Education
Mathnasium Franchise
A supplemental math-only learning center franchise built on a proprietary diagnostic and instructional method, operated from small storefront centers rather than in students' homes. Larry Martinek developed the Mathnasium Method in Los Angeles; the brand's predecessor began franchising in late 2003, and the current franchisor entity took over the system as part of an August 2024 asset-backed securitization transaction (Roark Capital acquired a majority interest in the brand's parent in November 2021). Franchised unit count grew every year of the FDD's three-year window, accelerating from +17 in 2023 to +48 in 2025.
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 Mathnasium'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
$49,000
Total to open
$127,316–$165,846
Ongoing royalty
10% 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 Mathnasium's own FDD -- change it to your own estimate.
Total cost of ownership over 5 years
$302,316 – $340,846
Startup investment
$127,316–$165,846
Royalty per year (10%)
$35,000
Total royalty, 5yr
$175,000
When would you break even?
Revenue alone doesn't tell you this -- it depends on what's left after rent, labor, and everything else. Mathnasium'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 Mathnasium'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
2.4–3.2 years
Weigh that payback period against what you already know: Mathnasium 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 Mathnasium 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 Mathnasium's FDD, the section franchisors use to disclose real openings and closings.
| Year | Franchised units, start | Franchised units, end | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 951 | 968 | +17 |
| 2024 | 968 | 995 | +27 |
| 2025 | 995 | 1,043 | +48 |
Most recent year (2025): gained 48 franchised units, ending the year at 1,043 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)
Item 11: a required initial training program with at least one trip to Los Angeles, Center naming and site approval, and ongoing supply of the Mathnasium curriculum and instructional materials; the franchise fee for a first Center covers the first 6 months of the Base Royalty.
Territory protection (Item 12)
Item 12: a real protected territory -- generally at least 2,500 children ages 5-19 -- within which Mathnasium won't locate or authorize another Mathnasium Center, though the company reserves broad rights to sell Mathnasium products and services through other channels (schools, webinars, the internet) inside that same territory.
Renewal & termination terms (Item 17)
Item 17: 5-year term, renewable for additional 5-year terms (a $7,000 renewal fee, payable in installments) if in good standing, including required remodeling to then-current standards.
How Mathnasium compares to other Education franchises
Across the 9 education franchises we've hand-verified so far, the typical range to open runs $861,117–$2,127,434, with royalties averaging around 7.5% of gross sales (based on the 8 of them that charge a flat %-of-revenue royalty).
$174,250–$265,750 · 8.25% royalty
Mad Science$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
Keep going
- Mathnasium and Mad Science are both education franchises; Mad Science's total investment starts about $266 lower than Mathnasium's. Mad Science Franchise
- Mathnasium and Kumon are both education franchises; Kumon's total investment starts about $25,686 lower than Mathnasium's. Kumon Franchise
Where this came from: Mathnasium only files a Net Worth/Experience Exemption notice with California DFPI, so this entry is sourced from Minnesota's CARDS registry instead: MN File No. 11343, Clean FDD issued April 30, 2026, filed 5/13/2026, effective 7/21/2026. hqLocation is corrected from the FTC boilerplate Washington, DC address the automated parser picked up -- Item 1 gives the real principal business address as 5120 West Goldleaf Circle, Los Angeles, CA. Item 5: $49,000 initial franchise fee for a first Center ($26,500 for an additional Center, $7,000 for a transferee), plus a required $266-$1,596 pre-opening Technology Fee and a $2,000 pre-opening digital/local advertising payment. Item 6: royalty is 10% of Gross Receipts (floors to the greater of 10% or $1,500/month starting in month 24), plus a Monthly Marketing Fee of $250 plus 2% of Gross Receipts and a separate $1,000/month minimum Digital and Local Marketing Fee. Item 7 Total (1st Mathnasium Center): $127,316-$165,846 (an additional Center for an existing franchisee runs $104,816-$143,346). Item 20 Table No. 1 confirmed. You can pull the same filing yourself from the California DFPI's public franchise search. Filed 2026-07-21. 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.