The Goddard School, school by school, in the 2026 FDD
Updated 16 October 2026
The Goddard School's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) lists 2025 results for each of 620 mature schools. The FDD is the document a franchisor gives a buyer before a sale. Goddard counts a school as mature once it has been open more than 18 months. Revenue at those 620 schools ran from $716,896 to $6,594,330.
| The Goddard School, 2025 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average revenue, 620 mature schools | $2,507,631 |
| Median revenue | $2,329,913 |
| Schools at or above average revenue | 270 of 620 (43.5%) |
| Average profit | $546,554 (21.8%) |
| Median profit | $474,693 (20.9%) |
The highest-revenue Goddard School took in $5,877,434 more than the lowest in 2025, 9.2 times as much. The median school's profit, $474,693, is $71,861 below the average school's $546,554. Of the 620 schools, 350 sold less than the average.
Goddard cost lines, average and median school
| Line, 2025 | Average school | Share of revenue | Median school | Share of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,507,631 | 100% | $2,329,913 | 100% |
| Wages | $968,761 | 40.1% | $921,350 | 40.6% |
| Building costs | $329,645 | 13.6% | $309,479 | 13.6% |
| Other operating costs | $662,671 | 27.4% | $625,695 | 27.6% |
| Total costs | $1,961,077 | 81.1% | $1,845,473 | 81.4% |
| Profit | $546,554 | 21.8% | $474,693 | 20.9% |
Wages are the largest Goddard line at 40.1% of revenue for the average school. Other operating costs come second at 27.4%. That line holds royalty, the brand fund, utilities, supplies and technology.
The average Goddard School pays $968,761 in wages a year, or $80,730 a month. A Goddard owner checking payroll each month compares it with that $80,730 and with 40.1% of the month's own revenue.
Goddard schools by revenue quarter
Averan sorted Goddard's school-by-school table into quarters by revenue. The top quarter by revenue averaged $3,739,843 and kept 27.7% as EBITDA, which is profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The bottom quarter by revenue averaged $1,522,695 and kept 10.9%.
In the bottom Goddard quarter, wages took 42.3% of revenue, building costs took 17.3%, and other costs took 29.5%. In the top quarter, building costs took 11.8% of revenue. The 5.5-point gap in building cost is a third of the 16.8-point gap in margin.
A bottom-quarter Goddard School pays $263,504 in building costs on $1,522,695 of revenue, which is 17.3%. At the top quarter's 11.8%, the same revenue would carry $179,678 of building cost. The difference is $83,826 a year, against the bottom quarter's average EBITDA of $166,590.
Rent at Goddard
Goddard's FDD reports EBITDAR, profit before rent is paid, at $876,198 for the average school. Average profit after rent is $546,554. Rent and related building costs take the $329,644 between the two figures. A Goddard owner sets that cost at lease signing, and the cost to open ranges from $1,003,500 to $8,908,000 depending on whether the school is leased or built on owned land.
At the average Goddard School, the $329,644 of rent and building cost takes 37.6% of the $876,198 earned before rent. That share is fixed for the term of the lease, whatever enrollment does in later years.
Goddard fees and system size
| Item | The Goddard School, 2026 FDD |
|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $135,000 |
| Royalty, the share of revenue paid to the franchisor | 7% |
| Brand fund | 4% |
| Technology fee | $700 a month |
| Schools at the end of 2025 | 665 |
| Schools opened in 2025 | 24 |
| Signed and not yet open | 51 |
The Goddard School had 642 schools at the start of 2025 and 665 at the end. Goddard reported zero terminations in 2025 and one school that closed for other reasons.
Royalty and brand fund together take 11% of revenue. At the average Goddard School's $2,507,631, that is $275,839 a year, plus $8,400 of technology fees. The system added 23 schools in 2025, a rise of 3.6%, and the 51 signed schools equal 7.7% of those open.
What the Goddard FDD leaves out
Goddard's FDD reports revenue and four cost lines for each school. It does not report enrollment, licensed capacity or the age mix of children. A Goddard owner comparing schools needs those three figures from the schools themselves.
A Goddard buyer calling current owners asks for licensed capacity, current enrollment and the share of infant places. Those three figures place a school in the revenue table. Infant rooms need more teachers for each child, so the age mix moves the 40.1% wage line.
The full Goddard breakdown is on The Goddard School unit economics page.
What this means for an owner
A Goddard School's revenue is set by enrollment, and its costs by the lease and the staffing ratios. The top quarter keeps 27.7% of revenue and the bottom quarter 10.9%. Building cost alone differs by 5.5 points between them. Rent takes 37.6% of profit before rent at the average school, and the lease fixes it for years. Fees take 11% of revenue. An owner plans against the $2,329,913 median and checks the site's rent against the 13.6% average before signing.
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