Education
Mad Science Franchise
A children's science education and entertainment franchise running hands-on science after-school programs, camps, workshops, and birthday parties for kids ages 3-12. Founded in Montreal in 1993, one of the older kids' STEM-enrichment brands, predating the mid-2010s wave of coding-focused franchises like Code Ninjas, also in this dataset.
On record with state regulators
This franchisor entered a 2013 Consent Order with the Securities Division of the Maryland Attorney General's Office after the Division found it had offered franchises in Maryland without proper registration -- including making unregistered franchise offers, failing to register a Maryland-compliant disclosure document, and failing to register franchise advertising. Without admitting or denying wrongdoing, the company agreed to cease and desist, pursue Maryland registration, offer rescission to 2 franchisees, refund a $13,500 franchise fee, and pay a $5,000 penalty. This is not a California DFPI action -- DFPI has no actions or orders on file for this entity.
Disclosed in the FDD's litigation section (Item 3)
This franchise's FDD discloses an active lawsuit filed November 2020 by a French competitor in the Paris Commercial Court, alleging Mad Science Group disrupted its franchise network in France and damaged its reputation, seeking roughly 3.26 million Euros in damages. The case has moved slowly, with the most recent hearing in September 2025 and another scheduled for September 2026 -- a final determination is still pending. This is an unresolved dispute, not a proven finding -- California DFPI itself shows no action on file.
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 Mad Science'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
$39,000
Total to open
$127,050–$185,859
Ongoing royalty
8% 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 Mad Science's own FDD -- change it to your own estimate.
Total cost of ownership over 5 years
$267,050 – $325,859
Startup investment
$127,050–$185,859
Royalty per year (8%)
$28,000
Total royalty, 5yr
$140,000
When would you break even?
Revenue alone doesn't tell you this -- it depends on what's left after rent, labor, and everything else. Mad Science'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 Mad Science'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
2.4–3.5 years
Weigh that payback period against what you already know: Mad Science is opening more locations. A long payback period on a shrinking brand is a very different bet than the same payback period on a growing one.
Is Mad Science 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
GrowingFrom Item 20 of Mad Science's FDD, the section franchisors use to disclose real openings and closings.
| Year | Franchised units, start | Franchised units, end | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59 | 57 | -2 |
| 2025 | 57 | 58 | +1 |
| 2026 | 58 | 59 | +1 |
Most recent year (2026): gained 1 franchised units, ending the year at 59 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 runs 4-10 days (virtual or on-site; only covered for the first location if a franchisee owns multiple). No charge for standard training, but the franchisee covers employee wages and travel. Ongoing support includes a 44-page Standard Operating Policies Manual, a mandatory annual franchisee conference, and required fees for a Technology Access Fee ($900/month), National Marketing Fund (2% of gross revenue), and Marketing Access Fee ($100/month).
Territory protection (Item 12)
Territory is explicitly non-exclusive (population 400,000-500,000, defined by zip code/county boundaries). Mad Science won't itself open a same-brand location inside it, but reserves the right to compete through other channels, affiliates, and Corporate Accounts, and can split a territory in two once it exceeds 400,000 population.
Renewal & termination terms (Item 17)
10-year initial term with two 5-year renewal options (contingent on compliance). No termination-without-cause provision for the franchisor. Disputes go through mandatory mediation then arbitration in Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- a real logistical burden for a US-based franchisee.
How Mad Science 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).
$174,250–$265,750 · 8.25% 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
Mad Science Franchise FAQ
How much does it cost to franchise a Mad Science?
Based on Mad Science's own FDD, total initial investment to open one location runs $127,050–$185,859, including the $39,000 franchise fee. California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00006112, filed 7/17/2026, effective 8/5/2026. FDD Date of Issuance July 11, 2026.
What is the Mad Science franchise fee and royalty rate?
The initial franchise fee is $39,000, and the ongoing royalty is 8% of gross sales, per the filing on record.
Is the Mad Science franchise growing or shrinking?
Growing. Across 2024–2026, Mad Science added a net 0 franchised locations, per its own annual FDD filings.
Keep going
- Mad Science and Mathnasium are both education franchises; Mad Science's total investment starts about $266 lower than Mathnasium's. Mathnasium Franchise
- Mad Science and Kumon are both education franchises; Kumon's total investment starts about $25,420 lower than Mad Science's. Kumon Franchise
Where this came from: California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00006112, filed 7/17/2026, effective 8/5/2026. FDD Date of Issuance July 11, 2026. You can pull the same filing yourself from the California DFPI's public franchise search. Filed 2026-07-11. 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.