Is Willowbrae Academy or The Learning Experience cheaper to open?

Willowbrae Academy costs $2,401,500–$3,987,000 and The Learning Experience costs $805,799–$5,658,799 to open (FDD Item 7). The Learning Experience has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Willowbrae Academy or The Learning Experience?

FranchiseVerdict grades Willowbrae Academy D and The Learning Experience A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Willowbrae Academy vs The Learning Experience

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Willowbrae Academy and The Learning Experience are education franchises. Willowbrae Academy requires an investment of $2.4M – $4.0M while The Learning Experience requires $806K – $5.7M. The Learning Experience discloses average revenue of $2.2M; Willowbrae Academy does not report Item 19 data. The Learning Experience has SBA lending data on file with a 7.2% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Willowbrae Academy D (Below average) and The Learning Experience A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Willowbrae Academy	The Learning Experience
Verdict Grade	DBelow averageBelow average	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$2.4M – $4.0M	$806K – $5.7M
Franchise Fee	$85K	$60K
Royalty Rate	8.5%	7.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/A	$2.2M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	N/A	7.2% (306 loans)
Total Units	0	465
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2025	2003
FDD Year	2025	2026