Is BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL or Willowbrae Academy cheaper to open?

BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL costs $2,108,000–$3,760,500 and Willowbrae Academy costs $2,401,500–$3,987,000 to open (FDD Item 7). BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL or Willowbrae Academy?

FranchiseVerdict grades BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL B and Willowbrae Academy C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL vs Willowbrae Academy

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL and Willowbrae Academy are education franchises. BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL requires an investment of $2.1M – $3.8M while Willowbrae Academy requires $2.4M – $4.0M. Neither BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL nor Willowbrae Academy makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD — a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule — so the two cannot be compared on disclosed unit revenue. BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL has SBA lending data on file with a 0.0% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL B (Above average) and Willowbrae Academy C (Average).

Metric	BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL	Willowbrae Academy
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	CAverage
Investment Range	$2.1M – $3.8M	$2.4M – $4.0M
Franchise Fee	$50K	$85K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	8.5%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	0.0% (20 loans)	N/A
Total Units	42	0
Unit Growth (YoY)	+8 units	+0 units
Year Began Franchising	2018	2025
FDD Year	2025	2025