Kumon Is Ranked No. 1 — at Making a Difference Franchise 500 and other rankings aside, Kumon is making an impact in the lives of students, instructors and communities.

Kumon North America has earned just about every important award in the franchising industry: No. 1-ranked education franchise on the Franchise 500 for 23 consecutive years. No. 1 on Franchises for Less Than $100,000. No. 10 on Top Global Franchises.

And yet, that's not how Kumon corporate leaders or franchise owners define success.

Kumon is proud of its four straight Top 10 rankings on the prestigious Franchise 500, its two-decade run as the top-ranked education franchise and its inclusion on Entrepreneur's Franchise Hall of Fame list. But Kumon prefers to focus on the bigger picture: how it has impacted the lives of students and franchisees and contributed to the communities it serves.

"Kumon Instructors provide personalized, high-quality education enrichment services to their students, many of whom return years later to thank them for setting them up for outstanding academic careers and professional success," says John Collins, Kumon's vice president of center network development. "And likewise, we are thrilled to support the Instructors as they endeavor to make a difference in their communities."

Some Instructors pursued careers with Kumon because of the opportunity to make a difference. For example, Samuel Song, franchise owner of the Kumon Center of East Spokane, Wa., says he finds fulfillment in the impact he can make on a student's life as a Kumon Instructor. "Kumon provides me the perfect stage. Its philosophy and methodology resonate deeply with my lifelong learning journey."

Many Instructors would agree with him.

Take Karen Oi, who has owned the Kumon Center of Brentwood-Maryland Farms, Tennessee, for more than a quarter-century. She has taught several National Merit Scholars and many others who have been awarded substantial college scholarships. She keeps in touch with "her kids," including Gitanjali Rao, Time magazine's first Kid of the Year in 2020 and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in 2019, who emails updates regularly to her former Kumon Instructor.

Rao is a great example of a Kumon Student who has already left her mark on the world at a very young age. Now 18 and a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rao holds a patent for a sensor that detects water contaminants, inspired by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. Her website says her goal is to "create global change" through teens looking to make a difference.

Some Instructors are grateful not only for the work they do with students but also for the changes that Kumon has brought to their own lives.

Edwin Deriquito, the Instructor at Kumon Center of Corona-South in California, says owning his own center has been a priceless experience. After spending years in the electronics field, he sought a second career that would allow him more time with his children after his wife died of cancer. All of his children had attended Kumon, and when he began to research new business opportunities, Kumon stood out.

Deriquito, who had worked in business management and marketing, said the business side was easy for him, but he was grateful for Kumon's support in learning curriculum and teaching — as well as for the intangible rewards that his students have brought to his life. "I wasn't great at math in school, so I understand the struggle," he says. "The kids give me drawings and thank-you notes. A mom embraced me when her kid won an award at school."

He adds, "I'm not a perfect teacher. Every day is a learning day," he says. "However, when I wonder if this is the thing for me until I stop working, the answer is always yes."

To learn if the Kumon Franchise opportunity is right for you, visit kumonfranchise.com.