Mathnasium vs Kumon vs the Russian School of Math vs a 1-on-1 tutor: how each one teaches, what each costs per month and per hour, which children each suits, and how to choose in one evening

Mathnasium and Kumon are the two names parents meet first, usually because there is one of each within a few miles, and the question "which is better" has no single answer because they are not two versions of the same thing. One is a worksheet method the child mostly does alone; the other is an hour at a table with an instructor nearby. Add the Russian School of Math, which parents with stronger children ask about, and a 1-on-1 tutor, which is what most families compare all three against, and you have the four choices in this guide. We are a 1-on-1 tutoring service, so we are one of the four; we have used each programme's own published description and prices, and said where each is the right choice.

Mathnasium vs Kumon, Kumon vs Mathnasium: the four, side by side

How each one actually teaches

Mathnasium. A child starts with a verbal and written assessment and gets a learning plan from Mathnasium's curriculum, which starts with number sense and builds up. In the centre they work through the plan while an instructor moves between three or four children, explaining, checking and giving the next task; there is time in the session for school homework, and nothing is set to do at home. Rewards and progress checks keep children going. It is strongest at finding and filling gaps in the basics and at making a reluctant child willing to sit with maths. Our full look at it is in is Mathnasium worth it.

Kumon. After a free placement test the child often starts below their grade, deliberately, so they can do the work fast and accurately. Every day they do a short worksheet set (Kumon says about 30 minutes a subject), two days at the centre and the rest at home; each sheet goes one small step beyond the last and shows an example, so the child works out the new step from the page. The instructor grades the work and sets the next pack. It builds speed, accuracy and the habit of daily work very well, particularly in arithmetic. It explains little; a child who cannot work out the step from the example waits for help or repeats the sheet. It depends on the family keeping the daily routine.

The Russian School of Math. Classes of about twelve, placed by grade and by one of three levels, meeting once or twice a week, with homework of roughly half the class time. It is teacher-led and discussion-based, usually ahead of the school, with a competition track. It suits a child who is at or above grade level and likes being stretched. A child who is behind or anxious can find the pace and the group hard.

A 1-on-1 tutor. The whole session goes to one child, so explanation, practice and correction all happen in the hour. A tutor can follow the school's course week by week, prepare for a specific test, or go back and rebuild a gap, and change between them as needed. Quality depends entirely on the tutor, which is the main risk, and in person it is the most expensive per hour. Online, the price range is much wider and much lower.

What each costs, per month and per hour of attention

Monthly price is what you pay; cost per hour of an adult's direct attention is what you buy.

The estimates in the middle columns are ours, from each programme's published format; your centre may differ. The point of the table is the last column, not to say a group is bad: practice with help nearby is valuable, and for some children it is better than an adult watching every line. Our Mathnasium cost guide has the published centre prices in full.

Which child each one suits

Sylvan, and the others parents ask about

Sylvan Learning offers both small groups and 1-on-1, across subjects including reading and writing, with an assessment first; review sites report roughly $40 to $100 an hour depending on format and city. Huntington is similar, with more test preparation. Kip McGrath (UK, Australia) and Explore Learning (UK) are the nearest equivalents to Mathnasium outside North America. Brighterly and Cuemath are online 1-on-1 programmes with their own curriculum. We compare the online options with prices in Mathnasium alternatives.

How to choose in one evening

1. Name the problem in one line. "Slow with facts", "lost in fractions since grade 4", "failing Algebra 2", "bored and ahead". The line picks the row in the table above.
2. Do the free trials. Kumon's placement test, Mathnasium's assessment and a free first class with a tutor are all free. Ask each what they found and what they would do first; the one that names a specific skill has looked properly.
3. Put the real monthly cost next to the hours of attention. Include the enrollment fee and the contract length.
4. Ask your child which they would go back to. A programme a child resents fails whatever its method.
5. Set a four-week check. Whatever you choose, look at the work and the school marks after a month and decide again.

If the 1-on-1 row fits your child, our classes are that option at the low end of the price: a master's-qualified teacher, the same one each week, the school's own course and method, every class recorded, US$10 to $13 an hour, monthly billing, no contract. The first class is free and ends with a written note of where your child is and what we would do first, which is useful whichever of the four you choose.

Questions parents ask

See how we teach this, 1-on-1 online →