may have achieved well academically but they have not seen the questions which come up year-on-year. They have not marked a class set of exam papers and seen the areas which cause students difficulties every time. They have not had to modify an explanation to allow a student to grasp a concept they didn't understand first time, in fact they are unlikely to have had to explain a concept to anybody. This is where the experience of educators comes in.

Teachers know where the misconceptions arise and how to chart a path for students to overcome them. They can adapt to diverse students. They know what gains marks in an exam, and importantly what wastes time without getting credit. This experience is invaluable. Investing in this experience will give you the best opportunity and the greatest likelihood of academic success.

Employing a tutor can seem very expensive and it is natural to want to ensure you get the best value for money. But buying cheap is not always the saving it appears to be. In an increasingly competitive academic market, with university places so highly sought, selecting the right tutor is far more nuanced than selecting the cheapest.

If you want to discuss tutoring options, get in touch.