Tuition by Age and Schedule

Excel Formulas › Childcare & Daycare

All versionsVLOOKUP

Tuition varies by age group (infants cost most) and schedule (full vs part time). A rate table by age, scaled for part-time days, produces each family’s tuition.


Quick formula: weekly tuition from a rate table:
=VLOOKUP(age_group, rate_table, 2, FALSE)
Look up the age group's full-time rate; scale by days for part time. Infant full-time might be $320/week.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

The example

Infant full-time = $320/wk.

AB
1ItemValue
2Infant rate$320
33-day part time→ $192

The formula

The formula:

=VLOOKUP(age_group, rate_table, 2, FALSE) // age group → rate

How it works

How it works:

  1. Build a rate table: age group → full-time weekly rate.
  2. VLOOKUP the age group (exact match) for the base rate.
  3. For part time, scale by days: full_rate × days ÷ 5 (or use a part-time column).
  4. Add a schedule lookup for non-linear part-time pricing if rates aren’t proportional.

Part-time rarely scales linearly — decide your policy. A 3-day week often costs more than 3/5 of full-time because fixed costs (a licensed spot, ratios) don’t shrink proportionally. You can scale by days for simplicity, or keep a separate part-time column in the rate table for true pricing. Either way, a single VLOOKUP on age group plus a schedule rule produces consistent tuition for every family.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Age group rate and days per week.

Full-time · This schedule

Variations

Part-time by days

Scale full rate:

=full_rate * days_per_week / 5

Part-time column

Non-linear:

=VLOOKUP(age_group, rate_table, 3, FALSE)

Monthly tuition

Weekly × 52 / 12:

=weekly_rate * 52 / 12

Pitfalls & errors

Exact match. Age group names need FALSE in VLOOKUP.

Part-time policy. Decide linear scaling vs a separate rate.

Weekly to monthly. Use ×52÷12, not ×4, for an accurate month.

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Tuition by Age and Schedule practice workbook
A tuition sheet with the part-time, part-time-column, and monthly variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up childcare tuition by age in Excel?
Use VLOOKUP on the age group: =VLOOKUP(age_group, rate_table, 2, FALSE). Infant full-time might be $320/week.
How do I price part time?
Scale by days (=full_rate * days/5) or keep a separate part-time column in the table for non-linear pricing.
How do I convert weekly to monthly?
=weekly_rate * 52 / 12 — more accurate than multiplying by 4.

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Related formulas: Staff-to-child ratio · Sibling discount · Tuition proration

Function references: VLOOKUPIF