The SBA Lender Directory, built from federal loan records
How to choose an SBA lender that funds loans like yours
Since FY2020, 2,287 lenders funded 382,852 SBA loans worth $224B. Most owners pick a lender because it advertises or because it is their bank. The lenders most likely to fund you are the ones already funding loans your size, in your state, for businesses like yours. Here is how to find them, then the full directory of 281 active lenders.
1. Choose the SBA program
Each program fits a different need, and it decides how fast money arrives. Approval-to-funding times below are medians for loans that disbursed.
| Program | Best for | Share of SBA loans | Median loan | Approval to first money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7(a) through a preferred lender | Working capital, buying a business, equipment, refinancing. The lender approves without sending the file to SBA. | 48% | $381K | 16 days |
| SBA Express | Smaller 7(a) loans and lines of credit with a faster, simpler lender review. | 34% | $50K | 15 days |
| 7(a) with SBA review | The same uses as 7(a), when the lender sends the file to SBA to decide. | 7% | $418K | 23 days |
| 504 | Owner-occupied real estate and major equipment, split between a bank and a CDC. | 12% | $642K | 149 days |
2. Size your ask against what gets funded
Share of 7(a) loans by approval size. The middle half of 7(a) loans runs from $54K to $520K. For a sense of what lenders approve at your revenue, see SBA loan amounts by business revenue.
| 7(a) loan size | Share of loans |
|---|---|
| Under $150K | 40.4% |
| $150K to $500K | 31.9% |
| $500K to $1M | 12.9% |
| $1M and up | 14.9% |
3. Pick the lender type
Banks write most SBA loans, but they are not the only option, and the differences in rate and speed are real.
| Lender type | What to expect | SBA loans | Median loan | Median rate | Approval to first money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Most SBA loans. Widest range of sizes and uses. | 302,161 | $195K | 9% | 16 days |
| Credit union | Lowest median rate, but few write SBA loans regularly. | 10,141 | $227K | 8% | 15 days |
| Non-bank lender | SBA lending companies and online lenders. Highest median rate of any type. | 25,932 | $220K | 10.5% | 19 days |
| CDC (504) | Certified Development Companies. 504 only, real estate and equipment. | 44,618 | $642K | n/a | 149 days |
The 504 file reports no interest rate. 504 loans are written by a CDC alongside a bank first mortgage.
4. Shortlist lenders active in your state
A lender that funds hundreds of loans in your state knows its market and its appraisers. Each state page ranks who actually lends there, with local loan sizes, rates, industries and free help.
- Alabama 2,737 loans
- Alaska 698 loans
- Arizona 7,999 loans
- Arkansas 1,961 loans
- California 47,799 loans
- Colorado 10,161 loans
- Connecticut 4,858 loans
- Delaware 1,147 loans
- District of Columbia 732 loans
- Florida 28,757 loans
- Georgia 11,126 loans
- Hawaii 983 loans
- Idaho 3,929 loans
- Illinois 13,652 loans
- Indiana 7,657 loans
- Iowa 2,662 loans
- Kansas 2,862 loans
- Kentucky 2,909 loans
- Louisiana 2,642 loans
- Maine 2,222 loans
- Maryland 5,897 loans
- Massachusetts 10,161 loans
- Michigan 14,143 loans
- Minnesota 11,247 loans
- Mississippi 2,008 loans
- Missouri 6,419 loans
- Montana 1,496 loans
- Nebraska 2,158 loans
- Nevada 4,107 loans
- New Hampshire 3,334 loans
- New Jersey 11,870 loans
- New Mexico 1,654 loans
- New York 22,032 loans
- North Carolina 8,300 loans
- North Dakota 1,172 loans
- Ohio 20,308 loans
- Oklahoma 3,247 loans
- Oregon 5,791 loans
- Pennsylvania 12,359 loans
- Rhode Island 1,562 loans
- South Carolina 4,106 loans
- South Dakota 1,456 loans
- Tennessee 4,152 loans
- Texas 27,779 loans
- Utah 7,647 loans
- Vermont 1,114 loans
- Virginia 6,481 loans
- Washington 10,344 loans
- West Virginia 1,109 loans
- Wisconsin 7,824 loans
- Wyoming 696 loans
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Start your funding profile →5. Match your situation
Business age on 7(a) loans since FY2020: 55.2% went to established businesses, 34% to startups or businesses two years or younger, and 11.1% funded a change of ownership.
- Starting a business. Some lenders fund far more startups than others. See startup-friendly lenders.
- Buying a business. Acquisition loans need lenders that do them often. See the acquisition lender shortlist.
- Need money fast. Approval-to-funding time varies widely by lender. See the fastest SBA lenders.
- Lenders expanding. A lender growing its SBA volume is actively adding loans. See lenders increasing approval volume.
By industry: Restaurants & Food Service · Construction · Health Care · Personal & Other Services · Professional Services · Retail · Trucking & Transportation · Manufacturing · Business & Facility Services · Real Estate
6. Get ready before you apply
82% of 7(a) loans recorded collateral, 84% carry a variable rate, and the median term is 10 years. Most lenders ask for:
- Two to three years of business and personal tax returns
- A current profit and loss statement and balance sheet
- A schedule of existing business debt
- A personal financial statement from each owner of 20% or more
- For startups and acquisitions, a business plan with projections, plus the purchase agreement if buying
Your state page lists the free SBA district office, SBDC and SCORE help that can review this package with you before a lender sees it.
The full SBA lender directory
281 active lenders ranked by SBA loans approved in FY2025 and FY2026, with real amounts, rates and how many days each one takes to put money in the bank. Filter by state, amount and speed.
No lenders match those filters. Loosen the amount range, or take the funding profile and we will look beyond the directory.
Common questions
What is an SBA lender?
A bank, credit union, non-bank lender or Certified Development Company approved to make loans the SBA partly guarantees. The SBA does not lend the money for 7(a) and 504 loans; the lender does. 2,287 lenders funded at least one SBA loan since FY2020.
What is an SBA preferred lender?
A lender in the Preferred Lenders Program (PLP) can approve 7(a) loans itself instead of sending the file to SBA. 54% of 7(a) loans since FY2020 went through PLP, with a median of $381K.
How long does an SBA loan take to fund?
After approval, the median 7(a) bank loan reached first disbursement in 16 days, SBA Express in 15 days, and 504 loans in 149 days. Time spent before approval, gathering documents and underwriting, comes on top.
What interest rate do SBA loans carry?
The median starting rate on 7(a) loans since FY2020 is 9.25%, and 84% of them are variable, so the rate moves with prime. Credit unions ran lowest at a 8% median; non-bank lenders highest at 10.5%.
Do SBA loans require collateral?
Usually. 82% of 7(a) loans since FY2020 recorded collateral. Lenders generally take what business and personal assets are available, but a lack of collateral alone is not always a deal breaker.
Sources and limits. The guide above is derived from U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level records, FY2020 through June 30, 2026, with cancelled approvals excluded. Lender type comes from each loan's FDIC or NCUA identifier. The directory uses the same records for FY2025 and FY2026, plus FDIC public data. Figures describe past lending activity only and are not offers, quotes, or qualification decisions. Big Brain Funding is not a lender and is not affiliated with any lender listed.