Franchise Failure Rates

SBA 7(a) loan outcomes · FY2010–FY2019 cohort · Statuses as of June 30, 2026 · Last updated August 17, 2026

Sylvan Learning Franchise Failure Rate: 10.0% SBA Loan Defaults (2010–2019 Federal Data)

10.0%
charge-off rate on 20 SBA 7(a) loans to Sylvan Learning franchisees, FY2010–2019
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 — Sylvan Learning against its industry and all franchises
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019: Sylvan Learning 10.0%; Educational Support Services 8.0%; All franchises 10.2%Sylvan Learning 10.0%; Educational Support Services 8.0%; All franchises 10.2%0%2%4%6%8%10%Sylvan Learning10.0%Educational SupportServices8.0%All franchises10.2%
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019: Sylvan Learning 10.0%; Educational Support Services 8.0%; All franchises 10.2%Sylvan Learning 10.0%; Educational Support Services 8.0%; All franchises 10.2%0%2%4%6%8%10%Sylvan Learning10.0%Educational Support Services8.0%All franchises10.2%

Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.

About 1 in 10 Sylvan Learning SBA borrowers failed to repay — above the Educational Support Services average of 8.0%.

Between 2010 and 2019, 20 Sylvan Learning franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 2 defaulted — a 10.0% charge-off rate, 1.2x the Educational Support Services average of 8.0%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

What is the Sylvan Learning franchise failure rate on SBA loans?

Sylvan Learning is a Educational Support Services franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to Sylvan Learning franchisees: 20 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 2 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.

How does Sylvan Learning compare with other Educational Support Services franchises?

The table sets Sylvan Learning's charge-off rate beside its Educational Support Services peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable.

Sylvan Learning versus benchmarks, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset.
MeasureSylvan LearningEducational Support ServicesAll franchisesAll SBA borrowers
Default (charge-off) rate10.0%8.0%10.2%8.0%
Loans in sample20———
Defaults2———
Average loan size$292,095———
Charge-off rate by approval year — share of each fiscal year's Sylvan Learning SBA 7(a) loans that later defaulted (FY2010–FY2019); years with fewer than 10 loans are outlined, not filled
Charge-off rate by approval year: FY2013 0% of 1 loans; FY2014 0% of 3 loans; FY2015 0% of 5 loans; FY2016 20% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loansCharge-off rate by approval year: FY2013 0% of 1 loans; FY2014 0% of 3 loans; FY2015 0% of 5 loans; FY2016 20% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loans0%10%20%0%2013n=10%2014n=30%2015n=520%2016n=100%2017n=1
Charge-off rate by approval year: FY2013 0% of 1 loans; FY2014 0% of 3 loans; FY2015 0% of 5 loans; FY2016 20% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loansCharge-off rate by approval year: FY2013 0% of 1 loans; FY2014 0% of 3 loans; FY2015 0% of 5 loans; FY2016 20% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loans0%10%20%0%’13n=10%’14n=30%’15n=520%’16n=100%’17n=1

Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.

Show the numbers behind this chart
Fiscal yearLoansCharged offRate
FY2013100.0%
FY2014300.0%
FY2015500.0%
FY201610220.0%
FY2017100.0%

How to read this

A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.

How reliable is this number?

Sylvan Learning's figure rests on 20 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019 — a matured cohort, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 20 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 5.0 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every Sylvan Learning figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.

Based on 20 resolved loans — directional, not precise.

Frequently asked

What is Sylvan Learning's franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Between 2010 and 2019, 20 Sylvan Learning franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 2 defaulted — a 10.0% charge-off rate, 1.2x the Educational Support Services average of 8.0%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Is Sylvan Learning a safe franchise investment?
Between 2010–2019, Sylvan Learning franchisees defaulted on SBA loans at 10.0% versus a 8.0% industry average. This data is one input for due diligence; it is not investment advice.

Cite this page

Franchise Default Rates (2026). Sylvan Learning franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 10.0% (2 of 20 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/sylvan-learning/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)