How much is a Learning Express franchise? $201,491 – $387,514 to open, per its disclosure filings
$201,491 – $387,514
Opening a Learning Express franchise takes $201,491 – $387,514 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $47,500. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%. To qualify, Learning Express asks for $125,000 in liquid cash and a $300,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Learning Express cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $47,500 | $47,500 | $47,500 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $201,491 | $387,514 | $201,491 to $387,514 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $125,000 | $125,000 | $125,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $201,491 | $387,514 | $201,491 to $387,514 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 5% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 1% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $201,491 – $387,514 range is derived from Learning Express's filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 5% on sales, the ad-fund contribution of up to 1%, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Learning Express's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Learning Express's disclosed cost sits against the Retail category:
- Minimum startup cost of $201,491 — about 1.2× the Retail median of $165,000.
- Initial franchise fee of $47,500 — about 1.3× the Retail median of $36,750.
Category medians are computed from the Retail brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Retail franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Learning Express or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Learning Express for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Learning Express franchise fee?
$47,500, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Learning Express charge?
A royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
How much money do you need to qualify for a Learning Express franchise?
Learning Express's filings ask for $125,000 in liquid cash and a $300,000 minimum net worth (as of 2026-05). Capital figures are the franchisor's stated minimums, not our advice.