Most of the evidence for small group tuition has focused on low-attaining primary-school students from low socio-economic backgrounds. There is a lack of research testing the efficacy of tutoring programs for high school students, though one study found a modest positive effect of a maths program on Year 9-12 students from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Most of the evidence for small group tuition comes from the UK and US, though there are some Australian studies which show positive effects. The Grattan report released 2020 analysed the evidence and recommended small group tuition as the most cost-effective, evidence-based and practical solution to helping disadvantaged Australian students get back on track as quickly as possible. Grattan suggests that disadvantaged students could gain 4-5 months of learning from a 10-20 week tuition program, based on data from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).