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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Primrose Schools Franchise

Primrose Schools is a leading early childhood education and child care franchise serving children from infancy through kindergarten. Founded in 1982 by Paul and Marcy Erwin in Marietta, Georgia, the brand pioneered franchising in educational child care in 1988 and has grown into one of the largest premium preschool systems in the country, with more than 560 schools across 36 states.

Each school runs on the proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum, which blends academics, character development, and social-emotional growth for children ages 0-5. Schools are corporate-accredited by Cognia, and full-day tuition bundles curriculum, enrichment programs, and meals. Primrose is a private-equity-backed business, originally acquired by Roark Capital Group in 2008.

This is a premium, accredited preschool model rather than basic daycare, positioned on educational quality and brand trust. Owners build large-format schools through ground-up development, adaptive reuse of existing buildings, or immediate-opportunity sites the franchisor has pre-identified, giving operators several routes into a market.

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Why buy a Primrose Schools Franchise?

Buying a Primrose Schools franchise means stepping into one of the most established names in early education, a category that stays essential through economic cycles because working families need full-day care year-round. The premium, education-led positioning supports strong enrollment and tuition pricing that volume daycare operators struggle to match.

Owners benefit from decades of operating systems, a research-informed curriculum, national brand marketing, and a real estate strategy spanning several development models. The system is built for multi-unit ownership, and its 930 FUND Score has helped give Primrose one of the lowest SBA loan failure rates among early education brands, which can ease financing for qualified buyers. No childcare background is required; owners come from finance, technology, medical, and hospitality careers.

Primrose Schools Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1982

    • Franchising Since

      1988

    • New Startup Cost

      $2,152,500 – $7,960,300

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $70,000 – $80,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      40%

      of then-current Initial Fee (existing-franchisee rate)

    • Royalty Fee

      7%

      of Gross Revenues

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Revenues

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      557

    • New Units Opened *

      36

    • Units Transferred *

      21

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $2,779,923

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Primrose Schools – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Primrose provides pre-opening training exceeding 200 hours, including about 119 hours of classroom instruction and 24 hours of on-the-job training covering operations, the Balanced Learning curriculum, leadership, and marketing. Ongoing support comes through dedicated Franchise Business Consultants and operations teams, plus national brand marketing, enrollment strategies, and performance insights for running schools. Buyers of an existing Primrose school should confirm what onboarding and transfer training the franchisor provides to incoming owners and staff, and what curriculum and systems access transfers at the ownership change.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Primrose suits hands-on, operations-minded owners who want to lead a sizeable team and a community institution rather than run a passive investment; absentee ownership is not permitted. No teaching or childcare background is required, and owners come from finance, technology, medical, and hospitality careers. Candidates should be comfortable managing staff, upholding strict educational and safety standards, recruiting and retaining teachers, and building local enrollment. Strong people leadership, organizational discipline, and genuine commitment to early education matter more than prior sector experience.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Primrose is one of the most decorated names in early education franchising. It has ranked in the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 for 15-plus consecutive years (#197 in 2025) and on the Franchise Times Top 400 nine times, including the Top 100 in 2024. Its 2024 FUND Score of 930 is among the highest of any evaluated franchise system, earning the FUND TopScore award four years running, and it has appeared on Entrepreneur's Top Brand for Multi-Unit Owners list since 2023 and among Newsweek's best child care providers. Resale buyers should weigh this brand strength alongside a specific school's local reviews and reputation.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US child care market was worth roughly $68 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow around 4% a year through 2030, supported by dual-income households, rising demand for quality early education, and the essential, year-round nature of full-day care. Demand tends to hold steady across economic cycles because most families rely on care to work. Premium, education-led providers like Primrose target families willing to pay for measured outcomes and accreditation, making local demographics, household incomes, and enrollment demand key factors for resale buyers evaluating a specific territory.

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