What's a good Net Promoter Score?

At ParentPulse, we place a strong emphasis on Net Promoter Score (NPS) because it’s a powerful indicator of organizational growth, satisfaction, and advocacy. NPS helps you understand how likely your school community is to recommend your school to others—and, importantly, how many people are actively serving as promoters for your school.

Research has consistently shown a strong correlation between an organization’s growth and its proportion of promoters. In short, if you want your school to grow, you need a strong network of promoters advocating for you within your local community.

One of the most important things to understand about NPS is its range: NPS runs from -100 to +100, not from 0 to 100.

Respondents are grouped into three categories based on how likely they are to recommend your school:

• Promoters: Your strongest advocates who are highly likely to recommend your school.
  
  
• Passives: Generally satisfied respondents who aren't enthusiastic enough to be considered promoters.
  
  
• Detractors: Respondents who are less likely to recommend your school and may have concerns or frustrations with their experience.

Your Net Promoter Score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters: NPS = % Promoters – % Detractors

For example, if every respondent were a detractor, your NPS would be -100. If every respondent were passive, your score would be 0. And if every respondent were a promoter, you would achieve a perfect 100.

There are varying views on what qualifies as a "good" Net Promoter Score, and context matters. In general, a score above 0 means you have more promoters than detractors, which is a positive sign.

However, schools are relationship-driven organizations with families and community members who have multiple interactions and touch points throughout the year. For organizations like these, a higher benchmark is appropriate.

Bain & Co., the creator of the Net Promoter Score, suggests:

• +30-50: Good
• +50 or higher: Excellent
• +70 or higher: World class

The average NPS among ParentPulse schools typically falls between 60 and 65.

Rather than focusing only on reaching a particular benchmark, it’s also helpful to track your school's NPS over time. Changes in your score can reveal whether the experience you provide families is improving and whether you're building a stronger base of advocates.

To see your school’s current Net Promoter Score, check your ParentPulse Dashboard, which also provides an updated benchmark score for comparison.

1. Close the Loop: After someone answers the NPS question, they’re given the option to explain their score. These comments are a valuable resource. Reach out to respondents – whether they’re promoters, passives, or detractors – to show you value their feedback. ParentPulse’s built-in "reply" function makes it easy to respond quickly and build goodwill.
   
   

2. Focus on Passives: Passives are those who rate you a "7" or "8" on the NPS scale. They’re easier to convert into promoters compared to detractors (who rate you a "6" or lower). Look for simple, impactful ways to address their concerns or improve their experience.
   
   

3. Experiment Strategically: Use the insights from your ParentPulse Dashboard to identify areas for improvement. Look for survey questions where your scores are below national benchmarks. By addressing these areas, you’re likely to see an overall rise in your NPS.

Your NPS isn’t just a number – it’s a reflection of how your community perceives and supports your school. Use it as a tool to engage, grow, and thrive!