Sylvan Learning
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersHunt Valley, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Sylvan Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sylvan Learning
- Legal name
- Sylvan Learning, LLC
- Website
- https://sylvanfranchise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sylvan Learning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Supplemental Education Services
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Math Learning Centers (Small-Group) (EDANAHAE)
Keywords
Where Sylvan Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hunt Valley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sylvan Learning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $46,900 for single territory. This is a one-time fee paid by new franchisees to join the Sylvan Learning network.
- Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty fee of 11% of monthly gross sales, subject to a quarterly minimum. This provides recurring revenue from franchise operations.
- Tutoring Services: Revenue from providing personalized tutoring in subjects including math, reading, writing, science, and foreign languages to K-12 students.
- Test Preparation Services: Revenue from test prep programs including SAT, ACT, IB, state tests, GRE, GED, ACCUPLACER, ASVAB, and high school placement tests.
- STEM and Enrichment Programs: Revenue from STEM camps, study skills courses, academic camps, and enrichment programs for students of all ages.
- Sylvan Pass Membership Model: Flexible membership model piloted in 2025 with broader rollout planned for 2026, offering families flexible access to Sylvan services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Initial Investment Range |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Annual | Top 25% Territory Performance |
| Subscription | Monthly | Royalty Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sylvan Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sylvan Learning operates a supplemental and enrichment education franchise providing personalized K-12 tutoring, standardized test preparation, STEM courses, and college prep programs. The company sells franchise rights to independent operators who deliver SylvanSync™-powered tutoring services to students and families across 433+ points of presence in the United States and internationally. Sylvan earns revenue through initial franchise fees, ongoing royalty fees on franchisee gross sales, and supports franchisees with proprietary technology, marketing, and operational systems.
Product overview
Sylvan Learning operates as a supplemental education franchise offering a portfolio of tutoring and test preparation services for K-12 students. The core offering centers on SylvanSync, a proprietary adaptive learning platform delivered on digital tablets that personalizes instruction in real-time based on each student's needs. This platform is supported by SylvanInsight assessments for initial diagnostic evaluation. The portfolio includes Personalized Tutoring (math, reading, writing, science, foreign languages), Online Tutoring for remote delivery, Test Preparation Programs (SAT, ACT, IB, GRE, GED, and others), and enrichment offerings branded as Sylvan EDGE (STEM and accelerated courses) and Sylvan Prep (college and test prep). In 2025, Sylvan piloted Sylvan Pass, a flexible membership model with broader rollout planned for 2026. All centers use the Command Center POS system for franchise operations. The company serves students through over 433 points of presence globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SylvanSync™: Proprietary digital teaching platform that delivers personalized lesson plans and real-time adjustments to student needs, enabling data-driven instruction on digital tablets.
- Sylvan EDGE
- Sylvan Prep
- SylvanInsight™
- Sylvan Pass
Products and services
- Personalized Tutoring
Quantifiable outcome
- Students achieve up to 3x more growth in math and reading scores than peers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sylvan Learning
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sylvan Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
Sylvan Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Class 101coreCo-branding partnership resulting in first co-branded Sylvan Learning and Class 101 centers in Flower Mound, TX and Leesburg, VA. Class 101 is a portfolio brand under Unleashed Brands focused on college preparation and enrichment programs.
- Federal, State, and Foundation Grant ProgramsminorFranchisees in south Texas pioneered securing federal grants, state grants, and foundation grants to provide scholarships for low-income families and children who could not otherwise access supplemental education services.
- Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)coreHistoric multi-million dollar contract with LAUSD, the second-largest school district in the U.S. This record-setting district partnership represents significant expansion into institutional education partnerships and validates Sylvan's supplemental education value proposition.
- Unleashed BrandsflagshipSylvan Learning is a wholly owned subsidiary and portfolio brand of Unleashed Brands, a youth enrichment growth-focused platform. Unleashed Brands includes Urban Air, The Little Gym, Snapology, XP League, Class 101, Premier Martial Arts, and Water Wings Swim School. The platform was founded to curate and grow innovative franchise brands that help kids learn, play, and grow, with a mission to impact the lives of every child.
- Capital District Schools (Albany, NY area)minorPartnership with local schools in the Capital District to support students recovering from pandemic learning loss, providing supplemental education services to complement classroom instruction.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sylvan Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kumon: Kumon operates a global supplemental education franchise focused on math and reading worksheets. Directly comparable to Sylvan as a long-standing, franchise-based supplemental education brand serving K-12 students with proprietary curriculum content and a center-based delivery model.
- Mathnasium: Mathnasium is a math-focused supplemental education franchise with hundreds of centers globally. Directly comparable to Sylvan's in-center, franchise-based tutoring model and represents the closest direct competition for Sylvan's math tutoring offering.
- Huntington Learning Center: Huntington Learning Center is a multi-subject tutoring and test prep franchise serving K-12 students. Directly comparable to Sylvan as a long-running, center-based tutoring franchise with similar subject breadth (math, reading, writing) and standardized test prep services (SAT/ACT).
- Club Z! In-Home Tutoring: Club Z! is a tutoring franchise offering personalized in-home and online tutoring across multiple subjects. Comparable to Sylvan as a multi-subject tutoring franchise with a flexible delivery model (in-home, center, online) and similar K-12 family target customer.
- Eye Level Learning: Eye Level is a supplemental education franchise with proprietary math and English curriculum delivered through learning centers. Comparable to Sylvan as a global franchise with proprietary content (analogous to SylvanSync) and a structured diagnostic-to-prescription learning approach (analogous to SylvanInsight).
Broad incumbents
- Varsity Tutors: Varsity Tutors (a Nerdy Inc. company) is a large online tutoring and test prep platform serving K-12 and college students. Comparable to Sylvan as a broader incumbent offering both 1:1 tutoring and standardized test prep across multiple subjects, though delivered online rather than through franchise centers.
- Kaplan: Kaplan is a large, established test prep and tutoring provider offering SAT/ACT prep, college admissions, and K-12 tutoring services. Comparable to Sylvan's Sylvan Prep test prep and tutoring offerings but operates as a broad incumbent across many education verticals rather than a K-12-focused franchise.
- The Princeton Review: The Princeton Review is a long-established test prep and tutoring provider offering SAT/ACT prep, admissions counseling, and subject tutoring. Directly overlaps with Sylvan Prep's SAT/ACT test prep offering and broader tutoring services, though delivered through a combination of online, in-person, and partner channels.
Emerging players
- Tutor.com: Tutor.com is an online on-demand tutoring platform serving K-12 and college students. Comparable to Sylvan's online tutoring offering as a digital-native tutoring provider, but lacks the physical franchise footprint and multi-subject proprietary curriculum depth of SylvanSync.
- Wyzant: Wyzant is an online marketplace connecting students with private tutors across subjects. Comparable to Sylvan as a tutoring marketplace alternative but operates without proprietary curriculum content, certified instructors, or physical franchise centers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sylvan Learning social profiles
Digital presenceSylvan Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sylvan Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Sylvan Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sylvan Learning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sylvan Learning
What does Sylvan Learning do?
Sylvan Learning operates a supplemental and enrichment education franchise providing personalized K-12 tutoring, standardized test preparation, STEM courses, and college prep programs. The company sells franchise rights to independent operators who deliver SylvanSync™-powered tutoring services to students and families across 433+ points of presence in the United States and internationally. Sylvan earns revenue through initial franchise fees, ongoing royalty fees on franchisee gross sales, and supports franchisees with proprietary technology, marketing, and operational systems.
Is Sylvan Learning a public or private company?
Sylvan Learning is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sylvan Learning founded?
Sylvan Learning was founded in 1979. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Sylvan Learning based?
Sylvan Learning is headquartered in Hunt Valley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sylvan Learning make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are royalty Fees, tutoring Services, test Preparation Services, STEM and Enrichment Programs and sylvan Pass Membership Model.
Who are Sylvan Learning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kumon, Mathnasium, Huntington Learning Center, Club Z! In-Home Tutoring and Eye Level Learning. Broad incumbents are Varsity Tutors, Kaplan and The Princeton Review. Emerging players are Tutor.com and Wyzant.
Does Sylvan Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sylvan Learning.
What industry is Sylvan Learning in?
Sylvan Learning's product category is Supplemental Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAGAL, Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors), with a secondary code of EDANAHAE, Math Learning Centers (Small-Group). Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.