Financing The Goddard School with an SBA loan
Since FY2020, 41 The Goddard School locations changed hands on an SBA 7(a) loan. Here is what those deals looked like, what the brand costs to open, which lenders wrote the loans, and where the brand stands with the SBA.
The Goddard School franchising: goddardschoolfranchise.com
What a The Goddard School deal looks like
The Goddard School is an established brand in the SBA loan file: 41 acquisitions cleared underwriting in the last five years. The median loan was $1,612,000 at 7.75 percent. Amortized over 25 years, that is about $12,176 a month, or $146,111 a year in debt service. SBA's 10 percent minimum equity injection on a deal that size is roughly $179,111 of buyer cash, some of which a seller note on standby can sometimes cover.
Illustrative only: the median loan is not a purchase price, and every deal differs. Model your own in the deal analyzer or the DSCR calculator.
7(a) or 504 for The Goddard School?
The Goddard School deals often include the real estate, which is why the median loan here is large and runs long. When the building is part of the purchase, the SBA 504 program is usually the better fit: a 50/40/10 stack, a bank first lien, a fixed-rate CDC debenture, and 10 percent down, with the real estate amortized up to 25 years. Model that structure in the 504 calculator.
When you are buying an existing The Goddard School as a going concern without the real estate, a 7(a) loan is the usual route, typically over 10 years. Price it in the 7(a) calculator.
What it costs to open The Goddard School
These are The Goddard School's own franchise terms, set by the franchisor and separate from the SBA loan. They matter to a buyer because the franchise fee and the build-out are part of the project the loan has to cover, and lenders weigh the net-worth and liquidity minimums when they size a deal.
- Total initial investment
- $902,500 to $1,309,000
- Initial franchise fee
- $135,000
- Ongoing royalty
- 7% of gross sales
- Net worth required
- $500,000
- Liquid capital required
- $350,000
Early childhood education / preschool, figures from the 2024 FDD. Sources: Franchise Chatter - FDD Talk: The Goddard School (2024 review), 1851 Franchise - The Goddard School franchise costs, fees, data, FranNet - The Goddard School franchise directory (net worth/liquidity), FDD Exchange - The Goddard School 2024 FDD. Franchise economics are drawn from each brand's public Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD Items 5 and 7) and reputable third-party franchise databases, compiled for independent editorial reference. The Closing Binder is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any franchisor listed. Franchise fee, investment, royalty, and net-worth figures are set by the franchisor and change with each FDD; confirm current terms in the brand's latest FDD before relying on them.
Lenders that actually write these
The banks below approved the most The Goddard School acquisitions in the file. A lender that has funded this brand before is the fastest path through underwriting.
- Live Oak Banking Company9 The Goddard School loans
- Customers Bank4 The Goddard School loans
- TD Bank, National Association4 The Goddard School loans
- Bank of America, National Association2 The Goddard School loans
- BOKF, National Association2 The Goddard School loans
SBA conditions on this brand
The Goddard School is listed in the SBA Franchise Directory with no brand-specific lender conditions on file. A lender still runs the standard franchise review, but there is no special addendum or lease restriction attached to this brand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to buy The Goddard School franchise?
Opening The Goddard School takes a total initial investment of about $902,500 to $1,309,000, including a $135,000 initial franchise fee, per the brand's FDD. Buying an existing location is priced differently: the median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan for The Goddard School was $1,612,000 in the federal loan file.
Can you buy The Goddard School with an SBA loan?
Yes. 41 The Goddard School locations were acquired with SBA 7(a) financing since FY2020, and the brand is listed in the SBA Franchise Directory. A lender runs the standard SBA franchise review as part of underwriting.
How much do you need for a down payment on The Goddard School?
SBA requires a minimum 10 percent equity injection. On the median The Goddard School loan of $1,612,000, that is roughly $179,111 of buyer cash, though a seller note kept on full standby can cover part of it. The rest is financed over about 25 years, around $12,176 a month at the median rate.
Which lenders finance The Goddard School acquisitions?
Live Oak Banking Company, Customers Bank and TD Bank, National Association wrote the most The Goddard School acquisition loans in the federal file. A lender that has funded the brand before knows its franchise agreement and tends to move faster. See the full lender detail above.
Other childcare brands buyers finance
Loan counts, median size, median rate, and lender ranking are computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA file, change of ownership approvals, FY2025 to FY2026 Q3, as of June 30, 2026. Eligibility, the identifier code, and any conditions are from the SBA Franchise Directory, effective August 11, 2026. Franchise cost figures are from The Goddard School's public FDD and third-party franchise databases. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Goddard School or its franchisor, and directory listing is not an endorsement of any individual deal. Methodology.