Start a School of Rock Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #118 Ranked #205 last year

Initial investment: $425K - $705K

Units as of 2025: 416 35.5% over 3 years

School of Rock is one of the most well-known music school franchises in the world. They have over 165 franchises in the U.S. to go along with over 30 international franchises and more than 40 company-owned locations. The company strives to enrich children’s lives through performance-based music education. Founded in 1998 in Philadelphia, School of Rock is the startup that inspired the movie of the same name. Its core educational belief is if students play the songs they love, they may be more interested in learning music.

Franchisees may work with professional musicians and over a dozen part-time students on a daily basis. Outside of lessons, your students may be able to audition for the AllStars program and attend nationwide music workshops and camps throughout the year. Past guests have included musical artists like Josh Homme, Josh Freese, and Peter Frampton.

The perfect candidate for a School of Rock franchisee has a deep connection to music and can create a safe learning environment for children.

Why You May Want to Start a School of Rock Franchise

Running a School of Rock franchise may mean you can satisfy your passion for music as you give back to your community. And while franchisees usually follow the School of Rock educational system, you could have a great deal of creative liberty, too. Its franchisees decide the genre of rock that their instructors teach, customize the look of their location, and have control over staff and schedules. After a couple of years, you may be able to host your own workshops and music camps.

As a School of Rock franchise owner, you will join a network of music schools that enrich the lives of thousands of children. Through the love and study of music, franchisees attempt to give students a safe space to grow, learn, and have fun. Your students could enjoy learning to play their favorite tunes, writing rock songs about growing up, and performing with new friends.

What Might Make School of Rock Franchise a Good Choice?

School of Rock has ranked in BIZ Experiences's Franchise 500 multiple times in the past decade. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

To be a part of the School of Rock team, you should make sure you are financially ready for an initial investment. This includes the cost of equipment, location, and a franchise fee. Your term of agreement is usually good for 10 years. Ongoing fees, including advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees, are also often required. Veterans may receive a discount off the franchise fee.

Reported income by other franchise owners is usually included in the company’s Franchise Disclosure Document, but School of Rock urges you to look beyond income at the bigger picture—transforming students into musicians who can rock the stage.

How Do You Open a School of Rock Franchise?

To start a School of Rock franchise, you need to meet the minimum net worth and liquid capital requirements. You may then request their Franchise Disclosure Document. A franchise executive will generally be in touch with you to review the Franchise Disclosure Document and franchise location opportunities. This can give you more in-depth information on their brand, vision, financial assistance, and the School of Rock franchise cost.

Once you’ve signed on the dotted line, School of Rock may assign you a franchise support consultant. These consultants typically hold weekly check-ins to help guide your startup and connect you to a financial advisor. Franchisees may attend a multi-day management training course at company headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts to learn how to manage School of Rock's day-to-day operations.

School of Rock wants to see its franchise take off and is ready to offer support. By the time you open the doors to your new music school, you could feel like a rockstar ready to start the show.

Company Overview

About School of Rock

Industry	Children's Businesses
Related Categories	Children's Enrichment Programs: Music, Children's Enrichment Programs: Miscellaneous, Tutoring, Children's Education/Enrichment
Founded	1998
Parent Company	School of Rock LLC
Leadership	Stacey Ryan, President
Corporate Address	1 Wattles St. Canton, MA 02021
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2005 (20 years)
# of employees at HQ	90
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	416 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a School of Rock franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$59,900
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$425,250 - $704,800
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$350,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$5,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	8%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	3%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	School of Rock has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	Ongoing
Classroom Training	35 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	14-21
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes