STEM Camp Shirt Cost and Pricing for Camps and Families

STEM camp shirt cost is one of the more confusing line items for new camp directors. The base manufacturing cost on a cotton youth tee with a printed camp logo is $19.88 on the VIP plan. Common retail to families is $30 to $40. Most camps build the tee into tuition, which means parents do not see a separate apparel charge. Below is the full pricing breakdown: what the tee actually costs to make, what to charge families, and how the math compares to traditional screen-print bulk orders.

What a STEM camp tee actually costs

Item	Free plan cost	VIP plan cost	Difference
Youth cotton tee	$23.93	$19.88	$4.05 savings
Adult cotton tee	$23.93	$19.88	$4.05 savings
Performance wicking tee	$28.88	$23.86	$5.02 savings
Comfort Soft Hoodie	$44.94	$36.88	$8.06 savings
Sport-Tek Polo	$41.93	$34.88	$7.05 savings

VIP plan ($59/month) more than pays for itself once a camp sells 15+ tees per month.

How camps typically charge for tees

• Tuition-included (most common): $19.88 tee cost rolled into the $300-$500 weekly camp price. Families never see a separate charge.
• Optional add-on at registration: parents check a box to add tees at $25-$30 each. Camp keeps $5-$10 margin per tee.
• Day-one purchase: parents buy at the registration table with cash or card
• Online shop only: tee not included, families buy through the camp shop URL, camp keeps $10-$15 margin

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Recommended retail prices by item

Item	VIP base	Recommended retail	Margin per piece
Camper cotton tee	$19.88	$30	$10.12
Performance camper tee	$23.86	$36	$12.14
Family bleacher tee	$19.88	$30	$10.12
Sibling tee	$19.88	$25	$5.12
Comfort Soft Hoodie	$36.88	$55	$18.12
Womens Cropped Hoodie	$47.88	$68	$20.12
Embroidered Rope Hat	$29.86	$45	$15.14

Comparing Pro Shops to traditional bulk screen print

	Traditional screen print (50 tees)	Pro Shops (50 tees bulk)
Per-tee price	$12-$15 + setup	$19.88
Setup fee	$50-$100	$0
Personalization	+$3-5 per tee	$0
Reorder cost	Same setup again	Same per-piece, no setup
Late additions	Difficult, extra cost	Standard, no extra
Year-round shop	Not supported	Yes

Traditional bulk is slightly cheaper on the first run if no personalization. Pro Shops wins on every reorder, every personalized order, and every family/sibling purchase across the year.

Tuition math for a tuition-included tee

Building a $19.88 tee into a $350 weekly tuition price costs the camp $19.88 of margin per camper. The trade-off:

• Every camper walks home in branded gear (visible advertising 12 months out of the year)
• Camper photo days look uniform and professional
• Family loyalty is built around the wearable token

Most directors find the trade-off worth it. The camp recovers the tee cost through next-year retention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Free plan more expensive per tee?

Free plan has higher per-piece base price to offset the lack of a monthly fee. VIP plans cost $59/month but reduce per-piece cost by $4-$11 depending on item.

Is the VIP plan worth it for a small camp?

If the camp sells more than 15 items per month, the VIP plan pays for itself. Smaller camps can stay on the Free plan.

Can the same camp shop list both VIP-tier and Free-tier pricing?

No. The plan determines the base price for all items in the shop.

How does the camp get paid?

Weekly direct deposit to the bank account configured at signup. Markup on each sale gets deposited automatically.