Genius Kids franchise
2026 filing · April 17, 2026Fewer locations
Genius Kids at a glance
A child learning center teaching an interactive curriculum that builds motor, social, communication and thinking skills. At the end of 2025 there were 25 Genius Kids locations in the US, 23 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Education
- Franchisor
- Genius Kids Development, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2010
- 16 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Fremont, California
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $276K–$909K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- For one center with one curriculum; each further curriculum costs extra
- Royalty
- 6%
- The greater of 6% of monthly gross revenues or $1,000 a month, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- 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
- 25
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 23
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 2 years
- −1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 2
- Most in California and Pennsylvania
From Genius Kids Development, Inc’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 118; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Genius Kids among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Genius Kids | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $592,650 | Costs more than 70% 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 | 25 | More than 53% of franchises |
How much a Genius Kids franchise costs
Opening one Genius Kids costs an estimated $276,300 to $909,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($50,000 to $450,000) and playground equipment ($65,000 to $150,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Additional Curriculum Fees | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Rent – 3 months | $30,000 | $60,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $50,000 | $450,000 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $20,000 | $35,000 | |
| Computers, Technology, and Security System | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Playground Equipment | $65,000 | $150,000 | |
| Signage | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Classroom Supplies | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Inventory and Other Supplies | $1,500 | $4,000 | |
| Local Marketing | $9,000 | $15,000 | |
| Insurance | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Uniforms | $300 | $1,000 | |
| Licenses, Permits and Professional Fees | $2,500 | $8,000 | |
| Staffing Expenses – 3 Months | $10,500 | $36,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $20,000 | $35,000 | |
| Total | $276,300 | $909,000 | |
Source: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, page 14
Genius Kids franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000, for one center with one curriculum; each further curriculum costs extra. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 6% of monthly gross revenues or $1,000 a month, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
| Technology Fees | $65 to $125 per hour for website modifications |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000, plus additional training fees above if applicable |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| Additional Training Fees | $300 per day per person, plus reimbursement of our expenses |
| Local Marketing | $9,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, pages 10 and 27
Other fees as filed, from pages 10–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Genius Kids does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, page 38
SBA loans to Genius Kids franchisees
Lenders approved 4 SBA-backed loans for Genius Kids franchisees from 2018 to 2026, $2.54M in all: 3 7(a) loans and 1 504 loan. None has been paid off or charged off 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
How Genius Kids compares
Of the 221 education franchises on this site, Genius Kids is the 173rd cheapest to open and the 81st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Genius Kids | Typical education brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $276K | $120K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $909K | $228K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $42K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7% | 6% |
| US locations | 25 | 15 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 8.1% | 3.7% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | −4.2% | +24.7% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 148 of 221 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 221 brands in education franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25 (+1) | 3 | +2 | −1 |
| 2024 | 23 (−2) | 2 | +1 | −3 |
| 2025 | 23 (0) | 2 | – | – |
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.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, page 39
Where Genius Kids locations are
At the end of 2025, Genius Kids had locations in 2 states. The most are in California and Pennsylvania.
- California23
- Pennsylvania2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21 | 2 | 23 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Source: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, page 40
Who owns Genius Kids?
Genius Kids franchises are sold by Genius Kids Development, Inc.
From Genius Kids Development, Inc’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| 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: Genius Kids Development, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 9
Genius Kids filings
The figures on this page come from Genius Kids Development, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued April 17, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 17, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
