Class 101 Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Class 101 is a college-planning franchise that advises high-school students and parents on college admissions, applications, essays, and financial aid. Franchisees run an advising practice coaching students through the college process, often with a small office.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Class 101 franchise requires a total initial investment of $84K – $138K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $84K – $138K
- 28th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 25th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 85
- 46th 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 $84K – $138K including a $50K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 discloses average annual Gross Sales of franchised outlets open the full 2025 calendar year, broken into 4 quartiles (13 units each, 52 total of 85 franchised outlets; 33 outlets excluded for partial-year operation, closure, or incomplete data). No overall single average/median is disclosed; no net income/profit figures are disclosed in Item 19.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 49.1% CAGR over 3 years with 85 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Class 101 Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- Unleashed Brands, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- UA Holdings, LLC
- Predecessor
- Class 101, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Michael Browning, Jr.
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 2350 Airport Freeway, Suite 505, Bedford, Texas 76022
- Auditor
- Deloitte & Touche LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $204.6M
- vs $194.7M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael Browning, Jr.
- Headquarters
- Texas
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 33
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 60% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $24K | $73K |
| Total initial investment | $84K | $138K |
Source: Class 101 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $84K – $138K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $149 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $12K |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $1K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Class 101 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 Class 101 unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
79%
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 discloses average annual Gross Sales of franchised outlets open the full 2025 calendar year, broken into 4 quartiles (13 units each, 52 total of 85 franchised outlets; 33 outlets excluded for partial-year operation, closure, or incomplete data). No overall single average/median is disclosed; no net income/profit figures are disclosed in Item 19.
- Item 19 type
- quartile
- Sample size
- 52
- vs category median 35
- Range (low → high)
- $9K→$695K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $29K→$415K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · typical
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
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 10.0% — below the Business Services average of 11.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports quartile rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 49.1% CAGR over 3 years across 85 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Class 101 Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 85
- Opened
- 19
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 8.2%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +49.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +49.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 43
- Closed (3yr)
- 7
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 33 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
33
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $25K
- Median loan
- $13K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Class 101 presents HIGH RISK due to active fraud/regulatory litigation, absent financial disclosure (Item 19), going concern issues, and aggressive royalty floor that may exceed profitability of average franchisees.
Litigation (Item 3)
4 distinct concluded litigation/regulatory matters disclosed across Class 101 and its affiliates: (1) Unleashed Services, LLC v. Pabin (breach of contract/fraud dispute, settled with Unleashed Brands buying back Pabin's ownership interest for $275,000); (2) Snapology Maryland Securities Commissioner consent order for unregistered franchise sales; (3) UATP Management v. Leap of Faith Adventures (breach of contract/trade secrets dispute settled for $5,000,000 paid to LOFA); (4) California DFPI consent order against Premier Martial Arts for selling unregistered franchises ($10,000 penalty).
Largest disclosed settlement: $5,000,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Deloitte & Touche LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 73 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHActive litigation involving fraud allegations and state regulatory violations regarding franchise registration and disclosure—indicates potential FTC/state enforcement risk and franchisor credibility issues
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE—suggests franchisor financial instability or solvency concerns that could impact support, marketing, and system viability
- 03HIGHNet Income not disclosed in FDD Item 19—prevents prospective franchisees from validating profitability claims; combined with litigation, suggests franchisor unwilling or unable to substantiate earnings
- 04MINORRoyalty floor of $500/month ($6,000 annually) is aggressive relative to average revenue of $180,293—creates cash flow strain for underperforming locations and limits franchisee flexibility
- 05HIGHUnit growth of 23.2% YoY appears strong but context missing—unclear if growth masks franchisee churn, unit consolidation, or acquisition of competitor locations; litigation suggests potential attrition
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 8,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 36 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 20 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Texas (within 5-mile radius of Franchisor's principal headquarters, currently Bedford/Tarrant County, Texas) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
4 distinct concluded litigation/regulatory matters disclosed across Class 101 and its affiliates: (1) Unleashed Services, LLC v. Pabin (breach of contract/fraud dispute, settled with Unleashed Brands buying back Pabin's ownership interest for $275,000); (2) Snapology Maryland Securities Commissioner consent order for unregistered franchise sales; (3) UATP Management v. Leap of Faith Adventures (breach of contract/trade secrets dispute settled for $5,000,000 paid to LOFA); (4) California DFPI consent order against Premier Martial Arts for selling unregistered franchises ($10,000 penalty).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 25 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 15 hrs
- Training location
- Online, Bedford, Texas, or other designated locations
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee_with_franchisor_approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Designated software applications
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Designated software applications
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
83 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Class 101 · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Class 101 franchise?
The total investment to open a Class 101 franchise ranges from $84K – $138K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Class 101 franchise owners earn?
Class 101 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 Class 101 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 Class 101 FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Class 101's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Class 101 (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 Class 101 franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Class 101 has 85 total units in the United States, including 85 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 19 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Class 101 a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Class 101 as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 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
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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.