The best SBA lender is not always the biggest
How to turn current lender rankings into a practical borrower shortlist.
SBA lender activity
Current SBA lenders ranked by actual approvals.
Use this as a starting point for lender research. Data is from SBA's current-month lender activity report, marked as of 05/31/2026.
| Lender | Approved loans | Approved dollars | SBA guaranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak Banking Company Wilmington, NC | 1,296 | $1B | $1B |
| The Huntington National Bank Columbus, OH | 2,539 | $965M | $700M |
| Newtek Bank, N.A. Miami, FL | 3,264 | $846M | $629M |
| U.S. Bank, N.A. Cincinnati, OH | 1,963 | $504M | $357M |
| Northeast Bank Lewiston, ME | 2,375 | $447M | $350M |
| Celtic Bank Corporation Salt Lake City, UT | 868 | $362M | $280M |
| Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC Laguna Hills, CA | 291 | $320M | $240M |
| Bank of Hope Los Angeles, CA | 274 | $315M | $225M |
| GBank Las Vegas, NV | 98 | $309M | $232M |
| US Metro Bank Garden Grove, CA | 159 | $307M | $230M |
| Readycap Lending, LLC Berkeley Heights, NJ | 1,025 | $292M | $217M |
| Byline Bank Chicago, IL | 242 | $281M | $205M |
| Pathward National Association Sioux Falls, SD | 138 | $276M | $205M |
| Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Sioux Falls, SD | 345 | $255M | $191M |
| Fifth Third Bank Cincinnati, OH | 284 | $254M | $184M |
| Port 51 Lending LLC New York, NY | 129 | $234M | $174M |
| First Bank of the Lake Osage Beach, MO | 318 | $229M | $172M |
| United Midwest Savings Bank National Association De Graff, OH | 575 | $220M | $169M |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company Buffalo, NY | 1,927 | $207M | $123M |
| First Internet Bank of Indiana Fishers, IN | 168 | $205M | $151M |
| TD Bank, National Association Wilmington, DE | 1,322 | $185M | $113M |
| Bank of America, National Association Charlotte, NC | 273 | $181M | $125M |
| Zions Bank, A Division of Salt Lake City, UT | 618 | $171M | $125M |
| Beacon Bank and Trust Brookline, MA | 105 | $164M | $125M |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association Columbus, OH | 611 | $163M | $93M |
| Enterprise Bank & Trust Clayton, MO | 97 | $156M | $117M |
| CenTrust Bank, A Division of SmartBiz Bank National Association Northbrook, IL | 741 | $149M | $118M |
| Commonwealth Business Bank Los Angeles, CA | 85 | $148M | $107M |
| Open Bank Los Angeles, CA | 83 | $143M | $107M |
| Citizens Bank Elizabethton, TN | 149 | $135M | $101M |
| Pinnacle Bank Nashville, TN | 93 | $135M | $102M |
| KeyBank National Association Cleveland, OH | 328 | $134M | $95M |
| Metro City Bank Doraville, GA | 60 | $130M | $98M |
| FDIC - Community Bank & Trust-West Georgia Lagrange, GA | 59 | $128M | $97M |
| Old National Bank Evansville, IN | 116 | $120M | $88M |
| Climate First Bank St. Petersburg, FL | 102 | $119M | $89M |
| VelocitySBA, LLC Irving, TX | 112 | $112M | $84M |
| Lendistry SBLC, LLC Los Angeles, CA | 499 | $106M | $82M |
| Hanmi Bank Los Angeles, CA | 139 | $102M | $77M |
| T Bank, National Association Dallas, TX | 53 | $101M | $76M |
| TowneBank Portsmouth, VA | 104 | $100M | $74M |
| The Bancorp Bank National Association Sioux Falls, SD | 75 | $98M | $74M |
| Bankwell Bank New Canaan, CT | 57 | $97M | $73M |
| First Merchants Bank Indianapolis, IN | 88 | $96M | $73M |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company Raleigh, NC | 97 | $96M | $69M |
| First Financial Bank El Dorado, AR | 69 | $87M | $65M |
| Milestone Bank Salt Lake City, UT | 46 | $85M | $63M |
| East West Bank Pasadena, CA | 101 | $81M | $61M |
| Peoples Bank Mendenhall, MS | 44 | $80M | $60M |
| Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company New Orleans, LA | 78 | $79M | $59M |
Business acquisition loan strategy
Use SBA activity as one signal when buying an operating company.
Franchise financing by brand
Pair current lender activity with historical franchise lending patterns.