3 Best Dental School Loan Refinance Lenders of August 2022
Dentists who have good credit and won't use federal loan benefits are prime candidates for student loan refinancing.
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Refinancing dental school loans can save you tens of thousands of dollars, get you out of debt faster, or both.
Dentists can refinance dental school loans during residency or wait until they're employed full-time. But don't do either if Public Service Loan Forgiveness or income-driven repayment will make sense for your career — refinanced loans aren't eligible for those programs.
Our picks for refinancing during or after residency are below, as well as information that can you help decide which option is right for you.
Refinancing dental school loans can save you tens of thousands of dollars, get you out of debt faster, or both.
Dentists can refinance dental school loans during residency or wait until they're employed full-time. But don't do either if Public Service Loan Forgiveness or income-driven repayment will make sense for your career — refinanced loans aren't eligible for those programs.
Our picks for refinancing during or after residency are below, as well as information that can you help decide which option is right for you.
Best Dental School Loan Refinance Lenders
Lender | NerdWallet rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() SoFi Student Loan Refinance Check rate on SoFi's website | Best for Refinancing during residency | 650 | 3.99- | 2.24- | Check rate on SoFi's website |
Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance Check rate on Laurel Road's website | Best for Refinancing during residency + Refinancing after residency | 660 | 3.99- | 2.50- | Check rate on Laurel Road's website |
![]() ISL Refinance Loan | Best for Refinancing after residency | 670 | 2.55- | N/A | Read review |
Our pick for
Refinancing during residency
Refinancing can save you money while you’re earning less as a resident, but your balance may increase by the time your residency ends.

on SoFi's website
SoFi Student Loan Refinance

Min. credit score
650Fixed APR
3.99-Variable APR
2.24-on SoFi's website
on Laurel Road's website
Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance
Min. credit score
660Fixed APR
3.99-Variable APR
2.50-on Laurel Road's website
Our pick for
Refinancing after residency
ISL Refinance Loan

Min. credit score
670Fixed APR
2.55-Variable APR
N/Aon Laurel Road's website
Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance
Min. credit score
660Fixed APR
3.99-Variable APR
2.50-on Laurel Road's website
Should you refinance dental school loans?
The best reason to refinance dental school loans is to save money. When you refinance, your loans are replaced with a new loan with new terms, which typically include a lower interest rate. There are no origination or hidden fees.
Say you refinance $304,824 — the average dental school debt for the class of 2020 — from a 7% APR to a 5% APR. You’d save about $306 a month and more than $36,736 over 10 years.
Saving that much interest probably sounds pretty good. But refinancing won't be the right dental school loan repayment option for everyone.
If you have federal loans, refinancing will cost you benefits like income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. You may want or need these options, depending on your career goals. For example, if you plan to work for a nonprofit that provides dental care to those in need, you'll probably want to pursue PSLF.
But federal benefits could also be important in less obvious situations. Say you want your own dental practice, for instance. An income-driven plan could cost you the least each month, giving you the financial flexibility needed to open or purchase a practice, as well as to manage start-up or operational expenses.
These aren't issues with private loans, as they lack similar repayment benefits. If you already have private dental school loans, refinancing makes sense whenever you can qualify for a better rate. Refinancing also makes sense if your primary repayment goal is to save on interest, pay off loans fast or both.
When to refinance dental school loans
If you’re doing a dental residency and want to refinance at some point, you generally have two choices: refinance during residency, or refinance after residency.
Refinancing during your residency
If your residency program offers a stipend: You can consider refinancing during residency. Two student loan refinance lenders — SoFi and Laurel Road — allow you to refinance as a resident and pay as little as $100 a month during your training. Alternatively, enter an income-driven repayment plan during residency and refinance afterwards, when your income is higher.
If your residency program charges tuition: Refinancing during residency may not be an option. With SoFi, dentists must prove that they’re not taking on additional debt to cover residency tuition. You may be able to defer dental school loan payments during residency, but interest will still accrue. Revisit refinancing once you’re employed.
Keep in mind that your loan balance will likely increase during residency. Whether you’re on income-driven repayment or paying $100 per month after refinancing, your payments likely won’t cover the interest as it accrues.
Refinancing dental school loans after residency
Dental school loan refinancing once you're practicing is a smart move if you have:
Good credit. You need a score at least in the high 600s to qualify.
Strong income. Dentistry is one of the highest-paying professions.
Private dental school loans. If you refinanced during your residency, you can refinance again.
Clear career goals. Consider refinancing federal loans if you don’t plan on needing income-driven repayment or working in the public sector.
How to refinance dental school loans
Compare refinance lenders to find the one that’ll offer you the lowest rate, and look for special deals for dentists. For example, members of the American Dental Association get a 0.25% interest rate discount for refinancing through Laurel Road, while members of the American Association of Orthodontists can get the same amount off by refinancing with SoFi.
Also, pay attention to lenders’ loan limits. A few lenders will refinance as much student debt as you have, a couple refinance up to $500,000 and others will refinance up to $300,000. But some lenders have loan limits that may be too low for the average dentist.
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCE 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 the top 10 lenders by online search volume, as well as lenders that serve specialty or nontraditional markets.
We consider 41 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.
Read more about our ratings methodologies for student loan refinance and our editorial guidelines.
Last updated on January 26, 2022
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Dental School Loan Refinance Lenders of August 2022
- SoFi Student Loan Refinance: Best for Refinancing during residency
- Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance: Best for Refinancing during residency + Refinancing after residency
- ISL Refinance Loan: Best for Refinancing after residency
Frequently asked questions
You can refinance dental school loans during residency, if you're doing one, or afterward. Only two lenders — SoFi and Laurel Road — offer student loan refinancing to residents.
Savings depend on your current loan terms. But refinancing $304,824 — the average dental school debt for the class of 2020 — from a 7% APR to a 5% APR, you’d save about $306 a month and more than $36,736 over 10 years.
Dentists should check a student loan refinance lender’s loan limits. While some will refinance all your debt, others may limit you to $300,000 or $500,000, which may not be enough for some dentists.
Refinancing dental school loans to a lower interest rate or shorter repayment term can help you pay them off faster. Don’t refinance if you need federal loan benefits, like income-driven repayment.