Best of

2 Banks That Offer Student Loans

Few traditional banks offer student loans, but private loans are available from online lenders.

Cecilia Clark
By
Last updated on December 20, 2022
Edited by
✅ Fact checked and reviewed
Des Toups
Edited by
✅ Fact checked and reviewed

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NerdWallet's student loans content, including articles, reviews and recommendations, is produced by a team of writers and editors who specialize in consumer lending. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, MSN, ABC News, MarketWatch and many other national and regional media outlets. They also have appeared on NerdWallet's “Smart Money” podcast, as well as local TV and radio.

Banks That Offer Student Loans

Lender
NerdWallet Rating
Min. credit score
Fixed APR
Variable APR
Learn more
LendKey Private Student Loan

LendKey Private Student Loan

Check rate
on LendKey's website
on LendKey's website
Best for Borrowing from a community bank

660

4.39-11.11%

5.84-11.11%

Check rate
on LendKey's website
on LendKey's website
PNC Private Student Loan

PNC Private Student Loan

Read review
3.5
/5
Best for Students who plan to start repayment immediately

Does not disclose

4.74-11.44%

4.84-11.54%

LendKey Private Student Loan
Check rate
on LendKey's website
on LendKey's website
LendKey Private Student Loan

LendKey Private Student Loan

4.0
Min. credit score

660

Fixed APR

4.39-11.11%

Variable APR

5.84-11.11%

Key facts

LendKey partners with community banks, as well as credit unions, to offer private student loans.

Pros
  • Forbearance of 18 months is longer than many lenders offer.
Cons
  • You can’t see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
  • Payment required while in school and during the grace period.
Qualifications
  • Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 748.
  • Minimum income: $24,000 per year.
  • Loan amounts: $1,000 up to cost of attendance, minus other aid received.
Available Term Lengths5, 10 or 15 years.
Read Full Review
PNC Private Student Loan

PNC Private Student Loan

Min. credit score

Does not disclose

Fixed APR

4.74-11.44%

Variable APR

4.84-11.54%

Key facts

PNC doesn’t offer an additional interest rate discount if you already have an account with the bank.

Pros
  • Interest rate discount for autopay is larger than most lenders offer.
Cons
  • No formal forbearance options.
  • You can’t see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Qualifications
  • Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Did not disclose.
  • Minimum income: Did not disclose.
  • Loan amounts: $1,000 to $50,000.
Available Term Lengths5, 10 or 15 years.

Banks that offer student loans

Only a few national banks offer private student loans. These include:

  • PNC.

Some community banks provide private loans through third-party services, such as LendKey. State banks — for example, the Bank of North Dakota — may have loan programs for students who are from or attending college in that state.

Many of the biggest and most well-known banks and financial institutions in the United States don’t offer private student loans, including:

» MORE: Banks that refinance student loans

How to get a student loan from a bank

If you’ve found a bank that offers student loans, follow these steps before you borrow:

  • Exhaust federal student loans. Banks only offer private student loans. Before borrowing those, max out unsubsidized and subsidized federal student loans because of their low fixed rates and consumer protections. You can qualify for federal student aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

  • Compare offers. If federal loans won’t cover all your costs, compare private student loans to get the best rate possible.

  • Check your qualifications. Banks can be tight-lipped about their financial requirements. But private lenders typically want you to have a credit score above 670 and enough income to afford all your debts and expenses. Banks may have additional requirements.

  • Apply with the bank. You’ll likely be able to complete the application process on the bank’s website. If a smaller or local bank has not partnered with a lending platform like LendKey, find out the steps you’ll need to complete your paperwork.

Which bank has the best student loan?

The best student loan is generally the one that costs you the least. That may come from a bank, especially if it offers a loyalty discount that lowers your interest rate.

But if your bank doesn’t have a student loan program, evaluate all your options.

Online lenders may lack the brand recognition of some banks, but there are reputable options that offer quick preapproval and match other features you might value in a bank. For example:

  • One-stop shopping. Online lender SoFi provides multiple products in addition to student loans, including mortgages and investment accounts. This matches the convenience banks offer of working with a single financial institution.

  • Long-term experience. Education Loan Finance, or ELFI, is not a bank itself, but it is an offshoot of SouthEast Bank in Tennessee. ELFI is a nonprofit organization that has worked with student borrowers for 25 years.

STUDENT LOAN RATINGS METHODOLOGY

Our survey of more than 29 banks, credit unions and online lenders offering student loans and student loan refinancing includes the top 10 lenders by market share and top 10 lenders by online search volume, as well as lenders that serve specialty or nontraditional markets.

We consider 40 features and data points for each financial institution. Depending on the category, these include the availability of biweekly payments through autopay, minimum credit score and income requirement disclosures, availability to borrowers in all states, extended grace periods and in-house customer service.

The stars represent ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars). Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star.

Last updated on December 20, 2022

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Banks That Offer Student Loans

  • LendKey Private Student Loan: Best for Borrowing from a community bank
  • PNC Private Student Loan: Best for Students who plan to start repayment immediately
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