Answer
Which banks actually make SBA loans?
Ranked by loans genuinely funded, from the SBA's own loan-level release — not by who advertises the hardest.
Hundreds of institutions are approved SBA lenders, but volume is heavily concentrated. The table below ranks lenders by 7(a) loans actually funded in recent fiscal years, taken from the SBA's loan-level FOIA release rather than from marketing material.
Volume is the single best proxy for a good experience
Every SBA lender offers the same program — the SBA sets the rates, terms, and eligibility. What differs is competence, speed, credit appetite, and whether they have seen a file like yours before. A lender closing four 7(a) loans a year is learning on your application. One closing four hundred has a process.
The most active 7(a) lenders
Figures below come from SBA 7(a) loan-level FOIA data released 2026-06-30, covering 214,102 7(a) loans approved fiscal years 2023 to 2026, using data released June 2026.
| # | Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 25,303 | $100,000 | 43.3% | 10.25% |
| 2 | TD Bank | 10,921 | $50,000 | 28.9% | 11.50% |
| 3 | U.S. Bank | 9,822 | $45,000 | 34.0% | 9.49% |
| 4 | Newtek Bank | 8,564 | $200,000 | 17.2% | 11.25% |
| 5 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 7,695 | $108,000 | 13.6% | 11.25% |
| 6 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 7,591 | $50,000 | 40.9% | 11.25% |
| 7 | BayFirst National Bank | 6,974 | $150,000 | 1.9% | 12.25% |
| 8 | Northeast Bank | 6,457 | $105,000 | 11.2% | 10.75% |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase Bank | 6,438 | $196,800 | 7.0% | 11.68% |
| 10 | Live Oak Banking Company | 6,121 | $625,000 | 26.7% | 9.49% |
| 11 | Wells Fargo Bank | 6,069 | $20,000 | 86.4% | 13.00% |
| 12 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 3,776 | $150,000 | 16.8% | 10.25% |
| 13 | Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 3,397 | $150,000 | 0.7% | 12.25% |
| 14 | United Midwest Savings Bank | 2,807 | $150,000 | 80.0% | 10.25% |
| 15 | Bank of America | 2,770 | $350,000 | 17.5% | 7.23% |
| 16 | Zions Bank | 2,678 | $114,150 | 35.3% | 10.00% |
| 17 | KeyBank | 2,504 | $50,000 | 68.3% | 10.77% |
| 18 | Columbia Bank | 2,074 | $50,000 | 10.6% | 12.50% |
| 19 | First Bank of the Lake | 1,817 | $333,000 | 68.8% | 10.75% |
| 20 | PNC Bank | 1,667 | $50,000 | 38.1% | 11.50% |
Two cautions on reading that table. A high startup share means the lender is genuinely willing to write new-business loans, which matters enormously if you are one — but it is not a quality score. And median loan size tells you whether you are the right size customer: approaching a lender whose median is $1 million with a $75,000 request usually goes nowhere.
The types of SBA lender
- National SBA specialists
- Built around SBA lending, often at the top of the volume tables. Fast and experienced, frequently indifferent to whether you bank with them.
- Large commercial banks
- Deep capacity and full banking services. SBA is one line among many, so your experience depends heavily on the individual officer.
- Community banks
- Judgment and relationship, highly variable SBA competence. Excellent when they do volume, frustrating when they do not.
- Non-bank SBLCs
- Licensed to make 7(a) loans without taking deposits. Often faster and more willing on startups and acquisitions; typically priced near the cap.
- CDCs
- Deliver the 504 program specifically. If your project is real estate or heavy equipment, start here rather than at a bank.
How to choose from the list
- Filter to lenders active in your state and sector — see who lends in your area.
- Match your loan size to their median. Being at the wrong end of a lender's range is the quietest cause of a slow file.
- Confirm PLP status and last year's volume.
- Ask if they lend in your NAICS code before assembling anything.
- Approach two or three, not eight.
Questions people actually ask
Does the SBA lend money directly?
Almost never. The SBA guarantees loans made by participating lenders. Disaster loans are the main exception and are made directly by the SBA.
What is a Preferred Lender?
A lender granted delegated authority to approve SBA loans without submitting the file to the SBA for review, which typically removes days to weeks from the timeline. It is a fair and useful first question for any SBA lender.
Can any bank make an SBA loan?
Only institutions approved to participate in the program. Many banks are technically approved but do very little volume, which in practice is worse for you than a bank that does none -- you get the paperwork without the expertise. Ask for last year's numbers.