Aqua-Tots Swim Schools franchise
2026 filing · April 14, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools at a glance
A swim school teaching year-round lessons to babies, children and adults in a heated indoor pool. At the end of 2025 there were 139 Aqua-Tots Swim Schools locations in the US, 138 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2007
- 19 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Mesa, Arizona
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $1.62M–$2.94M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenue, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue a month per location
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 139
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 138
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- +31
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 28
- Most in Texas, Michigan and Arizona
From Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Aqua-Tots Swim Schools | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $2,279,705 | Costs more than 94% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 139 | More than 81% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $1,138,797 | Higher than 69% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 0.5× | Lower than 97% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Aqua-Tots Swim Schools franchise costs
Opening one Aqua-Tots Swim Schools costs an estimated $1,619,820 to $2,939,590. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are tenant improvements ($1,200,000 to $2,100,000) and pool design, build and aquatic supplies and equipment ($250,000 to $400,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Initial Travel Expenses during Training at Aqua- Tots University (ATU) in Arizona | $2,000 | $18,000 | |
| Rent or Real Estate | $12,000 | $85,000 | |
| Pool Design, Build and Aquatic Supplies and Equipment | $250,000 | $400,000 | |
| Tenant Improvements | $1,200,000 | $2,100,000 | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $6,000 | $19,500 | |
| Computers, Color Printer and Copier | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Signage | $15,000 | $60,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $9,000 | $18,800 | |
| Advertising (3 mos) | $26,000 | $45,000 | |
| Aqua-Tots Swim Schools Proprietary Software | $2,320 | $2,790 | |
| Insurance | $2,500 | $10,500 | |
| Additional Funds for Initial three Months | $40,000 | $115,000 | |
| Total | $1,619,820 | $2,939,590 | |
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, page 19
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenue, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue a month per location. |
| Monthly Software Fee | $295 per month |
| Franchise Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Aqua-Tots Swim Schools publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average revenue
- $1,138,797
- Median revenue
- $1,008,577
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised U.S. swim schools open at least 12 months at the end of 2025 (131 locations). The average is about 0.5 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, pages 47–48
SBA loans to Aqua-Tots Swim Schools franchisees
Lenders approved 58 SBA-backed loans for Aqua-Tots Swim Schools franchisees from 2013 to 2026, $52.5M in all: 57 7(a) loans and 1 504 loan. All 35 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other 23 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Aqua-Tots Swim Schools | Typical sports brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +5.3% / +29% | +10% / +45% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 2.8% | 2.6% / 7.1% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical sports brand is the median of the 48 brands in sports franchises with three years of counts.
How Aqua-Tots Swim Schools compares
Of the 120 sports franchises on this site, Aqua-Tots Swim Schools is the 109th cheapest to open and the 20th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Aqua-Tots Swim Schools | Typical sports brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.62M | $227K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.94M | $442K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $1.14M | $733K | $794K |
| US locations | 139 | 15 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 77 of 120 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 120 brands in sports franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 102 (+3) | 1 | – | – |
| 2022 | 106 (+4) | 1 | – | – |
| 2023 | 118 (+11) | 1 | +12 | −1 |
| 2024 | 131 (+13) | 1 | +15 | −2 |
| 2025 | 138 (+7) | 1 | +7 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools passes all five tests on our list of the best franchises to own and ranks number 28.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 99 to 138 (+39, +39%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, page 49
2021–2022: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2024 filing, page 43
Where Aqua-Tots Swim Schools locations are
At the end of 2025, Aqua-Tots Swim Schools had locations in 28 states. The most are in Texas, Michigan and Arizona.
- Texas34
- Michigan12
- Arizona11
- Georgia10
- California9
- Virginia9
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 34 | 0 | 34 |
| Michigan | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Arizona | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| Georgia | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| California | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Virginia | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Ohio | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Florida | 4 | 0 | 4 |
All 28 states
| Colorado | 3 |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 3 |
| Kentucky | 3 |
| Indiana | 2 |
| Kansas | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 2 |
| Minnesota | 2 |
| Nebraska | 2 |
| Nevada | 2 |
| Utah | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 |
| Idaho | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, page 50
Who owns Aqua-Tots Swim Schools?
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools franchises are sold by Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC.
From Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 12–13. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 12–13, bankruptcy on page 13
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from Aqua-Tots Swim School Holding LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 14, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 14, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other sports franchises
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Aqua-Tots Swim Schools is also on these lists: education franchises.