Sylvan Learning Centers franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.26 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$46,900 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

11% · 11% of Gross Sales (12% on Sylvan Edge and ACE IT! programs), paid monthly, subject to $5,500 quarterly minimum (waived first six months after grand opening)

Marketing contribution

5% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Hub Technology Platform fee currently $114 per Center per month, up to $750 per month, adjustable for CPI or vendor increases

Other fees

Call Center Fee: Model A $700/month + $10 per inquiry, or Model B $350/month + $30 per inquiry; Annual conference fee $950-$1,350 per attendee (up to $1,500); Dashboard Access License $10/month per license after the first

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds - Three Months: $9,500 to $35,000 (employees, suppliers, utilities; excludes owner payroll)

Fees sourceFDD p.17 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.26 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Gross Sales by quartile (average, median, high, low) for franchised Centers open the full year; also top 10 and bottom 10 Centers in each quartile, and a subset with offered territory size

Reporting period

Calendar year 2025

Sample

409 of 433 U.S. franchised Centers (12 excluded for not operating full year, 12 for incomplete data); Table 3 subset of 186 Centers with offered territory size

Reported average

Not captured

Reported median

Not captured

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.68 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

476

Year-end outlets

433

Net change

-43

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

12

Terminations

10

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

45

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

26

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.72 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

53 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$223,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

44 loans

Historical charge-off share

10.42%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

5 / 48

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Sylvan Learning Centers franchise cost?

Single Sylvan Learning Center (Franchise Agreement): $117,600 to $288,400; Development Agreement (2-3 Centers), additional costs on top of per-unit investment: $163,310 to $246,500 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $46,900 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.26 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Sylvan Learning Centers owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Gross Sales by quartile (average, median, high, low) for franchised Centers open the full year; also top 10 and bottom 10 Centers in each quartile, and a subset with offered territory size. Sample: 409 of 433 U.S. franchised Centers (12 excluded for not operating full year, 12 for incomplete data); Table 3 subset of 186 Centers with offered territory size. Period: Calendar year 2025.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.68 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Sylvan Learning Centers?

10.42%; numerator / denominator: 5 / 48. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $223,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 44 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗