College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. It is home to Texas A&M University, the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The city owes both its name and existence to the university's location along a railroad. It is the principal city of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area, which had an estimated 2019 population of 273,101.
The economy of College Station is largely driven by Texas A&M University and the associated Research Valley. The university is the largest employer in the city, with over 24,000 employees. Other major employers include the Bryan Independent School District, St. Joseph Health System, and the College Station Medical Center. The city's economy is also supported by a number of technology and manufacturing companies, as well as by a growing retail and hospitality sector.
Small businesses are a vital part of the College Station economy, accounting for over 60% of all businesses in the city. The city's small business community is supported by a number of resources, including the Small Business Development Center at Texas A&M University and the College Station Chamber of Commerce.
Comparing SBA loan types in College Station
Three SBA programs come up most often for College Station, Texas businesses, and they do different jobs.
SBA 7(a) loan: program overview
Maximum loan
$5 million (sba.gov, fetched 2026-07-24)
What it funds
Working capital, equipment, owner-occupied commercial real estate, refinancing business debt, and business acquisition.
Who lends
Participating banks and non-bank lenders. The SBA guarantees a portion of the loan; it does not lend directly to borrowers.
Rate structure
Negotiated between lender and borrower, capped at the SBA maximum. Most 7(a) loans price off the WSJ prime rate plus a spread.
Personal guaranty
Required from every owner of 20% or more of the business (13 CFR 120.160(a)).
Program facts confirmed against sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans on Jul 24, 2026. Confirm current fees and maximum rates with your lender before relying on them.
SBA 504 loan: program overview
Maximum loan
$5.5 million per the SBA-backed debenture (sba.gov, fetched 2026-07-24). Total project size can be larger because a bank funds the first mortgage alongside it.
What it funds
Major fixed assets: owner-occupied commercial real estate and long-life machinery and equipment. Not working capital or inventory.
Structure
A conventional first-mortgage lender, a Certified Development Company holding the SBA-backed second, and a borrower down payment.
Rate
The CDC portion is fixed for the full term and set at the monthly debenture sale.
Program facts confirmed against sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/504-loans on Jul 24, 2026.
SBA Express: program overview
What it is
A delivery method inside the 7(a) program. The lender uses its own forms and procedures and gets an accelerated SBA response, in exchange for a lower SBA guarantee percentage than Standard 7(a).
What it funds
The same uses as 7(a), including revolving lines of credit, which Standard 7(a) term loans do not offer.
Trade-off
Faster turnaround and lighter paperwork, against a smaller guaranteed portion, which some lenders price for.
Current SBA Express maximum loan size and guarantee percentage are set by SBA notice and change. Confirm them on sba.gov or with your lender; this site does not publish an unverified figure.
Small business loans available in College Station
An SBA 7(a) loan made to a College Station, Texas business is made by a participating lender, not by the SBA.
The lender underwrites it, sets the rate within the SBA maximum, and services it. What varies locally is
which lenders are active, not the program rules.