The Goddard School franchise: what it costs
Opening a school in a leased building runs $1,003,500 to $1,503,000 for The Goddard School franchise, based on its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), which a brand must hand you before you buy.
The Goddard School franchise cost, item by item
- Total opening cost
- $1,003,500 to $1,503,000 Item 7, 2026 FDD
- Franchise fee you pay one time at the start
- $135,000 Item 5, 2026 FDD
- Royalty, your ongoing payments to the brand
- 7% taken from gross receipts Item 6, 2026 FDD
- Marketing fund, which covers shared advertising
- 4% from gross receipts Item 6, 2026 FDD
- Figures on sales or earnings
- Shared, with no single main number Item 19, 2026 FDD
- Number of locations when 2025 ended
- Franchise owners ran 665; the company ran 0 Item 20, 2026 FDD
Each figure above comes from the 2026 The Goddard School Franchise Disclosure Document, which Goddard Franchisor LLC filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Each small label points to the numbered part of the FDD where that figure sits.
Earnings and sales figures in the The Goddard School FDD
Item 19 is the FDD part where a brand may report sales or earnings for its locations. The Goddard School gives figures there, but not one main number to point to. Before you rely on any of them, go through the Item 19 tables all the way.
Before you lean on any figure, see this guide on reading an Item 19.
The Goddard School compared with other childcare franchises
Most childcare franchises listed here cost less to open than The Goddard School; $905K is where the middle one starts.
| Brand | Total cost to opentotal, lowest to highest | Upfront feeone-time fee | Royaltyongoing, usually a % of sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiddie Academy | $590K to $1.01M | $70,000 to $150,000 | 7% |
| The Learning Experience | $806K to $1.56M | $60,000 | 7% |
| The Goddard School | $1M to $1.5M | $135,000 | 7% |
| Primrose Schools | $5.02M to $7.96M | $50,000 to $80,000 | 7% |
Before you buy, a brand has to hand over its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD); the brand's latest one is where every figure comes from. After you open, the royalty is what you keep paying the brand, either a share of sales or a set amount. A K stands for thousand, an M for million. Each of the 4 brands includes sales or earnings figures in its FDD (open a brand to see them). All of these FDD filings went to the Minnesota Department of Commerce in 2026.
All childcare franchises, side by side
Number of The Goddard School locations
At the end of 2025, The Goddard School had 665 United States locations, with franchise owners running 100% of them (Item 20). In that same part of the FDD, you get phone numbers for owners still running stores and ones who left. Your best way to learn how these costs play out in real life is to call a few of them.
Get the The Goddard School FDD read by a franchise attorney
Before you sign, one franchise attorney can go through the The Goddard School FDD and franchise agreement with you.