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Best Lenders for a $5,000 Loan in 2025
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Best Lenders for a $5,000 Loan in 2025

Nicole DowKim Lowe
Nicole Dow+1
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Written by 
Last updated on August 11, 2025Fact Checked
A $5,000 loan can be used to consolidate debt, finance home repairs, fund a cross-country move or for other large expenses.
 

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Methodology

Best for secured loans

Est. APR

6.99 - 35.99%

Loan amount

$2K - $50K

Min. credit score

600

Loan term

3 to 5 years

Get My Rate

Our take on Best Egg

Best Egg offers personal loans for borrowers who want to consolidate debt and need cash fast. Read our review of Best Egg

Best for debt consolidation

Est. APR

7.90 - 35.99%

Loan amount

$1K - $50K

Min. credit score

600

Loan term

2 to 6 years

Get My Rate

Our take on LendingClub

LendingClub personal loans are a solid option for good-credit borrowers looking to consolidate debt and build their credit. Read our review of LendingClub

Best for home improvement

Est. APR

6.49 - 25.29%

Loan amount

$5K - $100K

Min. credit score

660

Loan term

2 to 7 years

Get My Rate

Our take on LightStream

LightStream is a solid option for good-credit borrowers, with no fees and a promise to beat competitors’ rates. Read our review of LightStream

Best for good- or excellent-credit borrowers

Est. APR

8.99 - 35.49%

Loan amount

$5K - $100K

Min. credit score

None

Loan term

2 to 7 years

Get My Rate

Our take on SoFi Personal Loan

SoFi offers online personal loans with consumer-friendly features for good- and excellent-credit borrowers. Read our review of SoFi Personal Loan

Best for joint loans

Est. APR

7.99 - 35.99%

Loan amount

$1K - $50K

Min. credit score

580

Loan term

2 to 7 years

Get My Rate

Our take on Upgrade

Upgrade personal loans offer multiple rate discounts and direct payment to creditors. A low minimum credit score requirement makes the perks stand out even more. Read our review of Upgrade

Best for fair- or bad-credit borrowers

Est. APR

6.70 - 35.99%

Loan amount

$1K - $50K

Min. credit score

None

Loan term

3 to 5 years

Get My Rate

Our take on Upstart

Upstart personal loans offer fast funding and may be an option for borrowers with low credit scores or thin credit histories. Upstart is a solid financing choice for large purchases. Read our review of Upstart

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How we chose the best personal loans

Our team of consumer lending experts follows an objective and robust methodology to rate lenders and pick the best.

35+

Lenders reviewed

We review over 35 lenders, including major banks, top credit unions, leading digital platforms, and high interest installment lenders operating across multiple states.

25+

Categories assessed

Each lender is evaluated across five weighted categories and 27 subcategories, covering affordability, eligibility, consumer experience, flexibility, and application process.

70+

Data points analyzed

Our team tracks and reassesses hundreds of data points annually, including APR ranges, fees, credit requirements, and borrower tools, ensuring up to date, accurate comparisons.

Star rating categories

We evaluate more categories than competitors and carefully weigh how each factor impacts your experience.
Affordability

25%

We review lenders’ annual percentage rate offerings at least twice per year and the competitiveness of each lenders’ APR range. We also assess whether a lender charges an origination fee and any opportunity for borrowers to receive a rate discount.

Customer experience

20%

We consider the experience of the consumer trying to manage a personal loan, which means accessibility of customer service representatives, whether borrowers can choose and change their payment due date, and the ability to track their loan on a mobile app.

Underwriting and eligibility

20%

We consider the rigorousness of each lender’s underwriting practices and how widely available their loans are. This category includes whether a lender does a hard credit check before providing a loan, the range of credit profiles they accept and how many states their loans are offered in.

Loan flexibility

20%

We assess how flexible lenders can be with borrowers, including whether they offer multiple loan types, personal loan amounts and repayment term options and whether they offer direct payment to creditors on debt consolidation loans.

Application process

15%

We consider the lender’s full application process, including a borrower’s ability to preview their loan offer via pre-qualification, whether basic loan information such as APR range and repayment terms are available and easy to find online and how quickly a loan can be funded after approval.

5.0

Overall score

NerdWallet’s review process evaluates and rates personal loan products from more than 35 financial technology companies and financial institutions. We collect over 70 data points and cross-check company websites, earnings reports and other public documents to confirm product details. We may also go through a lender’s pre-qualification flow and follow up with company representatives. NerdWallet writers and editors conduct a full fact check and update annually, but also make updates throughout the year as necessary.
Our star ratings award points to lenders that offer consumer-friendly features, including: soft credit checks to pre-qualify, competitive interest rates and no fees, transparency of rates and terms, flexible payment options, fast funding times, accessible customer service, reporting of payments to credit bureaus and financial education. Our ratings award fewer points to lenders with practices that may make a loan difficult to repay on time, such as charging high annual percentage rates (above 36%), underwriting that does not adequately assess consumers’ ability to repay and lack of credit-building help. We also consider regulatory actions filed by agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We weigh these factors based on our assessment of which are the most important to consumers and how meaningfully they impact consumers’ experiences.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans and our editorial guidelines.

Calculate your monthly payment

See how different loan amounts, rates, and terms affect your monthly payment

Estimated monthly payment

$309.92

Total interest over 3 years

$1,156.95


Total loan payment

$11,156.95

Loan amount

$10,000

Interest rate

7.25%

Loan term (years)

3

PRINCIPAL AMOUNT — $10,000TOTAL INTEREST PAID — $1,156.95
90%
10%

Our guide to the best lenders for a $5,000 loan

Many personal loan lenders offer $5,000 loans that can be used for a variety of reasons. Here’s what makes our picks for the best $5,000 loan stand out.

Best Egg: Best for secured loans

Best Egg lets borrowers secure personal loans with either a vehicle or household fixtures, like kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanities. Using collateral to secure a personal loan may give borrowers a better chance of qualifying or getting a lower rate.

LendingClub: Best for debt consolidation

If you’re using a personal loan to consolidate debt, LendingClub will send the funds directly to your creditors, saving you this step. The lender may also discount your rate up to 5 percentage points if you opt for direct payment to your creditors.

LightStream: Best for home improvement

Offering same-day funding, no fees and wide repayment terms, LightStream is a solid option for financing home improvement projects.

SoFi: Best for good- or excellent-credit borrowers

SoFi doesn’t have a set credit score requirement, but the lender told NerdWallet its average borrower has a 745 credit score, which falls within the good-credit range.

Upgrade: Best for joint loans

Upgrade allows co-borrowers to apply for a $5,000 personal loan together. This can be useful if you need to add someone with better credit or a higher income to your loan application to strengthen your chances of approval. A joint loan can also make sense if you plan on financing a shared expense.

Upstart: Best for fair- or bad-credit borrowers

Upstart uses an AI-based underwriting model that factors in criteria such as education level and work history rather than relying heavily on credit scores to determine loan eligibility. Borrowers with fair credit (scores from the mid-500s to the low 600s) or bad credit (scored from 300 to the high 500s) may have an easier time qualifying for a loan with Upstart than some other lenders.

Estimated costs of a $5,000 loan

Your monthly payment for a $5,000 loan will depend on your annual percentage rate and loan term. A lower APR will give you smaller monthly payments and less overall interest. However, if your term is shorter, you’ll have a higher monthly payment but pay less in total interest.
Here are the costs you can expect to pay for a $5,000 loan at different rates and terms.
Term
APR
Monthly Payment
Total Interest
2 years
14%
$240
$762
2 years
20%
$254
$1,108
5 years
14%
$116
$1,980
5 years
20%
$132
$2,948
Use a personal loan calculator to see how various rates and terms affect monthly payments and total interest paid.

Estimated monthly payment

$309.92

Total interest over 3 years

$1,156.95


Total loan payment

$11,156.95

Loan amount

$10,000

Interest rate

7.25%

Loan term (years)

3

PRINCIPAL AMOUNT — $10,000TOTAL INTEREST PAID — $1,156.95
90%
10%
Your personal loan may also include fees. One common personal loan fee is an origination fee, which is typically 1% to 10% of the loan amount. Lenders often deduct this fee from your loan before disbursing the funds. For example, a 5% origination fee deducted upfront from a $5,000 loan would leave you with $4,750.

How to qualify for a $5,000 personal loan

Lenders typically review your credit, income and existing debt to determine whether you qualify for a personal loan. Having good or excellent credit (a score in the mid-600s or higher) gives you a better chance of loan approval. However, some lenders accept borrowers with credit scores in the mid-500s or higher.
Many lenders don’t publish requirements for income and debt, but you’ll generally want to make sure a new loan payment fits in your budget in addition to other monthly bills and expenses. A debt-to-income ratio of 36% or lower is often seen as ideal, though there are lenders that accept higher DTI ratios.

Tips for qualifying with bad credit

Having bad credit (a score from 300 to the high 500s) can limit your options for a personal loan, and if you do meet the lender’s requirements, the loan will likely have a higher APR.
You can increase your odds of loan approval or a lower APR by applying with a co-signer or getting a joint loan with a co-borrower who has better credit or a higher income. You could also boost loan approval odds by opting for a secured personal loan, which requires pledging a valuable asset — typically a vehicle or savings account — as collateral.

How to get a $5,000 loan

  1. Check your budget and credit. Determine how much you can afford to pay on a personal loan each month. Review your credit report for any errors bringing down your score, like an incorrect account balance or an account in your name that you never opened. You can get your credit report for free with NerdWallet and dispute any errors to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and Transunion — online or by phone or mail.
  2. Pre-qualify with multiple lenders. Pre-qualifying for a personal loan allows you to preview your rate, term, loan amount and monthly payment without affecting your credit score. It usually only takes a few minutes to pre-qualify online, and pre-qualifying with multiple lenders allows you to compare offers to find the best fit.
  3. Complete a formal loan application. The lender may ask for documents, like paystubs or tax returns, to support the information you provided during the pre-qualification process. You can expect the lender to do a hard credit check at this stage, which can cause your credit score to dip by a few points.
  4. Sign the loan agreement and get funded. If your loan application is approved, you’ll need to read and sign the loan agreement so the lender can disburse funds. Most personal loans are funded within a week, though several lenders offer same- or next-day funding. Your first loan payment is typically due 30 days later.

Personal loan alternatives

Before applying for a $5,000 loan, consider borrowing options that may cost less than a personal loan.
  • Zero-interest credit card: These credit cards charge no interest during the introductory period, which is usually 15 to 21 months. Afterwards, the rate can jump to almost 30%. You’ll typically need good or excellent credit to qualify.
  • Buy now, pay later: “Buy now, pay later” apps allow you to spread a purchase over several weeks. The most common BNPL plan involves paying for one-fourth of the purchase upfront and making three interest-free biweekly payments over the next six weeks. These payment plans usually don’t require a credit check.
  • Family loan: If you have a loved one willing and able to offer you a loan, it could be your best opportunity to borrow money with little to no interest and without formal income or credit checks. Draft and sign a loan agreement to ensure both parties understand the repayment plan and consequences for missed payments.

Frequently asked questions