Advantage College Planning Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Advantage College Planning is a business services franchise helping families with college selection, applications, and financial aid. Franchisees run local practices, advising students and managing client accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING franchise requires a total initial investment of $71K – $101K, including a $40K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $71K – $101K
- 22nd pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 16th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 5
- 13th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $71K – $101K including a $40K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 45/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Advantage College Planning Franchising, Inc.
- Parent company
- None (no parents or predecessors)
- Predecessor
- None
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- CEO
- Brooke Daly
- CEO experience
- 2009 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- North Carolina
- HQ
- 3675 Green Level Road West, Suite 202, Apex, NC 27523
- Auditor
- REESE CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $7K
- vs $25K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Brooke Daly
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 69% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown17 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $40K | $50K | |
| Construction, Leasehold Improvements, Furniture and Fixturesnot refundable | $650 | $4K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $600 | $1K | |
| Signage (interior and exterior)not refundable | $0 | $200 | |
| Technology Feenot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Computer Hardware and Softwarenot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | — | — | |
| Rent Deposits | $900 | $5K | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $200 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiumsnot refundable | $800 | $2K | |
| Pre-opening Travel Expensenot refundable | $700 | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees and Associationsnot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Business Permits and Licensesnot refundable | $100 | $500 | |
| Printing, Stationery and Office Suppliesnot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Assessmentsnot refundable | $150 | $200 | |
| Additional funds - 3 Months (Working Capital)not refundable | $15K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $71K | $101K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $71K – $101K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Percentage of gross sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $20K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $0 – $0 |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
109%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% — below the Business Services average of 11.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +100.0% over 3 years (2 opened, 0 closed).
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Business Services averages
How Advantage College Planning Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 80%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +100.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Early-stage, undisclosed-revenue franchise with minimal system size, opaque economics, and aggressive royalty terms presents significant execution and profitability risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · REESE CPA LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo financial performance data disclosed (Item 19) — cannot verify ROI claims or typical unit economics
- 02MINORExtremely small franchise system (5 units) with no growth trend visible — high systemic collapse risk
- 03MINORRoyalty structure penalizes growth: 7% of revenue OR minimum $7,500-$11,000/FTE creates unpredictable cost burden for scaling
- 04MINORHigh initial investment ($70.5K-$100.8K) relative to system maturity and lack of revenue benchmarks
- 05MINORZero franchise fee is unusual and may indicate difficulty attracting franchisees despite other incentives
- 06MINOR10-year term is longer than industry standard (typically 5-7 years), locking franchisee into unproven system
- 07MINOROnly 5 franchises operating limits ability to validate business model or access peer support network
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Defined by zip codes; tiered by population (Tier 1: 1,000,000+; Tier 2: 500,000-999,999; Tier 3: up to 499,999) |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 45 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NC |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 27 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 19 hrs
- Training location
- Apex, North Carolina
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee (subject to franchisor acceptance)
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- CollegePlannerPro
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CollegePlannerPro
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING franchise?
The total investment to open a ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING franchise ranges from $71K – $101K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING franchise owners earn?
ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING has 5 total units in the United States, including 4 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 45 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent ADVANTAGE COLLEGE PLANNING, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.