SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN in California have taken 37 SBA loans since 1991 (average $260,275), and of the 25 loans whose story has ended, 32.0% were charged off — versus 23.9% for SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 61 franchised outlets in California (fiscal 2025) — about 0.15 per 100k residents.
Loans in CA
37
Resolved
25
Local charge-off
32.0%
National charge-off
23.9%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
11,669
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
29.6
national 26.5
Versus the country
+12%
denser
Every business in SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN's industry operating in California — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 58 | — |
| 2024 | 62 | — |
| 2025 | 61 | — |
| System | Loans in CA | Local charge-off | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Learning Center | 28 | 43.5% | — |
| Kiddie Academy | 27 | 0.0% | — |
| The Goddard School | 22 | thin | — |
| Arthur Murray Dance Studio | 17 | thin | — |
| PRIMROSE SCHOOLS | 17 | thin | 9 |
| Tutor Time | 15 | 23.1% | — |
| The Learning Experience | 14 | thin | — |
| School of Rock | 12 | thin | — |
| Building Kidz School | 11 | thin | 32 |
| BRITISH SWIM SCHOOL | 10 | thin | 40 |
| Gymboree | 8 | thin | — |
| Mathnasium Learning Center | 8 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN compares to the systems a buyer in California would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
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