Top Education & Child Care Franchises Over 50 Units

The demand for supplemental education and childcare services is higher than ever, creating a multibillion-dollar industry. Built on a passion for growing confidence and making a difference in students’ lives, these brands have innovated and refined their methods and demonstrated sustained success to establish themselves as the strongest forces in the segment.

Sylvan Learning**

Unit count: 750-plus domestic and international units

Investment range: $70,980-$159,885

Founded in Portland, Oregon in 1979, Sylvan Learning has provided personalized instructional services to students of all skill levels in grades K-12 for more than 35 years. Depending on student need, Sylvan’s customers can choose between personalized tutoring, academic coaching, and advancement and standardized test preparation. The brand’s tutoring approach blends teachers with trademarked technology and a practiced system that is measured systematically across centers with a goal of providing support through every stage of a student’s academic journey. The brand recently appointed a new chief revenue officer to focus on technological advances and driving local owner revenue growth.

Tutor Doctor*

Unit count: More than 550 territories in 16 countries

Investment range: $68,500-$101,700

The Tutor Doctor brand was born in Toronto, Canada in 2000 as an alternative to the group setting most learning centers utilize in their practices. The brand’s business model is built on providing in-home supplemental education to students of all levels, kindergarten through college. Tutor Doctor customizes each student’s learning plan based on the results of a comprehensive assessment, pairing them with the right tutor to fit their needs as well as their schedule (the brand also offers video chat sessions). Tutor Doctor is continuing to grow its business thanks to its development of academic materials and its attractive Visa program.

Huntington Learning Center*

Unit count: More than 240 units

Investment range: $119,201-$270,304

When Dr. Raymond J. Huntington and his wife, Eileen, opened the first Huntington Learning Center in 1977, their mission was to help provide students with the best education possible. That mission prompted the development of a specific learning model and propelled the growth of the supplemental education brand into a national presence. Huntington Learning Center’s instructional offering covers reading, mathematics and study skills, as well as phonics, spelling, vocabulary, writing and standardized test preparation, employing accredited teachers to provide students in grades K-12 a customized curriculum. The brand’s franchise centers posted an average revenue growth of 33 percent between 2009 and 2017, positioning the brand as an attractive option for potential franchisees looking to enter the segment.

Primrose Schools

Unit count: More than 350 locations

Investment range: $600,000-$750,000

Primrose Schools is an early education and childcare franchise that offers programs for infants to kindergarten-aged children. A fully accredited and licensed educational childcare facility, Primrose Schools provides educational enrichment by employing its research-informed ‘Balanced Learning’ approach, a mixture of creative engagement and instructional curriculum. The brand provides year-round service including after-school enrichment and summer programs, and is additionally developing an in-home program to expand its service offering. While on the higher end of the education and childcare segment’s investment range, Primrose Schools has experienced steady growth and is on track to hit $1 billion in systemwide revenue by 2020.

Mathnasium*

Unit count: 900-plus locations worldwide

Investment range: $112,750-$149,110

Mathnasium, an education franchise dedicated to helping students understand and excel in a common school subject that causes difficulty, was founded in 2002 in Los Angeles. The brand has experienced growth across the U.S. due to its simple focus of learning for the purpose of understanding, which can often get lost in a student’s early math education, leading to further struggle later on in their learning. Mathnasium assists students both behind and ahead in math, from elementary school through high school, by developing and implementing student-specific learning plans. The brand has been growing its presence throughout the U.S. and beyond with an appealing, straightforward offering for franchisees and clients alike.

Kumon

Unit count: Over 25,000 units worldwide

Investment range: $69,583-$148,965

Kumon has helped over four million students with math and reading in its 60-year history. The brand has programs for children as young as three years old all the way up through high school. Kumon centers focus on daily practice and self-paced progress to bolster and accelerate learning in the subjects of math and reading, a method developed by the brand’s founder, Toru Kumon, in Japan in 1954. By teaching critical thinking and independence Kumon’s impact on students expands beyond the classroom. Kumon’s recent securing of its 20th “Best of the Best” designation from Entrepreneur magazine is indicative of the brand’s sustained success atop the education franchise segment.

Kiddie Academy

Unit Count: Over 180 locations in 29 states

Investment range: $200,000-$550,000

Kiddie Academy was founded 1981 to provide education-based childcare from infancy up to age 12. Offering specific learning programs for designated age groups, Kiddie Academy facilitates learning through experience by engaging a child’s curiosity and instinct through different activities. The brand’s curriculum involves character education, health and fitness, and technology education components, plus STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education classes for children of all ages. Kiddie Academy’s detailed, scalable education model and franchise support staff have resulted in the brand doubling its unit count since 2011.

The Goddard School

Unit count: More than 450 units in 37 states

Investment range: $712,800-$786,100

Early childhood education provider The Goddard School was started by Lois Goddard Haines to merge daycare and education for children six weeks to six years old. The preschool franchise employs a proprietary educational model to build more than just academic skills. Differentiating learning programs aim to develop children’s social, emotional and creative abilities by incorporating activities like chess, coding, music and yoga into their daily routine. The Goddard School prioritizes keeping parents in the loop on their child’s development with daily activity reports and regular conferences, connecting them to the brand’s nationally accredited experts on a personal level to inspire collaboration and personalization in the service offering.

The Learning Experience

Unit count: Over 140 units across the U.S.

Investment range: $500,000-$800,000

The Learning Experience began as a single childcare center in Florida that incorporated the importance of learning into its business model. Now a nationally-recognized education and childcare franchise, The Learning Experience provides childcare services centered on education in the form of before- and after-school enrichment programs as well as summer programs for children aged between six months and five years old. The brand has developed key cognitive, physical, and social teaching methods that advance children’s academic preparation in six stages from infancy to kindergarten. In July 2018, the brand was acquired by San Francisco-based private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, a move the fast-growing early education franchise hopes will fuel international expansion.

College Nannies, Sitters and Tutors

Unit count: Operating in more than 140 territories nationwide

Investment range: $134,500-$228,000

In 2001, a college student working as a nanny identified the need for a service to connect parents with childcare providers and tutors. As a result, College Nannies, Sitters and Tutors, a network of college students, graduates and teachers available for childcare and education services, was born to serve families across the U.S. The brand screens and background checks caregivers, putting them through a training program before matching them with a family based on mutual need, availability and values. The offering - convenient, legal childcare with an emphasis on technological innovation - has built a strong client base and propelled College Nannies, Sitters and Tutors to national growth due to a scalable operation that allows franchisees to assemble teams and operate with ease.

*Brands marked with an asterisk are clients of 1851 Franchise or No Limit Agency*.