Top SBA Lenders in Illinois
The 25 most active SBA 7(a) lenders in Illinois, ranked by total loan volume. Data comes directly from SBA FOIA records covering every approved 7(a) loan from 2021 through 2026.
Explore the full dataset →Why your SBA lender matters
Not every SBA lender will work your deal. Lenders specialize by industry, deal size, and loan purpose, and their approval, funding, and default patterns vary significantly from institution to institution. Matching your deal to a lender with the right historical activity in your market gives you a better shot at a clean, predictable close.
| # | Lender | Loans | Total Volume | Avg Loan | Funded % | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 2,977 | $611.8M | $206K | 76.6% | 3.4% |
| 2 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 795 | $155.5M | $196K | 76.4% | 2.5% |
| 3 | Byline Bank | 532 | $674.1M | $1.3M | 81.0% | 4.9% |
| 4 | Northeast Bank | 516 | $81.1M | $157K | 46.5% | 10.0% |
| 5 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 432 | $105.0M | $243K | 85.2% | 4.3% |
| 6 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 358 | $149.5M | $418K | 53.4% | 2.1% |
| 7 | BayFirst National Bank | 306 | $51.7M | $169K | 91.8% | 21.0% |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 262 | $74.4M | $284K | 82.8% | 15.7% |
| 9 | Live Oak Banking Company | 228 | $310.9M | $1.4M | 86.4% | 0.5% |
| 10 | Village Bank and Trust, National Association | 201 | $135.3M | $673K | 86.6% | 1.7% |
| 11 | PNC Bank, National Association | 162 | $49.9M | $308K | 80.9% | 9.2% |
| 12 | Fifth Third Bank | 161 | $70.4M | $438K | 80.7% | 1.5% |
| 13 | Bank of America, National Association | 147 | $58.8M | $400K | 81.0% | 0.8% |
| 14 | Bank of Springfield | 140 | $29.0M | $207K | 90.0% | 0.8% |
| 15 | First Mid Bank & Trust, National Association | 126 | $38.0M | $301K | 88.9% | 0.0% |
| 15 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 126 | $55.8M | $443K | 89.7% | 11.5% |
| 17 | Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 118 | $26.2M | $222K | 94.9% | 8.9% |
| 18 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 116 | $36.8M | $317K | 90.5% | 12.4% |
| 19 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. | 114 | $70.1M | $615K | 58.8% | 13.4% |
| 20 | Millennium Bank | 112 | $237.6M | $2.1M | 92.0% | 1.9% |
| 21 | Old National Bank | 111 | $126.6M | $1.1M | 86.5% | 0.0% |
| 22 | Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC | 108 | $98.7M | $914K | 82.4% | 7.9% |
| 23 | First American Bank | 106 | $86.5M | $816K | 83.0% | 0.0% |
| 24 | Busey Bank | 102 | $123.5M | $1.2M | 80.4% | 0.0% |
| 25 | CenTrust Bank, A Division of SmartBiz Bank National Association | 100 | $81.0M | $810K | 78.0% | 6.4% |
Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) loan-level data, FY2021–FY2026. Lenders with fewer than 3 approved loans in Illinois during this period are excluded. Funded % = approved loans that were funded. Default % = SBA-purchased loans divided by funded loans. Rankings are by total loan count.
How to read this table
Funded % is the share of approved loans that actually closed. A lender with a high approval rate but low funded rate may be approving deals they later back out of — a sign of a disorganized process or shifting appetite.
Default % is the share of funded loans that the SBA had to purchase (the borrower stopped paying). A high default rate isn't automatically disqualifying (some lenders specialize in riskier deals), but it affects how cautious their underwriting is likely to be.
Loan count vs. total volume tell different stories. A lender at the top by loan count may specialize in smaller deals; a lender with fewer but larger loans may only work with mid-market acquisitions. Match your deal size to their typical range.
Volume rankings show who's historically active in Illinois. They don't tell you who's actively lending right now or who has the right appetite for your specific industry and deal structure. That's where we come in.
Looking for an SBA lender in Illinois?
We know which lenders on this list are actively funding deals right now, and which ones are the right fit for your industry and loan size. Pre-qualify and we'll find your match (free to borrowers).