Learning Express vs Primrose Schools

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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Learning Express
Education/Tutoring
Investment
$201K to $388K
Franchise fee
$40,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
88
Primrose Schools
Education/Tutoring
Investment
$743K to $8.6M
Franchise fee
$80,000
Item 19 status
Full Disclosure
Units
22
Lower entry cost
Leans left
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Even
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricLearning ExpressPrimrose Schools
Franchise Fee
$40,000$80,000
Min Investment
$201K$743K
Max Investment
$388K$8.6M
Royalty Rate
5.0%7.0%
Ad Fund Rate
1.0%2.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
6.0%9.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$820K$2.7M
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
66.8%11.9%
Payback Period
1.5 yrs8.4 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
2.79x0.57x
Franchised Units
8822
1-Year Net Unit Change
-2-2
Net Unit Growth Rate
-2.2%-11.1%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
2.2%8.3%
SBA Default Rate
0.0%0.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
15385
Average SBA Loan Size
$296K$2.4M
Item 19 Status
Revenue OnlyFull Disclosure
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • Learning Express opens at $201K to $388K, while Primrose Schools ranges from $743K to $8.6M.
  • Learning Express shows an Item 19 disclosure; Primrose Schools shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • Learning Express has 88 franchised units versus 22 for Primrose Schools.

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Last updated: April 2026