Big Blue Swim School franchise
A swim school teaching children in a purpose-built warm-water pool. At the end of 2025 there were 52 Big Blue Swim School locations in the US, 30 franchised and 22 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $1.9M–$3.48M
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Royalty
- 6%; $5,500 four-week minimum
- Locations, 2025
- 52+23 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Big Blue Swim School franchise costs
Opening New school costs an estimated $1,898,350 to $3,478,100. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, 2026 filing, page 27
Big Blue Swim School franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenue, subject to a $5,500 minimum per four-week period; the minimum is prorated and begins after 12 weeks of operation. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, 2026 filing, page 14
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Big Blue Swim School publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, 2026 filing, page 68
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15 (+8) | 14 | 0 |
| 2024 | 23 (+8) | 19 | 0 |
| 2025 | 30 (+7) | 22 | 1 |
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.
Big Blue Swim School passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; it had fewer than 100 US locations three years ago.
Source: BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, 2026 filing, page 71
How Big Blue Swim School compares
Of the 39 sports franchises on this site, Big Blue Swim School is the most expensive to open and the 16th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Big Blue Swim School | Typical sports |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.9M | $361K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7% |
| Closed or left per year | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +328.6% | +84.3% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 33 of 39 |
Typical is the median across the 39 brands in sports franchises.
