6 Best Student Loan Refinance Companies of May 2022
The best student loan refinance company is the one that can reduce your rate the most. But certain lenders excel at serving certain types of customers.
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NerdWallet student loan experts evaluated dozens of data points to identify the best student loan refinance companies for different customers.
Some student loan refinance lenders tied in these categories or stood out in other ways. We've identified all our selections below.
NerdWallet student loan experts evaluated dozens of data points to identify the best student loan refinance companies for different customers.
Some student loan refinance lenders tied in these categories or stood out in other ways. We've identified all our selections below.
Best Student Loan Refinance Companies
Lender | NerdWallet Rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Earnest Student Loan Refinance Check rate on Earnest's website | Best for Overall | 650 | 2.74- | 1.74- | Check rate on Earnest's website |
![]() ISL Refinance Loan | Best for Overall | 670 | 2.55- | N/A | Read review |
Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance Check rate on Laurel Road's website | Best for Dental school loan refinancing | 660 | 2.99- | 1.89- | Check rate on Laurel Road's website |
PenFed Student Loan Refinance Check rate on Purefy's website | Best for Veterinary school loan refinancing | 670 | 4.49- | N/A | Check rate on Purefy's website |
LendKey Student Loan Refinance Check rate on LendKey's website | Best for Student loan refinancing with low income | 660 | 2.69- | 2.05- | Check rate on LendKey's website |
![]() SoFi Student Loan Refinance Check rate on SoFi's website | Best for Student loan refinancing with a bank | 650 | 3.49- | 1.74- | Check rate on SoFi's website |
Our picks for
Overall
on Earnest's website
Earnest Student Loan Refinance
Min. credit score
650Fixed APR
2.74-Variable APR
1.74-on Earnest's website
ISL Refinance Loan

Min. credit score
670Fixed APR
2.55-Variable APR
N/AOur pick for
Dental school loan refinancing
Refinancing dental school loans makes sense if you won’t use federal loan benefits and have good enough credit to qualify for a lower interest rate.
on Laurel Road's website
Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance
Min. credit score
660Fixed APR
2.99-Variable APR
1.89-on Laurel Road's website
Our pick for
Veterinary school loan refinancing
Refinancing may make sense for vets with a manageable debt-to-income ratio who don’t need federal student loan benefits — like making payments based on their income.
on Purefy's website
PenFed Student Loan Refinance
Min. credit score
670Fixed APR
4.49-Variable APR
N/Aon Purefy's website
Our pick for
Student loan refinancing with low income
You can refinance if you don't make a lot of money, but this may not make sense for federal loan borrowers.
on LendKey's website
LendKey Student Loan Refinance
Min. credit score
660Fixed APR
2.69-Variable APR
2.05-on LendKey's website
Our pick for
Student loan refinancing with a bank

on SoFi's website
SoFi Student Loan Refinance

Min. credit score
650Fixed APR
3.49-Variable APR
1.74-on SoFi's website
Best student loan refinance companies
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 March 22, 2022
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Student Loan Refinance Companies of May 2022
- Earnest Student Loan Refinance: Best for Overall
- ISL Refinance Loan: Best for Overall
- Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance: Best for Dental school loan refinancing
- PenFed Student Loan Refinance: Best for Veterinary school loan refinancing
- LendKey Student Loan Refinance: Best for Student loan refinancing with low income
- SoFi Student Loan Refinance: Best for Student loan refinancing with a bank