Skip to Content

50 Best Education Business ideas You Can Start Today

Are you interested in starting a business in the education industry? If YES, here are 50 innovative education business ideas and opportunities.

Governments of most countries in the bid to advance their country ensure that they invest massively in the education sector and also encourage private investors to invest in the education sector. Some even go as far as providing free education to her citizens from primary school to university level.

The business opportunities in the education industry is massive and any entrepreneur who is serious about making money can leverage on the opportunities available in the industry. As a matter of fact, any entrepreneur who is creative and really imaginative can create his or her own business concept that can be highly marketable in the education industry.

Here are 50 thriving and profitable (formal and informal education) business ideas in the education industry that an entrepreneur or investor can choose from;

Best Education Business ideas

  1. Open a Private Nursery and Primary School

Starting a private nursery and primary school is one of the many businesses an entrepreneur who is looking to invest and generate revenue from the education industry should consider starting. In most countries of the world, before an entrepreneur can be allowed to open a private nursery and primary school, they are required to have obtain license and accreditation from the departments / ministry of education.

So, if you are considering to start a private nursery and primary school, then you should ensure that you visit the department of education (ministry of education) of your to confirm the requirements for starting a private nursery and primary school.

  1. Open a Private (High School) Secondary School

Another formal education business an entrepreneur who is interested in investing in the education industry should consider starting is to open a private (high school) secondary school.

The school could be a boarding house, a day school or a combination of both. In most countries of the world, before an entrepreneur can be allowed to open a private secondary school, they are required to obtain a license and accreditation from the departments / ministry of education.

As such, if you are considering starting a private secondary school, then you should ensure that you visit the department of education (ministry of education) of your country to confirm the requirements for starting a private secondary school.

  1. Start a Crèche and Pre School

Working class parents or even busy parents who have children that are not of school age usually enroll their children in crèches.

If you are considering starting a business in the education industry, one of your options is to start a crèche. The location you choose to start this type of business matters a lot. It wouldn’t be a wise decision to start a crèche in an area that is dominated by retirees.

Some of the suitable locations to setup a crèche are; estates that are dominated by young couples and nursing mothers. Furthermore, they prefer that such crèches is close to their offices; this is so that nursing mothers can easily be attracted.

Working class nursing mothers prefer crèches – so that they are able to make use of their breaks; by dashing quickly to the crèche to feed their babies.

  1. Start a Music School

Starting a music school is yet another thriving and profitable business in the education sector. People pay to learn how to play various instruments and also to learn the rudiments of music et al. If you have a degree in music and you are looking for a business to start, one of your best options is to start a music school.

This type of business can be capital intensive for an aspiring entrepreneur; you would need money to rent a facility, purchase different music instrument and also pay a handful of staff et al.

If you are interested in this type of business and you don’t have the required start – up capital to setup a standard music school, then you should go to people’s homes to teach them how to play different musical instruments. It is a good means of raising start – up capital to setup a standard music school.

  1. Start a Driving School

Driving school is yet another thriving and profitable education related business. Year in year out teens who have attained the driving age requirements and even adults alike who don’t know how to drive, approach driving schools to learn how to drive.

If you are looking for a steady source of income in the education industry, then one of your options is to open a driving school; a place where you can teach people how to drive.

It is important to state the before starting a driving school, you will be required to obtain the required license, permits and approval from the appropriate authority in your country. Aside from the little stress involved in securing approval, permit and license for a driving school, it could be fun teaching people how to drive especially if driving is one of your hobbies.

  1. Start a Catering School

Another interesting education related business idea that an entrepreneur can consider starting is to open a catering training school. This is a school where people can learn how to cook various local and intercontinental delicacies, and how to bake cakes et al.

This type of business requires that you secure license and accreditations from relevant authorities. So, if you are looking towards starting an education business, one of your options is to open a catering training school in your community.

  1. Start a Charter School

What are Charter schools? Simply put, they are schools that are run independently of the government. However, these schools are still highly expected to meet the requirements and standards of the local and state government. This type of educational system provides parents with something quite different from what they get from the public school system.

The charter schools are independently funded through students’ enrollment fees, levies, as well as other fees that are expected to be paid. Charter schools are beginning to gain more grounds in different countries of the world. So if you are interested in owning a business portfolio in the education industry, then one of your options is to start a charter school.

  1. Start a fashion Design School

Another highly thriving and profitable business venture in the education industry is a fashion design school. The fashion industry is indeed a thriving industry all over the globe and clothing line is a subset of the industry. No doubt the clothing line industry has the widest range of customers; everybody on planet earth wears clothes howbeit different designs, quality and style.

There are standard fashion design schools in major cities like New York, Milan, Paris and London et al where people can enroll to learn all about fashion. If you a fashion designer with pedigree, you should consider starting a fashion design school in your city or country; there are loads of students who will be willing to enroll in your fashion school.

  1. Start a School for Art and Culture

If you are interested in arts and culture, there is nothing wrong in setting up a school specially dedicated to teaching students practical lessons on arts and culture; a place where students can enroll to learn various crafts, painting, carving, sculpturing, tie and dye, stage play, film script writing and dancing et al. This type of business requires a spacious facility and faculty members.

  1. Start a Computer College

Starting a computer college is yet another profitable and thriving education related business an entrepreneur can successfully start.

A computer college is a place where people learn different subjects about computer; it could be learning about computer hardware, it could be learning about networking, it could be learning about software programming, it could be learning about graphics and desktop publishing, as well as anything, as long as it relates to computer.

If you establish a standard computer school that is accredited by the government of your country; a computer school that awards recognized diplomas et al, then you are likely not going to struggles to get students to enroll in your computer college.

  1. Start a Bible School

If you are an educationist and you are a Christian, one of the education related business ideas that you should consider starting is a Bible School. Although, it is easier for churches to start a Bible school than for an individual, but if you are recognized as a devoted Christian in your country, you can successfully launch your own Bible school.

If you intend awarding recognized certificates / diplomas in your bible school, then you should apply for accreditation and license from the education board in your country.

  1. Start an Online School

The concept of online learning is rapidly gaining grounds. Universities all over the world are beginning to create online learning platforms for students all over the world. There several subjects that can be studied via an online school; it could be obtaining a technical skills and a diploma and it could obtaining a Degree or an MBA et al.

If you are passionate about impacting knowledge, all you need to do is to secure the required license, permits and accreditation from the government of your country and you can successfully start your own degree / diploma awarding online school.

  1. Open a Bookshop

If you are considering starting an education related business, then one of your options is to open a bookshop; a store where books of different genre from different authors are sold. There is a large market for books; especially if you have done your homework before stocking your bookshop with books.

If you are considering starting this type of business, aside from the fact that you will be operating your bookshop from a facility (brick and mortar store) it will be to your advantage to also maintain an online book shop. It will give the online community an opportunity to patronize your bookshop.

  1. Start a Printing Press

Books are one of the major mediums through which people learn. Books are printed from the printing press. In essence it is safe to say printing press business falls under the educational sector. So, if you are looking towards starting a profitable and thriving business, then one of your options is to launch a printing press; a place where education books can be produced.

  1. Start Stationery Manufacturing Company

Pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, staplers, crayons, rulers, compass, notebooks, notepads, stick – on, notice boards, boards, et al are essentials that are used by students and teachers alike in schools hence it is safe to classify stationery manufacturing business as part of the business opportunities available in the education industry.

If you are looking for a business to start in the education industry, you should consider going into the production of stationeries; there is a large market for this type of business.

  1. Start an Online Library Business (e – library)

Online library is another platform where people learn different subjects at an affordable fee. The internet has made it possible for people from different parts of the world to be registered in the same library.

Online library (e – library) is a resource center where you can comfortably conduct a thorough research and study from the comfort of your home no matter the part of the world you live in as long as you have internet enabled device (smartphones, computers, notebooks, tablets et al).

People pay registering fees and of course membership fees to make use of online libraries. If you looking towards starting a business in the education industry, then starting a well – equipped e – library is one of your options. You can start your own online library (e – library) and attract membership from different parts of the world.

  1. Go into Retailing of eBooks

Retailing of any educational material is considered a business in the education industry. As an aspiring entrepreneur, one of the easy ways you can make bucks from the internet if you are a good and creative writer is to author sell eBooks. There are countless numbers of subjects that you can write about and of course there will be ready markets for such subject.

One of the easiest ways to generate monies from selling eBooks is to start writing self – help books or books on ‘How To’. For example, if you are good with graphics, you can write a book on ‘How to create your own logo’ there are loads of people out there that will be willing to pay for such book.

EBooks are cheap and easy to make and from one eBook you can continue to generate incomes as long as the information that it contains is still valid and useful. EBooks (electronic books) are books in soft copies and they can be downloaded online from any part of the world.

  1. Start an Online Bible School

If you are a Christian and you are passionate about the teachings of Jesus Christ, you would have come across several online Degree / Diploma / Certificate awarding Bible School. If you are Bible scholar and are interested in impacting knowledge, then you should consider starting your own online Bible school.

If before now you are per chance discouraged about starting your own Bible school because of the cost of renting facility and acquiring furniture et al, then you need not be discouraged anymore because with the internet, you will spend far less starting an online Bible School compared to what you will spend when setting up a brick and mortar Bible School.

  1. Open an Online Book Store

Another profitable and thriving business an entrepreneur can successfully launch is to open an online book store. There are book lovers all over the world who are still interested in buying books no matter the amount it may cost them. Starting an online book store is another way of making money from the internet.

A company like amzon.com is making huge revenues from selling books online and you can start something similar. You can sell eBooks, audio books and hard copy books on various subjects and from various authors on your online book store. Please note that starting online book store means that you will make provision for shipping.

  1. Online Skill Acquisition Training

Online skill acquisition training school is yet another business in the education industry that an aspiring entrepreneur should consider starting. The internet has made it possible for professional trainers to make money via training people without ever meeting them physically.

For example if you want to train people on how to make hats or sew bags or how to make beads et al, all you need to do is to engage them on video chatting. You can as well send your videos and your training manuals online to those who paid for your materials and services. Distance is not a barrier as far as educating people on the internet is concerned.

  1. Online Magazine and Book Club

Online magazine and book club is yet another business in the education industry an aspiring entrepreneur who is interested in starting a business should consider. This is quite different from e – library and all you need to do is to start a book and magazine club that attracts people of similar interest.

If you are creative, you can attract enough members and the money you make from such business is tied to the number of members that are registered in your book club; membership fees and registering fees et al. One good thing about online magazine and book club is that you can admit members from any part of the world as long as they are ready to keep to the ground rules.

  1. Freelance Researching Business

There are organizations, and individual et al, who contract research works to freelance researchers. Beyond every reasonable doubt, there are loads of business opportunities for freelance researchers and location is not an issue as long as the freelance researcher can deliver quality job per time.

Hence, if you looking for a business to start in the education industry, a business that requires little or no start – up capital, then one of your options is to go into freelance researching business.

  1. Start a Book Club

Starting a book club is yet another easy to start business in the education industry. Book clubs are basically all about a group of people coming together to discuss a book or books that they have read or the books they are currently being reading.

It is cheaper to start and to run a book club, but you have to be creative if you want to make money out of your book club. Aside from the membership fee you will collect from people who want to join your book club, you would have to design strategies on how to generate income from members of your book club and from other related areas.

If you want to make money from your book club, then you should consider starting a sales book club; with a sales book club, you will be able to sell books at a discount price to your members and of course your members will be the first set of people to get newly released books from your stable.

  1. Start a Paper and Notebook Manufacturing Business

Another highly profitable and thriving business in the education sector that an entrepreneur should consider starting is to go into paper and notebook manufacturing. Although the campaign for preserving trees and our ecosystem is gaining prominence and people are encouraged to reduce the numbers of papers they use especially if they have other options.

But the fact remains that there is a very large market for the paper industry; the market cut across all sectors because people need papers in schools, in offices and everywhere business are conducted. So if you live in a country where you can easily get permits to fall trees, then you should consider starting papers and notebooks manufacturing business. It is indeed a profitable business.

  1. Become a Freelance Writer

People write books or articles, simply because they want to educate people – hence freelance writing jobs can be considered to be a business in the education industry. If you are a skilled and creative writer and you have enough time at your disposal, then you can earn good income as a freelance writer. There are loads of websites you can secure high paying writing jobs from.

Some of the sites where you can bid for freelance writing jobs are freelancer.com, upwork.com, guru.com and elance.com et al. From these sites you can get writing jobs that can comfortable pay your bills while you are in – between jobs or still schooling.

  1. Start Blogging

Another business in the education industry is blogging; blogging is all about educating or passing information to people. Blogging is one of the means several people all over the world are making money from the internet.

Blogging is all about creating useful and perhaps educative content for a targeted audience on the internet. If you think that you have good knowledge on a particular subject, you can make money by sharing your knowledge to a wide range of audience via your blog.

This is how making money from blogging works; if you have good contents on your blog, loads of people (human traffic) will visit your blog.

The larger the traffic that visits your blog, the more money you will make. If your blog attracts huge traffic, you can attract adverts from top corporate organization. You can also earn money from your blog via AdSense, by offering subscription services to members and also selling your products via your blog.

  1. Ghost Writing Job

If you are a creative writer, then you can start your own education related business as a ghost writer. There countless numbers of people out there who are overdue to author at least one book but they can’t due to their very busy and tight schedule.

All you need to do is to collect their thoughts together and help them author a book in their names. Although your name might not appear in the book, but you are sure of being rewarded handsomely for your services. It could be a pay off or on percentage based on the number of copies of the book sold within a period of time et al. All the same it is a good way of making cool cash from the education industry.

  1. Editing and Proofreading Business

Editing and proofreading is yet another easy to start business in the education industry; it requires little or no start – up capital to launch this type of business. The nature of this type of business makes it easier to work from home and for clients who are thousands of kilometers away from your country.

If you are a good editor and you have eyes for details, then you should consider visiting freelancer.com, elance.com, oDesk.com amongst others, to enroll and become a member. From such platforms, you can get enough editing and proofreading jobs that you can handle.

  1. Start a Photography Academy

Another thriving and profitable business in the education sector that an aspiring entrepreneur should consider starting is to open a photography school; a place where students can learn both theoretical and practical lessons on photography.

You don’t necessarily need to compete with world class photography schools to make it big in this industry. Just ensure that you provide quality all – round photography education in your city and you will be amazed at the numbers of people that will enroll in your photography academy.

  1. Start an Entrepreneurial College

It is fact that loads of entrepreneurs did not go through entrepreneurial training before launching their businesses, which is why much business closes shop before their 3rd anniversary.

Entrepreneurial college is a place where aspiring entrepreneur enroll to learn the rudiment of starting and growing a business. Statistics has it that majority of the start – up businesses that survives are managed by people who have undergone formal or informal business / entrepreneurial training.

So, if you are looking towards starting a business in the education industry; one of your options is to start an entrepreneurial college. It is a highly thriving and profitable business to start. Just ensure that you apply and obtain the required license and accreditation from the department of education in your country.

  1. Start a Language School

Another thriving and profitable business in the education industry an aspiring entrepreneur should consider starting is to open a language school. If you can speak and write more than two international languages, then you can make money by teaching people foreign language / languages.

All you need to do is to open a language school in a location where you can easily attract people who are interested in learning foreign languages. If your language school is well located, people who need the services you offer will contact you.

Be sure that you have resource materials (soft copies that can aid your teachings). If you know how to speak and write 2 or 3 of any of these languages; French, English, Spanish, Chinese, German and Arabic, then you should consider starting launching your foreign language training / tutorials / coaching center.

  1. Home Tutor Services

There will always be the need for children to be educated. It is for this reason that another easy to start and profitable business in the education sector that requires little or no start – up capital is home tutors services. Parents engage teachers to teach their children at home, hence there is need for the services of teachers. So, if you are a good teacher, then you should consider starting home tutor services.

  1. Start a Film Making School

Another thriving and profitable business in the education sector that an aspiring entrepreneur should consider starting is to open a film making school; a place where students can learn both theoretical and practical lessons on film making.

You don’t necessarily need to compete with world class filmmaking schools like New York Film Academy et al, to make it big in this industry. Just ensure that you are providing quality all – round filmmaking education in your city and you will be amazed at the numbers of people that will enroll in your filmmaking school.

  1. Sale of Children’s Educational Materials (Toys, DVDs, CDs and Pads et al)

Another profitable and thriving business in the education industry that an entrepreneur can successfully start without any form of technical skills is retailing of children’s educational materials. Materials such as kinds learning pads, story books, Lego, jig saw puzzle, educative video games, educative CDs and DVDs et al are highly sellable as long as you position the business is a location where there are children.

You can as well take your goods to schools to market. Retailing children’s educational materials is indeed a profitable business and anybody can start this type of business. As a matter of fact, you would not need any specially license or permit to run this type of business.

  1. Start a Chalk Manufacturing Company

Chalk manufacturing and retailing is yet another business in the education industry that any entrepreneur should consider starting. Recently, there has been the high patronage of white boards. This owes to the fact that some folk are comfortable with using markers of different colors on white boards.

Whilst the demand for whiteboards by schools, offices and even spiritual houses are in high demand, on the other hand you still cannot rule out the high demands of good old chalks and blackboards.

Although it seems that technology has grown past the black boards; this isn’t to say that they aren’t still in demand. Unlike the white boards, the black boards are known to only comply with chalks. Chalk is used in schools and other learning establishments to write on the board. The demand for chalk is lofty and it is a very viable money spinner.

  1. Start a Magazine Production Business

The fact that magazine are written for the purpose of passing information to people makes it safe to classify magazine business in the education industry. So, if you are considering delving into a business in the education industry, then one of your best options is to start a magazine production business.

Beyond every reasonable doubt, the competition in the magazine industry is high but one thing is certain, if you are able to set a standard in the industry, you are sure going to get committed and faithful readers who would not mind paying annual subscription fee upfront.

Although you may experience less competitions if you chose to carve a niche for yourself and also exploit the internet and perhaps a book / reader’s club. If you are considering starting a magazine publication company, then your concern should not be limited to the cost of setting up the business and gaining readership but also on your distribution network.

The truth is that most magazines companies run into loss simply because they spend more in distributing their magazines to various newsstands across the country.

It will be in your own interest, if you encourage your clients to subscribe to your magazines as against buying from the newsstands. It is easier to get huge discount from post office services as against transporting your magazines to newsstands that are scattered all around the united states.

  1. Start an Educative Television Program

There are different medium through which children and even adult alike learn and one of such medium is through the television. If you are good at developing contents for television, then one of the businesses you can successfully launch is to start an educative program for television.

Your program can be designed to educate children or to educate adults of various subjects ranging from health, security and business et al. The truth is that if your television program is well organized, you will attract good sponsorship deals from corporate organizations.

  1. Start an Educative Radio Program

Another medium through which people learn is the radio. As such, if you are good at developing content for radio, then you should look towards developing educative programs for radio; a program where people can learn different subjects, it could be in business, health, security or religion et al.

If your radio program is well packaged, you can easily attract corporate sponsorship and also you can compile various editions of your radio program on CD and sell it to your audience to generate income.

  1. Production of Educative Cartoons Series for Children

Production of educative cartoons series for children is yet another business in the education industry that an entrepreneur should consider starting. One of the easiest ways children learn is through cartoons hence there is a large market for children’s educative cartoons.

Thus, if you are good in animation and cartoons, then one of the businesses you should consider starting is to go into the production of educative cartoons series for children. It is a highly profitable and thriving business.

  1. Start a Private School for the Disable

An additional business in the education industry which an aspiring entrepreneur should consider starting is to open a private school for the disabled. A disabled school is a school where people who have one form of disability or the order enroll to be educated either formally. It is a school for the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the maimed and the crippled etc.

You can decide to start this type of school as a charity organization or in partnership with the government, or individuals. It is important to state that before starting this type of school, you would need to apply and obtain license, permits and accreditation from the department of education (ministry of education) in your country.

  1. Start a Martial Art School

Another easy to start and profitable business in the education industry an entrepreneur can successfully start is to open a martial art school. If you are a professional and a warrior in martial arts, you can generate huge profits from your passion by simply establishing a martial arts school to teach people on martial arts.

In recent time, it has become highly necessary for children and young adults to learn martial arts not just for the fun of it, but for the fact that one is able to participate in sport competition, as well as a skill needed for self-defense.

With the growing rate of all sorts of crimes like; kidnapping, rape, and so on in our society, it has become needful for the skill of martial arts to be learnt from an early age. It is important to state at this juncture that starting martial art skills requires someone who has practiced the art for at least 10 years

  1. Start an Animation and Graphic School

If you take your time to conduct a survey, you will be amazed at the number of people who may be interested in enrolling in an animation and graphic school to learn graphics and animation. So, if you are good with graphics and animation and you are certain that you can impart knowledge, then you should consider starting an animation and graphic school.

  1. Start an Online Cooking School

Online cooking school is yet another business that falls in the education industry. If you are good with making both local and international foods, one of the businesses you can engage in is to start teaching people how to cook. You will be amazed at the high level of response you will get if you listed this service online.

There are loads of stuffs you can line online; it could be obtaining technical skills and a diploma and it could mean obtaining a Degree or an MBA et al.

If you are passionate about impacting knowledge, all you need to do is to secure the required license, permits and accreditation from the government of your country and you can successfully start your own degree / diploma awarding online school.

  1. Start a Business That Organizes Excursions for School Children

It is the tradition in most schools especially primary and secondary school to take their students on excursion once in a while. Excursion is an avenue where students travel out of their school zones, to get first hand learning experiences.

So, if you are good with organizing trips and you are looking towards making money from the education industry, then one of your options is to packaged excursion trips for schools. If you are good at marketing, you will be able to seal business deals with lots of schools in and around your community.

  1. Start an Educational Consulting Business

Another interesting business in the education industry that a professional can consider starting is educational consulting business. Consulting is all about providing practical and workable advice to clients for demand for it.

Consequently, if you have vast experience in the education sector and you are looking towards starting a business, one of your best options is to go into educational consulting business. This type of business is less competitive and it is profitable.

  1. Production and Retailing of Educational Materials for Disables

There are special learning materials (learning aids) for the disabled. If you are looking towards starting a business in the education industry, a business that is less competitive, then you should look towards going to the production and retailing of educational materials for disables.

  1. Start an Adult Education Center

There are men and women out there who for one reason or the other did not attend formal schools; hence they can’t read and write. Good enough this set of people have the opportunities to go back to school; many thanks to adult education.

If you are in the education sector or you are interested starting a business in the education sector, one of your option is to start an adult education school. If you intend awarding recognized certificates / diplomas in your adult education center, then you should apply for accreditation and license from the education board in your country.

  1. Start an Interior Decoration Training School

Another interesting and profitable business to start in the education industry is to open an interior decoration training school. There are loads of people out there who want to acquire this skill and will be willing to enroll in your interior decoration training school if it is close to them.

Just ensure that you give your students the opportunity to learn more of practical then theories. If you intend awarding recognized certificates / diplomas in your interior decoration training school, then you should apply for accreditation and license from the education board in your country.

  1. Open a Private Library

A library is a place where people go to read or research on various subject of interest. Opening a private library is not common though, but it is a thing that can be done by an individual.

If you are interested in opening a private library you can source for partnership with your local government or you can do it alone. If your library is well – equipped and well – located, then you are likely not going to find it difficult to convince people to register and pickup membership.

  1. Open a Museum and Cultural Center

Just like private libraries, museum and cultural center is a business that is not common in the private sector. That does not mean that private investors couldn’t possibly open a museum and cultural center. If you have the capacity to setup a museum, then by all means go all the way to establish one.

You also have the option of going into partnership with the government of your country. As a matter of fact, if your museum is well equipped and strategically located, you can attract visitors from all over the world.

There you have it; now you see the vast business opportunities which the education industry offers. Those who have gone before you in the business in this sector know that a lot lies to be gained from this industry. This singular reason should be one of the reasons why you have got to make up your mind on one or more of these business ideas and then act fast.