Marigold Academy franchise
2026 filing · April 28, 2026Shares sales figures
Marigold Academy at a glance
A childcare and early learning center for children from six weeks to 13 years old. At the end of 2025 there were 2 Marigold Academy locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Marigold Academy LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Bloomfield, New Jersey
- Typical size
- 7,000–9,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $957K–$1.1M
- A center, not counting real estate and build-out
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross sales, paid weekly, reduced to 4% for the first six months after opening, plus 1% to the brand development fund and 1% on local marketing
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 2
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in New Jersey
From Marigold Academy LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Marigold Academy among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Marigold Academy | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,026,000 | Costs more than 84% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 2 | Fewer than 82% of franchises |
How much a Marigold Academy franchise costs
Opening a center, not counting real estate and build-out costs an estimated $956,900 to $1,095,100. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are additional funds – three months ($192,000 to $245,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($190,000 to $210,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Site Development Assistance Fee | $20,000 | ||
| Training and Opening Assistance Fee | $20,000 | ||
| Lease Deposits | $23,400 | $30,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $190,000 | $210,000 | |
| Outdoor Playground Equipment | $193,600 | $203,300 | |
| Signage | $36,800 | $41,300 | |
| Technology and Systems | $9,500 | $14,200 | |
| Security and Electronic Access | $33,000 | $39,600 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $53,000 | $60,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $9,600 | $11,900 | |
| When Due Utility Deposits | $1,500 | $2,000 | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $4,600 | $5,700 | |
| Professional Fees | $84,000 | $97,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Pre-Opening Working Capital | $33,900 | $41,100 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $192,000 | $245,000 | |
| Total | $956,900 | $1,095,100 | |
Source: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
Marigold Academy franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales, paid weekly, reduced to 4% for the first six months after opening, plus 1% to the brand development fund and 1% on local marketing. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
| Technology | Up to $1,500 per month, currently $750 per month |
| NSF Check Fee or Failed Electronic Fund Transfer | $50 per violation or maximum fee allowed by law |
| Additional Employee Initial Training | Our then current training fee, currently $500 per person per day |
| Local Marketing | 1% of Gross Sales, minimum $1,500 per month |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Marigold Academy publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
SBA loans to Marigold Academy franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Marigold Academy franchisee in 2026, for $2.15M. It hasn’t 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 Marigold Academy compares
Of the 40 daycare franchises on this site, Marigold Academy is the 25th cheapest to open and the 30th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Marigold Academy | Typical daycare brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $957K | $737K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.1M | $1.44M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $65K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 2 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 29 of 40 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 40 brands in daycare franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 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.
More in the guides: daycare franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, page 55
Where Marigold Academy locations are
At the end of 2025, Marigold Academy had locations in 1 state. The most are in New Jersey.
- New Jersey2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, page 55
Who owns Marigold Academy?
Marigold Academy franchises are sold by Marigold Academy LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Marigold Academy LLC’s 2026 filing, page 8.
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: Marigold Academy LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Marigold Academy filings
The figures on this page come from Marigold Academy LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 28, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 28, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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