Is Ultimate Sustainability or Sylvan Learning cheaper to open?

Ultimate Sustainability costs $115,000–$234,800 and Sylvan Learning costs $107,922–$239,012 to open (FDD Item 7). Sylvan Learning has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Ultimate Sustainability or Sylvan Learning?

Ultimate Sustainability reports $602,026 average annual unit revenue vs $386,115 for Sylvan Learning (FDD Item 19). Ultimate Sustainability is higher. For Ultimate Sustainability: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance.

Which is the better franchise, Ultimate Sustainability or Sylvan Learning?

FranchiseVerdict grades Ultimate Sustainability B and Sylvan Learning B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Ultimate Sustainability vs Sylvan Learning

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Ultimate Sustainability and Sylvan Learning are education franchises. Ultimate Sustainability requires an investment of $115K – $235K while Sylvan Learning requires $108K – $239K. In terms of revenue, Ultimate Sustainability reports higher average unit revenue at $602K. Note: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance. Sylvan Learning has SBA lending data on file with a 23.8% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Ultimate Sustainability B (Above average) and Sylvan Learning B (Above average).

Metric	Ultimate Sustainability	Sylvan Learning
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$115K – $235K	$108K – $239K
Franchise Fee	$60K	$37K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	11.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$602KCompany-owned only	$386K
SBA Charge-Off Rate	N/A	23.8% (356 loans)
Total Units	3	478
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	+5 units
Year Began Franchising	2024	2003
FDD Year	2024	2025