SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ILLINOIS
SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN franchise in Illinois: what the public record shows
Franchisees of SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN in Illinois have taken 19 SBA loans since 1991 (average $250,134), and of the 10 loans whose story has ended, 20.0% 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 11 franchised outlets in Illinois (fiscal 2025) — about 0.09 per 100k residents.
Loans in IL
19
Resolved
10
Local charge-off
20.0%
National charge-off
23.9%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = IL. 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
3,436
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
27
national 26.5
Versus the country
+2%
denser
Every business in SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN's industry operating in Illinois — 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 | 17 | — |
| 2024 | 15 | — |
| 2025 | 11 | — |
| System | Loans in IL | Local charge-off | Units in IL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiddie Academy | 44 | 0.0% | — |
| The Goddard School | 36 | 0.0% | — |
| Goddard Early Learning Center | 17 | 7.1% | — |
| Huntington Learning Center | 16 | 30.8% | — |
| PRIMROSE SCHOOLS | 16 | thin | 9 |
| Goldfish Swim School | 13 | thin | — |
| The Learning Experience | 11 | thin | — |
| School of Rock | 8 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how SYLVAN LEARNING, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER, SYLVAN compares to the systems a buyer in Illinois 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.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →