Education
Code Ninjas Franchise
A franchise offering after-school enrichment programs teaching kids computer programming, coding, math, and logic through hands-on classes at standalone learning centers, branded as neighborhood "dojos." Part of the wave of kids' coding-franchise concepts that emerged in the mid-2010s alongside the broader STEM-enrichment boom.
Every franchisor has to file a document called an FDD before they can legally sell you a franchise. Buried in it are the two things a sales rep won't volunteer: what you'll actually spend to open, and whether existing locations are opening or closing. That's what's below, pulled straight from Code Ninjas's own filing.
What it costs to open
From the filing's investment breakdown -- not a "starting at" number a sales rep quoted you.
Franchise fee
$45,000
Total to open
$174,250–$265,750
Ongoing royalty
8.25% of gross sales
What you'd actually spend, over time
The upfront cost is only part of it. Plug in what you expect a location to bring in, and see the real total once royalties over a few years are added on top.
Defaulted to a rough education industry average, not a figure from Code Ninjas's own FDD -- change it to your own estimate.
Total cost of ownership over 5 years
$318,625 – $410,125
Startup investment
$174,250–$265,750
Royalty per year (8.25%)
$28,875
Total royalty, 5yr
$144,375
When would you break even?
Revenue alone doesn't tell you this -- it depends on what's left after rent, labor, and everything else. Code Ninjas's FDD doesn't disclose a reliable profit figure (most franchisors don't), so this starts from a typical education profit margin (~15%) and applies it to the revenue you entered above -- adjust the percentage to your own realistic estimate.
Defaulted to a general education industry benchmark, not a figure from Code Ninjas's own filing -- this is a starting point to adjust, not a promise about what franchisees actually make.
At that profit, you'd break even in about
3.3–5.1 years
Weigh that payback period against what you already know: Code Ninjas is currently losing locations. A long payback period on a shrinking brand is a very different bet than the same payback period on a growing one.
Is Code Ninjas actually growing?
Franchisors have to report, every year, how many locations opened, closed, or changed hands. Most franchise sites never show you this. Here it is:
Locations opened vs. closed, by year
ShrinkingFrom Item 20 of Code Ninjas's FDD, the section franchisors use to disclose real openings and closings.
| Year | Franchised units, start | Franchised units, end | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 284 | 262 | -22 |
| 2024 | 262 | 239 | -23 |
| 2025 | 239 | 238 | -1 |
Most recent year (2025): lost 1 franchised units, ending the year at 238 total.
What you're actually signing up for
The cost and growth numbers above are only part of the picture. These three FDD items are the ones a prospective franchisee tends to weigh most heavily once they're past the sticker price.
Training & ongoing support (Item 11)
Initial training is about 4 days for one person (Designated Principal or Center Director), plus a Brand Manual and Grand Opening marketing assistance. Ongoing support is comparatively thin: periodic field-consultant visits and "ongoing training periodically deemed appropriate" at times/places the franchisor sets, with no further specifics guaranteed.
Territory protection (Item 12)
A real Protected Area, but small: typically just a 1.5-2 mile radius around the learning center, with no sales-volume requirement to keep it and no franchisor right to modify it while the franchisee stays compliant. Outside that radius, the franchisor can open other locations, license unrelated competing businesses, or sell the same services online -- all without compensating the franchisee.
Renewal & termination terms (Item 17)
10-year initial term, renewable for up to three additional 10-year terms (new agreement may differ materially, plus a renewal fee and general release). Disputes go through non-binding mediation before litigation; the agreement includes a jury-trial waiver and a waiver of punitive damages. A 2-year post-termination non-compete applies within 7 miles of the location or any other Code Ninjas center, and mediation/litigation is seated in Georgia -- the FDD's own risk-factor language warns this could mean a less favorable settlement for an out-of-state franchisee.
How Code Ninjas compares to other Education franchises
Across the 10 education franchises we've hand-verified so far, the typical range to open runs $875,355–$2,805,491, with royalties averaging around 7.5% of gross sales (based on the 9 of them that charge a flat %-of-revenue royalty).
$127,050–$185,859 · 8% royalty
Primrose Schools$2,152,500–$7,960,300 · 7% royalty
Goldfish Swim School$2,584,033–$5,968,481 · 6% royalty
KidStrong$476,400–$671,200 · 7% royalty
School of Rock$387,050–$756,100 · 8% royalty
Aqua-Tots Swim School$1,619,820–$2,939,590 · 6% royalty
Kumon$101,630–$233,780 · non-%-of-revenue royalty
Mathnasium$127,316–$165,846 · 10% royalty
The Goddard School$1,003,500–$8,908,000 · 7% royalty
Code Ninjas Franchise FAQ
How much does it cost to franchise a Code Ninjas?
Based on Code Ninjas's own FDD, total initial investment to open one location runs $174,250–$265,750, including the $45,000 franchise fee. California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00004758, filed 4/7/2026, effective 6/10/2026. FDD issuance date April 3, 2026.
What is the Code Ninjas franchise fee and royalty rate?
The initial franchise fee is $45,000, and the ongoing royalty is 8.25% of gross sales, per the filing on record.
Is the Code Ninjas franchise growing or shrinking?
Shrinking. Across 2023–2025, Code Ninjas lost a net 46 franchised locations, per its own annual FDD filings.
Keep going
- Code Ninjas and Mathnasium are both education franchises; Mathnasium's total investment starts about $46,934 lower than Code Ninjas's. Mathnasium Franchise
- Code Ninjas and Mad Science are both education franchises; Mad Science's total investment starts about $47,200 lower than Code Ninjas's. Mad Science Franchise
Where this came from: California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00004758, filed 4/7/2026, effective 6/10/2026. FDD issuance date April 3, 2026. You can pull the same filing yourself from the California DFPI's public franchise search. Filed 2026-04-07. None of this is investment advice -- get the franchisor's current FDD and talk to a real attorney or accountant before you sign anything.
If you see a different unit count elsewhere: franchisors only have to refile their FDD annually, so the numbers here can run 6–18 months behind a franchisor's own real-time marketing claims -- which often aren't independently verified, and sometimes count signed-but-not-yet-open locations. A gap isn't necessarily an error on either side; it's two different snapshots in time from two different sources.