Goldfish Swim School franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Goldfish Swim School franchise takes $1,673,263 – $3,728,930 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $50,000 – $60,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, Goldfish Swim School asks for $450,000 in liquid cash and a $750,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Goldfish Swim School franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $50,000 | $60,000 | $50,000 to $60,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $1,673,263 | $3,728,930 | $1,673,263 to $3,728,930 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $750,000 | $750,000 | $750,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $450,000 | $450,000 | $450,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $1,673,263 | $3,728,930 | $1,673,263 to $3,728,930 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Goldfish Swim School cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Goldfish Swim School's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Goldfish Swim School's disclosed cost sits against the Health & Fitness category:
- Minimum startup cost of $1,673,263 — about 9.1× the Health & Fitness median of $184,861.
- Initial franchise fee of $50,000 — about in line with the Health & Fitness median of $49,000.
Category medians are computed from the Health & Fitness brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Health & Fitness franchises
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How Goldfish Swim School's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2021: began the window at 2 units; 98 units opened, 2 closed, ending at 121 units. (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Goldfish Swim School or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Goldfish Swim School for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Goldfish Swim School is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Goldfish Swim School grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Goldfish Swim School can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Goldfish Swim School franchise
Goldfish Swim School is a health & fitness franchisor with 121 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2021, it began the window at 2 units; its filings record 98 unit openings and 2 closures, ending at 121 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Goldfish Swim School Franchising LLC.
Disclosure filings report 2 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
The franchise offered is for the establishment and operation of a swim school that provides specialized quality swim instruction and superior customer service to its clients. The franchise aims to service local markets by offering group and private swim lessons as well as birthday parties, open swim times, swim clinics and many other aquatic activities to children aged 4 months to 12 years in a fun and colorful environment. The franchise will also service its clients by offering a snack bar and retail area.
Goldfish Swim School franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Goldfish Swim School franchise cost?
- $1,673,263 – $3,728,930 all-in to open, per Goldfish Swim School's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Goldfish Swim School units are there?
- 121 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Goldfish Swim School's units held up?
- 100% of units at risk between 2019 and 2021 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).