Sylvan Learning Reviews

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About Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning offers individualized in-person or online educational support to children and their families. Most of its students receive a combination of tutoring, homework assistance and help with college prep and study skills.

Featured Reviews

Canfield, OH
Verified purchase
We had private tutors before but Sylvan was more structured and more organized… We have them for Math and English. The tutor was able to improve my son's knowledge and gave him sk...

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Toledo, OH
Verified purchase
One of my coworkers told me about Sylvan Learning Centers. So far, the program has been building my son's confidence and is working on comprehending what he is reading. It has bee...

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What is Sylvan Learning Center?

Sylvan Learning Center offers test prep, college prep and tutoring courses. Every child’s learning plan with Sylvan is individualized to their needs — Sylvan combines teaching and technology to ensure each child gets the support they need to succeed. It starts by assessing each child to create a personalized plan. Then, tutors start the program, adapting alongside the child as their skills grow.

Families have the option to choose between an online or in-person schedule at one of the many Sylvan Learning Centers across the nation. Online tutoring is live and offers the same benefits as in-person sessions.

Sylvan Learning Center costs

Sylvan offers a variety of affordable and customizable educational programs. Each plan includes convenient scheduling and flexible payment options. All prices are set by local facilities, so costs vary widely. For example, personalized tutoring starts at $44 per hour in Kansas City, Missouri and $57 per hour in Brooklyn, New York.

Its other programs include a hybrid curriculum designed to support in-school learning. Sylvan also offers test prep, tutoring, classes, camps and college prep. These services start at around $50 per hour.

Sylvan Learning Centers FAQ

How much does Sylvan ACT prep cost?

ACT prep costs around $46 per hour, on average. Costs vary depending on location.

Does Sylvan offer financial aid?

Yes. Local Sylvan Learning Centers offer financial aid and scholarships based on financial need. These are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

How much does Sylvan Learning Center cost per month?

Tutoring starts at $44 per hour. Depending on how many sessions you need per month, the cost can vary greatly. Sylvan recommends that children with intensive tutoring needs enroll in two to three tutoring sessions per week.

Is Sylvan Learning Center a good franchise?

Yes. Sylvan is trusted by many families, schools and communities. Many reviewers state they had positive experiences with the company.

Is Sylvan Learning Center worth it?

Sylvan Learning Center is a well-known name in the education industry. With a variety of services and the ability to personalize programs for each student, Sylvan offers a solution for most families in need of educational assistance. Though prices range greatly from location to location, Sylvan typically offers reasonable rates when compared to local tutoring companies.

Sylvan Learning Reviews

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    How do I know I can trust these reviews about Sylvan Learning?
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    Page 1 Reviews 0 - 5
    Verified purchase
    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaffProcess

    Reviewed Nov. 20, 2024

    Sylvan Learning was the one that popped up in my head, so I went straight, researched it, looked it up, and contacted Liz out of the Oak Harbor office. She conference-called quickly. Two days later, my son was being evaluated in Oak Harbor. The following week, he started his tutoring sessions for Reading. The biggest thing is what my son feels and how comfortable he is. From the assessment right off the get-go, he was super excited about it.

    The motivation station was one big thing that he enjoys, and getting the tokens. He hasn't been using any of his because his goal is to have more tokens than onen kid has. When we don't have a session, he would be upset about it. For example, last weekend, he does lacrosse, he had a tournament in Yakima, eastern Washington. They had to take off Friday morning. He cried and was upset that he would miss his tutoring sessions. So, he's enjoying it.

    We had not told his teachers that he has been doing Sylvan, but they wanted to express how much he had been improving. His third grade teacher sent us an email and a follow-up letter, saying that there has been big advances in his reading. He doesn't have to sound out a lot of stuff. He comprehends a lot more. They didn't know how he has been progressing. We finally told them, “He's been going to Sylvan.” They said, “So, he's going twice a week?” “He's only doing once a week.” “Even then, it's big growth.” As a parent, I am happy and satisfied with that, to the point where now my 7th grade son is struggling with homework organization and turning in the assignments, so I've already reached out to Liz. We're gonna start doing the homework support for my 12-year-old.

    My five-year-old daughter has expressed to us already that once she starts having homework, she would like to go because she heard all these kudos for my eight-year-old. She said, “I want that too.” We're gonna send my daughter when the time comes because we're happy with Sylvan. We have recommended it to various friends. Our neighbors have dinner with us four times a week at our house. Hunter's confident. He would bring out a book. My neighbors would notice how much he has been improving in Reading. They've been through this whole process with us. We ran all these ideas by them, but they have been noticing stuff.

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      Verified purchase
      Customer ServiceStaffProcess

      Reviewed Oct. 2, 2024

      I have a young child that was going to a higher grade and wanted to fill in the gap during the summer while they were out of school. I paid Sylvan a visit and I thought they have a great program, especially the flexibility that they provide because you can determine what you think the emphasis should be. I asked them about the background of the faculty, and I appreciated that they are actual teachers or retired teachers that understand the curriculum requirements as well as the grade level needs and expectations. They're qualified professionals. They're certified in the field and not someone that just has it as a hobby.

      Sylvan is easily accessible. All I had to do was text them and they would respond the same day or the next day if I texted them after hours. If I saw my son's grades and I felt there needed to be a little bit more emphasis on writing, then they would adjust to that. They would also call you with an assessment to let you know how they felt your child was doing and if there were any areas they wanted to know if you wanted them to focus on. Because my son also had SOLs coming up, I emphasized that I wanted them to help him with testing strategies and they incorporated that into the program as well.

      My son is a hands-on learner and he loves education. He enjoyed the rewards program that they have. I'm an advocate of the Sylvan learning program. Communication is very important and they shape the program to what you feel your child's needs are. They mix that in with their professional expertise as well. They do a good job of breaking down the areas and not just say your child needs to work on his math. They'll say what areas they are going to focus on, like decimals, fractions, or three digit multiplication. It's not just an overall focus. It is very specific to your child's needs.

      I like the way that Sylvan caters to the child's strengths as well as the areas where they need to improve. They also want you to be a part of the process and welcome your feedback because they wanna make sure that they're focusing on what you're paying for, and that they're targeting the areas that you are concerned about. It's almost like an a la carte program where you tell them what you want and they build the program towards what you feel the needs are for your child.

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      Verified purchase
      PriceOnline & AppStaff

      Reviewed June 30, 2024

      Sylvan is hurting my pocket but my son was struggling. The teacher that he had wasn’t right there. My husband and I were frustrated and we didn't know what to do at home. We were all sitting there, crying because we didn't know how to break the apples for him to understand multiplication and division. So, I started doing research and we came across Sylvan. I went there when I was young so I called them. My son shuts down when he doesn’t understand. He doesn't wanna talk about it. But right now, he’s happy. He goes four days a week and on a Friday, he wanna go. He says the teachers at Sylvan are great. They explain to him everything and he understands them the way they're teaching him. He likes it. So that makes me happy.

      Sylvan is helping him a lot. My son has been doing this for the past three months and it’s going great. He’s teaching me division because I’ve forgotten and he learned all his multiplications. It's worth it seeing my son do his homework without asking for help and just doing it. I hope he uses Sylvan in the long run. We paid for 200 and something sessions, so he's gonna be going there for a few months. We started with Math because he was struggling with multiplication and wasn't getting it. But he mastered that and he is now in division. Sylvan is trying to get him up to grade level when he starts fifth grade, and they're gonna work on that. Later on, they’re gonna help him out with Literature. He's good with Reading, but more on Spelling and putting his punctuations in the proper place where they're supposed to be. He will be doing both.

      Sylvan is expensive but it’s worth it. My daughter is going on seventh grade and she’s always been an A student. She's never asked us for help. She's gotten on by herself, which is great, because if I had to put both children in Sylvan, I would need four jobs. Everything has been very smooth. The boat’s been rolling and the website is great too. I recommend Sylvan. This has been lifesaving. My home is calmer now when we come home from work. My children both do their homework and do not ask us. My son’s grades have gone up and most likely his confidence level too.

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      Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

      Reviewed May 25, 2024

      I like Sylvan Learning Centers. I reached out to them. They did an assessment. They told me where my son was. He was behind. He has been going there every Saturday, because we live so far from the closest center, for eight weeks now. My son loves it. He likes that it would be on his own pace but he would still get his work done. That's a big thing for kids. The classroom setting is harder. My son would rather do tutoring Monday through Friday than to be in a classroom. He admires it a lot. I have seen improvement, especially with the speed of my son’s his reading. And Sylvan will do a reevaluation to see where he's at in July. That's exciting too. I appreciate the staff that are there. They work with me. Even with my payments, they've been patient with me.

      However, they have a new staff in the Henderson location where I go. She's still learning, but it's slow. I like the communication with Holly at that place because when I made my payment, she would send me an invoice and let me know it was paid for. But with this new lady, I would have to wait a week or two, and she still doesn't know. She's confused. There’s a lot of going on when it comes to getting my invoices and my payments.

      The past four weeks have been bad. She's in this field, so I don't know why it's so hard for her. It’s like she prolongs it. And, “Oh, I don't know.” Or she'll try to keep talking. "Just print it out. Give it to me." You wanna talk and talk, and don't even know what you're talking about or you're confused. We're having a conversation, you can understand me and I can understand you. It's not like—“Just let me figure it out, and I'll get back to you.” I don't want that. It's too much for me. "Get to the point. I made a payment. Can I get my invoice?" And that would be it. Other than that, I'm amazed with Sylvan. I respect the company.

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      Customer ServicePriceStaff

      Reviewed May 10, 2024

      Sylvan is doing wonders and I love it. It was very easy to sign up with them. We did a pretest for my son and after that, we knew exactly where he stood. Then all we had to do was sign paperwork. They gave me a lot of background about Sylvan, how long they were open, how many people they helped, and how they came out on top. Then they gave me a price range of what I could afford and what I couldn't. And they really helped me out with it.

      When we first went, my son's reading reading was at a 2.2 average. Throughout this year, he was recommended to staying back in the third grade if he didn't pass his last two tests. And this past week, he passed all four of his tests. His reading went up to a 3.7 with Sylvan. He goes to Sylvan right after school at 5 o'clock. He's a little tired, but he loves it due to the fact that at the end, they give them reward points. If you get so many reward points, you can cash out on them. He even said that he can tell his reading has improved a lot, which definitely shows.

      Sylvan is family-owned and they're fair to talk to. To keep up with my son's progress, we do a little login on a website and and view exactly what they went over in a day. And if he had to take a little pretest, I'm able to go in there and view exactly what the score was. Even though I asked my son what they did that day and he'd tell me, I'd still check the following day to make sure that that was exactly what they were learning.

      The website gives me all the information that I'm looking for and I don't have to go in and check in with the tutor exactly to make sure he's on the right track. They leave messages if need be and if they want him to work on anything extra, I'm able to just go in and read what's what. It's a one-on-one type of learning with Sylvan which is what my son needs and if he still needs to stay with them, I'm willing to keep him in.

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      PricePunctuality & SpeedStaffEase of Use

      Reviewed April 18, 2025

      I had a past experience researching Sylvan Learning with my mom. We found them affordable and chose them for my son, especially since my niece was already enrolled and they share similar academic struggles. My son has been attending since January 2025, and we're thrilled with the improvements. He's gained significantly more confidence and enjoys his time there, even when vacation interrupted his schedule.

      The tutors at Sylvan have been exceptional, engaging in monthly discussions about his progress and making him feel seen and valued personally. This personalized interaction is refreshing and important, making the learning experience feel special rather than robotic.

      When asked if he likes going, my son shows joy, counting down the days to his sessions. This enthusiasm reinforces our choice. To any family member considering Sylvan, I would wholeheartedly recommend it, especially if they can afford it. It's a wise investment in their child's education.

      Though I sympathize with families who might find the cost challenging, we feel it's invaluable for the progress we’re witnessing. I keep track of my son’s progress through the program-specific online portal, which is intuitive and easy to use.

      Overall, our experience with Sylvan Learning has been outstanding, and I wholeheartedly give it top marks.

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      Staff

      Reviewed April 15, 2025

      I went with Sylvan Learning after some online research on local tutoring services for my son. I first heard about Sylvan while web searching for a reading tutor. I initially reached out by filling out a form online and waited for them to contact me. Before choosing Sylvan, I also looked into private one-on-one sessions with experienced teachers, primarily gathering referrals through Facebook and local community pages.

      At Sylvan, the tutor focuses primarily on reading, starting from the basics. They're working on foundational skills like phonics, sounds, and sight words, which has been beneficial for my son. He wasn't always keen on extra schooling after regular class hours. However, once at Sylvan, he knows he's not missing out like he would a sick day, and he doesn't seem to carry any complaints during the sessions. He enjoys being there and likes the people working at Sylvan. Although attending feels like more school to him, he gets in the car without much fuss and deals with it well once there.

      Reflecting on our 9-month experience, I would recommend Sylvan Learning to friends and family. It's relieved a lot of my parental stress by teaching my son to read. The progress is remarkable. He's caught up enough to pick up a paragraph and read most of it. There are still some challenging words, but the improvement from when he started is significant.

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      Reviewed April 15, 2025

      I tried Sylvan Learning based on recommendations from my friends and relatives. My child is enrolled in their SAT program and has taken Zoom private classes. Currently, they’re in the ACT program, having finished with mathematics and now focusing on writing and reading. While we haven't received the results from their recent testing, it appears my child is pleased with her progress, which is encouraging. She's been in the program for four months, and even though she's still waiting for specific results, her happiness suggests improvement. I'm impressed enough to have already recommended Sylvan Learning to relatives and friends.

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      Staff

      Reviewed April 15, 2025

      Sylvan Learning was conveniently located near us and came highly recommended by others. Our experience with Sylvan has been really positive. We chose their SAT prep course for my daughter, and although my daughter doesn't generally enjoy school, she seemed to appreciate the supportive environment and the pleasant interactions with the staff. She hasn't yet received her SAT scores, but she would come home laughing, sharing funny stories from her sessions, which was a great sign. Overall, I feel very satisfied with Sylvan Learning and would gladly recommend their services based on the delightful experiences both my daughter and I had.

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      Staff

      Reviewed April 15, 2025

      My sister had previously used Sylvan's services with excellent results. I chose them for my child’s tutoring needs, and since enrolling, I've noticed significant improvements in both reading skills and overall confidence. They enjoy their tutoring time once they're there.

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      Sylvan Learning Company Information

      Social media:
      Company Name:
      Sylvan Learning
      Year Founded:
      1979
      Country:
      United States
      Website:
      www.sylvanlearning.com

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