4 Banks That Refinance Student Loans

If you already have an account with a bank that refinances student loans, you could get discounts or lower rates by refinancing with that lender.

Summary of Banks That Refinance Student Loans

Lender	Fixed APR	Variable APR	Min. Credit Score	Learn More
Wells Fargo Student Loan Refinance NerdWallet rating See my rates on NerdWallet's secure website	3.74 - 9.74%	3.00 - 8.74%	Does not disclose	See my rates on NerdWallet's secure website
Citizens One Student Loan Refinance NerdWallet rating Check Rate on Citizens Bank's website	3.79 - 9.30%	2.72 - 9.05%	Does not disclose	Check Rate on Citizens Bank's website
PNC Student Loan Refinance NerdWallet rating See my rates on NerdWallet's secure website	3.44 - 6.24%	2.79 - 5.59%	660	See my rates on NerdWallet's secure website
First Republic Student Loan Refinance NerdWallet rating See my rates on NerdWallet's secure website	1.95 - 3.85%	N/A	Did not disclose	See my rates on NerdWallet's secure website

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Wells Fargo Student Loan Refinance

5.0

NerdWallet rating

Fixed APR

3.74 - 9.74%

Variable APR

3.00 - 8.74%

Min. Credit Score

Does not disclose

See my rates

on NerdWallet's secure website

Variable APR

3.00 - 8.74%

Key facts

Wells Fargo offers interest rate discounts for borrowers with a qualifying Wells Fargo consumer checking account, a prior federal or private student loan made by Wells Fargo, or Portfolio by Wells Fargo.

Pros

You are assigned a dedicated student loan advisor.
More flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers than other lenders.

Cons

Shorter length of hardship forbearance than most other lenders.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 748.
Loan amounts: $1,000 up to the total cost of attendance.
Must have a degree: No.

Available Term Lengths

5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 years

Disclaimer

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Check Rate

on Citizens Bank's website

Citizens One Student Loan Refinance

4.5

NerdWallet rating

Fixed APR

3.79 - 9.30%

Variable APR

2.72 - 9.05%

Min. Credit Score

Does not disclose

Check Rate

on Citizens Bank's website

Variable APR

2.72 - 9.05%

Key facts

Borrowers with a Citizens Bank account — like a checking account or auto loan — at the time of application get a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount.

Pros

You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
You can refinance parent PLUS loans in your name.
Loyalty discount: Borrowers with a Citizens Bank account when they apply get an additional 0.25% interest rate discount.

Cons

No flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Does not disclose.
Loan amounts: $10,000 to $500,000.
Must have a degree: No.

Available Term Lengths

5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 years

Disclaimer

Variable interest rates range from 2.72%-9.05% (2.72%-9.05% APR). Fixed interest rates range from 3.79%-9.30% (3.79%-9.30% APR).

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PNC Student Loan Refinance

4.5

NerdWallet rating

Fixed APR

3.44 - 6.24%

Variable APR

2.79 - 5.59%

Min. Credit Score

660

See my rates

on NerdWallet's secure website

Variable APR

2.79 - 5.59%

Key facts

PNC has branches in 19 states. Unlike the other brick-and-mortar banks that refinance student loans, it doesn’t offer a loyalty discount for existing customers. It does offer a 0.50% rate discount for any student loan refinance borrowers who set up automated payments from a checking or savings account — larger than the 0.25% autopay discount that other student loan refinance lenders offer.

Pros

Interest rate discount for autopay is larger than most lenders offer.
Borrowers can refinance without a degree.

Cons

Fewer repayment term lengths than other lenders offer.
No flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers.
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 or co-signers: 761.
Loan amounts: $10,000 to $75,000.
Must have a degree: No.

Available Term Lengths

10 or 15 years

Disclaimer

Read Full Review

See my rates

on NerdWallet's secure website

First Republic Student Loan Refinance

4.0

NerdWallet rating

Fixed APR

1.95 - 3.85%

Variable APR

N/A

Min. Credit Score

Did not disclose

See my rates

on NerdWallet's secure website

Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

San Francisco-based First Republic Bank offers some of the lowest student loan refinance rates in the industry to customers who meet its checking account requirements. You must live near a First Republic location to have a checking account and refinance student loans.

Pros

You are assigned a dedicated relationship manager.
Interest rebate if you pay off your refinanced loan within four years.
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.

Cons

You must have a First Republic Bank ATM Rebate Checking account to receive the advertised rates.
No option to pause payments through deferment or forbearance, unlike other lenders.
Only available to borrowers who live near a First Republic Bank branch.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 770.
Loan amounts: $25,000 to $300,000, depending on the highest degree earned.
Must have a degree: Yes, at least a bachelor’s degree.

Available Term Lengths

5, 7, 10 or 15 years

Disclaimer

Annual Percentage Rate. Rates effective as of March 9th, 2020 and are subject to change. Terms and conditions apply. The terms of this loan may differ from your current loan(s). For example, this loan does not contain special features such as forbearance periods or income-based repayment plans available for some student loans. This loan may not be dischargeable in bankruptcy. This product is not available in all markets. For a complete list of locations, visit firstrepublic.com/locations. This is not a commitment to lend or extend credit. Contact your legal, tax and financial advisors for advice on deciding whether this is the right product for you. Borrower must open a First Republic ATM Rebate Checking account (“Account”). Terms and conditions apply to the Account. If the Account is closed, the rate will increase by 5.00%. Rates shown include relationship-based pricing adjustments of: 1) 2.00% for maintaining automatic payments and direct deposit with the Account, 2) 0.50% for depositing and maintaining a deposit balance equal to the greater of 10% of the approved loan amount or $5,000 into the Account; and 3) an additional 0.25% for depositing and maintaining a deposit balance equal to the greater of 20% of the approved loan amount or $10,000 into the Account.

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Banks that refinance student loans

Some community banks also offer student loan refinancing — find them through LendKey, a marketplace that connects borrowers with community banks and credit unions.

Additionally, some online-only banks refinance student loans, including Discover.

In other cases, online student loan refinance lenders are backed by banks. For example, Education Loan Finance is the student loan refinancing division of Tennessee-based SouthEast Bank. Laurel Road loans are funded by Laurel Road Bank, formerly a division of Darien Rowayton Bank. Loans refinanced through College Ave Student Loans are funded by Firstrust Bank or Safra Bank.

Banks that don’t refinance student loans

A few national brick-and-mortar banks don’t refinance student loans:

Chase.
Bank of America.
U.S. Bank.

Last updated on August 21, 2019

To recap our selections...

Best of

Summary of Banks That Refinance Student Loans

Wells Fargo Student Loan Refinance

Citizens One Student Loan Refinance

PNC Student Loan Refinance

First Republic Student Loan Refinance

Banks that refinance student loans

Banks that don’t refinance student loans

NerdWallet's Banks That Refinance Student Loans

Further reading.

Credit Unions That Refinance Student Loans

Should You Refinance Private Student Loans?

Best Student Loan Refinance Companies