Economics tutoring: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What economics tutoring is

Economics tutoring teaches supply and demand, markets, graphs and models, for micro or macro courses, using examples and practice problems. Students and parents book it when graphs start moving in the wrong direction, when a macro course introduces too many new terms, or before an exam on markets.

Signs you need it

  • The student draws a supply or demand graph but shifts the wrong curve
  • The student cannot say why a price changes when demand goes up
  • Economic models feel abstract, and the student does not know when to use each one
  • Macro topics like inflation, interest rates or GDP feel like a list of definitions
  • The course has a graphing exam, and the student has not practiced drawing the graphs

What the pro does

  • Checks the student's understanding of supply, demand and the basic terms first
  • Teaches each graph with a real example, such as a price change in a market the student knows
  • Works through shifts and movements along the curve, step by step
  • Practices models for markets, costs or macro policy with the course's problems
  • Gives practice graphs and problems and reviews the mistakes at the next session

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of each session and how many sessions are in a series
  • The level, such as high school economics, AP economics or a college course
  • Whether sessions are in person or online, and whether graphs are drawn live
  • One-on-one tutoring versus a small group
  • Whether the course is micro, macro or both
  • Whether the tutor works from the course's textbook or their own materials

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and start date
  • Whether sessions are in person or online, and what graphing tools are used
  • Whether practice problems and exam review are included
  • Cancellation and make-up policy
  • Whether the tutor will share progress with a parent or the student's teacher

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you teach a shift in a curve so the student knows what caused it?
  • Do you start with a real market example before the graph?
  • How do you help with macro topics, such as inflation and interest rates?
  • Will you work from my child's textbook and the teacher's graphs?
  • How do you prepare the student for a graphing exam?
  • If my child is under 18, have you passed a background check?
  • What should the student be able to graph and explain after the first month?

Red flags

  • Teaches graphs as shapes to memorize without the reason behind each shift
  • Draws the graphs for the student and does not ask them to draw one
  • Promises a grade change without checking the student's skills
  • Presents one political view of an economic policy as the only correct answer

What you can do yourself

A student can draw supply and demand graphs for a product they buy, shift one curve at a time and say what changed in words, and read the business or news section for examples. Ask the teacher for past exams. Hire a tutor when the student cannot tell which curve shifts, when models keep confusing them, or when a graphing exam is close.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to tutor economics privately. If the tutor works in a school or program, that program may have its own rules. Ask whether the tutor has teaching experience or a degree in economics or a related field, and check with your state or local licensing agency only if the tutoring is part of a program with its own requirements.

Economics tutoring questions

Why does my child keep shifting the wrong curve?

Many students mix up a change in price with a change in the other factors. A tutor can have the student name the factor first, then decide which curve it shifts.

Do I need to know economics to help my child?

No. You can help by asking your child to explain a graph to you in words, and by pointing out a real price change they see. The tutor can handle the models.

Is economics tutoring useful beyond the class?

Yes. The same tools help with reading news about prices and budgets. Ask the tutor to connect each model to a real example the student can follow.

Pro reviewers

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