The Learning Experience franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.28 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$25,000 to $60,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

7% · 7% of the Center's monthly Gross Revenue, paid on the first day of each month

Marketing contribution

1% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$525/month Software Service Fee (may increase up to 5%/year); plus one-time $2,999 Initial Computer Set Up Fee

Other fees

Lease Administration Fee ($1.80/sq ft/yr or 8% of annual base rent, whichever is greater); L.E.A.P. Interactive Monthly Fee ($249 plus $2.58-$5.88 per child/month); Brand Awareness Fund (currently 1%, up to 2.5% of Gross Revenue)

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds - operating expenses for 6 months: $300,000-$450,000 (opening cash and other miscellaneous expenses beyond the tables, for a 10,000-11,000 sq ft Center at least $300,000, larger Centers up to $450,000)

Fees sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.28 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average, median, and high/low Gross Sales by center age cohort (Mature 48+ months, Intermediate 24-47 months), split further into above/below average subsets; also Statement 2: actual Gross Sales, selected expenses, and EBITDAR for Mature Company Owned Centers

Reporting period

Fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025 (January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2025)

Sample

2025: 266 Mature Franchised Centers and 17 Mature Company Owned Centers open the entire year; 59 Intermediate Franchised Centers and 10 Intermediate Company Owned Centers (only centers open 24+ months as of year-end, excluding centers closed during the reporting year)

Reported average

$2,186,393

Reported median

$2,168,511

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.67 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

386

Year-end outlets

436

Net change

+50

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

57

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

6

Reacquisitions

5

Transfers

20

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.73 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

191 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$500,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

121 loans

Historical charge-off share

6.25%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

8 / 128

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does The Learning Experience franchise cost?

New Center with SDSC Addendum (franchisor-developed turnkey site): $805,799 to $1,563,499; New Center with SC Addendum (franchisee-developed site): $2,264,799 to $5,658,799; Acquisition of Existing Center only: $937,300 to $3,393,000; Multiple Franchise Center (MFC) Addendum, 4 Centers: $3,401,196 to $22,813,196 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $25,000 to $60,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.28 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do The Learning Experience owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average, median, and high/low Gross Sales by center age cohort (Mature 48+ months, Intermediate 24-47 months), split further into above/below average subsets; also Statement 2: actual Gross Sales, selected expenses, and EBITDAR for Mature Company Owned Centers. Sample: 2025: 266 Mature Franchised Centers and 17 Mature Company Owned Centers open the entire year; 59 Intermediate Franchised Centers and 10 Intermediate Company Owned Centers (only centers open 24+ months as of year-end, excluding centers closed during the reporting year). Period: Fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025 (January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2025).

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.67 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for The Learning Experience?

6.25%; numerator / denominator: 8 / 128. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $500,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 121 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗