Ivybrook Academy Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $541K – $870K
- Disclosed sales
- $858K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- on 43 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Ivybrook Academy is an early education franchise operating half-day preschools blending Montessori and Reggio Emilia methods. Franchisees run the schools, managing teachers, curriculum, enrollment, and parent relationships.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Ivybrook Academy franchise requires a total initial investment of $541K – $870K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $858K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 43 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $541K – $870K
- 64th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $858K
- Outlet subset25th pct Education
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 21st pct Education
- Units
- 41
- 50th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education median · 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 $541K – $870K including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $858K/year (median $839K) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system), with an estimated 12% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDA 6).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 76/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 43 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative, pipeline stalled: 42 agreements signed but not yet open against 41 open outlets (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 53.8% CAGR over 3 years with 41 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- IVYBROOK FRANCHISING, LLC
- Parent company
- None (no parent)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
- Drew McWilliams
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 9801 Suzanne Court, Weddington, NC 28173
- Auditor
- REESE CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.2M
- vs $1.8M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1
12 other brands on this site name None (no parent) as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
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Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Drew McWilliams
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 22
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 263% above the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $35K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $461K | $785K |
| Total initial investment | $541K | $870K |
Source: Ivybrook Academy 2025 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
- $541K – $870K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 8.0 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $15K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 110% above the education norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Ivybrook Academy until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$738K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings
The FDD reports $159K as EBITDA 6. This is a disclosed figure, not our estimate — we publish no modelled profit for Ivybrook Academy.
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Ivybrook Academy unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $858K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $839K
- Avg ebitda 6
- $159K
- Reported as EBITDA 6 in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 12.4%
- Based on EBITDA 6 / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- EBITDA + Gross Revenues by cohort and classroom count
- Sample size
- 24 outlets
- vs category median 16
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 204 Education brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $858K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.2x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% — below the Education median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 53.8% CAGR over 3 years across 41 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 Education medians
How Ivybrook Academy Compares
Category median of published Education brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 41
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.4%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +53.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +53.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 42
- 1.02 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 16
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 22 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.
22
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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 43
- Loan volume
- $26.3M
- Median loan
- $611K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- on 43 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 18
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 8.6%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 5.3%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 588
- 2.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 53%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 95% went to startups / new businesses, 5% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in child day care services, franchised businesses charge off at 5.3% vs 13.0% for independents — franchising is associated with 59% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Ivybrook Academy franchisees
Showing 3 of 18 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Ivybrook Academy from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 70%
- Avg interest rate
- 8.63%
- Lender concentration
- 53.5%
- Job velocity
- 2.2 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 2.3%
- NAICS 624410
- Jobs supported
- 588
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 53% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 23 | $9.4M | 0.0% |
| 2 | First Bank of the Lake | 2 | $1.4M | N/A |
| 3 | First Commonwealth Bank | 2 | $1.9M | N/A |
| 4 | Live Oak Banking Company | 2 | $675K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Stearns Bank National Association | 1 | $350K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Plains State Bank | 1 | $2.0M | N/A |
| 7 | Business Development Corporation of South Carolina | 1 | $270K | 0.0% |
| 8 | German American Bank | 1 | $350K | N/A |
| 9 | Ameris Bank | 1 | $469K | N/A |
| 10 | Pinnacle Bank | 1 | $935K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 7 | 0 | -- |
| COColorado | 5 | 0 | -- |
| NCNorth Carolina | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 5 | 0 | -- |
| GAGeorgia | 3 | 0 | -- |
| SCSouth Carolina | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| AZArizona | 2 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 0 | -- |
| ILIllinois | 2 | 0 | -- |
| KSKansas | 2 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 43 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation 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)
Franchisor total revenue of $2,171,363 stated narratively in Item 6/8 (2024); audited balance-sheet figures in Exhibit J are image-only and not extractable from text.
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 76 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORRapid unit growth (26.9% YoY) may indicate aggressive recruitment masking underlying unit economics or franchisee satisfaction issues
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 125,000 |
| 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 |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NC |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Online learning portal and in-person at Charlotte, NC affiliate school (Ivybrook University)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor reviews and must approve; franchisor provides real estate broker identification and site visit
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- The Student Hub
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: The Student Hub
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
41 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Ivybrook Academy franchise?
The total investment to open a Ivybrook Academy franchise ranges from $541K – $870K, 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 Ivybrook Academy franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Ivybrook Academy FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $858K. The median is $839K. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Ivybrook Academy?
Ivybrook Academy is franchised by IVYBROOK FRANCHISING, LLC. Its parent company is None (no parent). Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Ivybrook Academy 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 Ivybrook Academy FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Ivybrook Academy's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Ivybrook Academy has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 43 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Ivybrook Academy franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Ivybrook Academy has 41 total units in the United States, including 40 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Ivybrook Academy a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Ivybrook Academy as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 76 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.