College Ave Reviews: Private Student Loans and Student Loan Refinancing
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Student loan ratings
Private student loan
Student loan refinancing
Parent loan
Graduate student loan
Dental school loan
Law school loan
MBA loan
Medical school loan
4.5
The bottom line:
College Ave is an online lender founded in 2014 that offers both private student loans and student loan refinancing. Its private loan is best for students who want to make payments while they're still in school. Its refinance loan is best for borrowers who want a nonstandard loan term — six or nine years, for instance.
Private student loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
More flexible repayment options than other lenders.
Six-month grace period extension is available.
Cons
You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Best for students who want to make payments while they're still in school.
Full Review
College Ave’s undergraduate private student loans are best for those who want to make payments while in school; borrowers can opt for immediate, interest-only and fixed $25 payment plans. You can also defer payments until after graduation.
Borrowers who elect to make payments while in school and select shorter repayment terms can qualify for lower interest rates than they otherwise would.
More than 95% of College Ave undergraduate loans have a co-signer. You must be at least halfway through your repayment term to release the co-signer from the loan, as well as meet additional criteria. For a standard 10-year repayment term, that would mean making at least 5 years of payments, which is longer than other lenders require to release a co-signer.
You could refinance the loan earlier in your repayment term instead. But that would change the terms of the existing loan and require meeting the refinance lender's qualifications.
College Ave private student loans at a glance
Offers personalized rate estimates via a soft credit check.
International students are eligible if they apply with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Six-month grace period extension is available.
How College Ave could improve
College Ave could improve by offering additional programs such as:
Letting borrowers qualify for co-signer release faster.
Allowing borrowers who have previously filed for bankruptcy to qualify.
College Ave private student loan details
Before applying for a College Ave student loan
Before taking out a College Ave student loan or any other private student loan, exhaust your federal student loan options first. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, to apply.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s FAFSA Guide
Compare your private student loan options to make sure you’re getting the best rate you qualify for. In addition to interest rates, look at lenders’ repayment alternatives and the flexibility they offer to borrowers who struggle to make payments.
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.
Read more about our ratings methodologies for student loans and our editorial guidelines.
How does this loan compare?
Min. credit scoreMid-600s | Min. credit score650 | Min. credit score680 |
Fixed APR4.44-15.32% | Fixed APR4.45-14.90% | Fixed APR4.48-12.29% |
Variable APR4.99-15.32% | Variable APR5.15-16.42% | Variable APR4.48-12.29% |
Student loan refinancing review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can choose any loan term between 5 and 15 years.
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Cons
No co-signer release available.
Students cannot refinance a parent PLUS loan in their name.
Best for borrowers who want a nonstandard loan term — six or nine years, for instance.
Full Review
College Ave lets borrowers choose any repayment term between five and 15 years. That makes refinancing with College Ave a good option if you want a nonstandard term — six or nine years, for instance — that lets you avoid paying more overall by extending your repayment term.
College Ave is not ideal for borrowers who need a co-signer to qualify, as there's no co-signer release program. Student loans must also be in your name to refinance with College Ave, so you'll need to look elsewhere if you want to take over your parent's PLUS loans. To protect themselves, parents looking at College Ave Loans should consider co-signing an undergraduate loan instead of taking out a parent loan. The College Ave Parent Loan is a better option only if the parent doesn’t want the child’s name on the loan.
College Ave at a glance
Choose any loan term between five and 15 years.
Offers personalized rate estimates via a soft credit check.
No co-signer release option.
How College Ave could improve
College Ave could improve its student loan refinance product by:
Offering academic deferment to those who return to school.
Refinancing loans for visa holders and those who want to refinance their parents’ PLUS loans.
College Ave student loan refinancing details
Before refinancing with College Ave
Before deciding on a student loan refinance lender, compare multiple student loan refinance options to make sure you’re getting the best rate you qualify for. In addition to interest rates, compare lenders’ repayment options and the flexibility they offer borrowers who are struggling to make payments.
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.
Parent loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
You can choose your monthly payment while the student is in school, provided it covers at least the interest.
Cons
No co-signer option.
Estate is still responsible for the loan if the parent borrower dies.
Best for parents who want to control some of their student's spending.
Full Review
College Ave parent loans are best if your child needs extra money for college. Parents can take out loans up to the school's cost of attendance.
You cannot defer a College Ave parent loan while your child is in school, but flexible payment options are available. You can pay just the monthly interest, monthly interest plus a fixed amount (in increments of $20) or full payments. You can also choose any payment term between 5 and 15 years.
In instances of total and permanent disability, undergraduate and graduate loans are discharged if the borrower becomes totally and permanently disabled. Parent loans are discharged only if the child benefitting from the loans becomes totally and permanently disabled.
To protect themselves, parents looking at College Ave loans should consider co-signing an undergraduate loan instead of taking out a parent loan. The College Ave loan is a better option only if the parent doesn’t want the child’s name on the loan.
College Ave parent student loans at a glance
Offers personalized rate estimates via a soft credit check.
Payments are due immediately.
How College Ave could improve
College Ave could improve by offering additional programs such as:
Discharging student loans if the parent borrower dies or becomes disabled.
Allowing co-signers on parent loans.
Allowing borrowers who have previously filed for bankruptcy to qualify.
College Ave parent student loan details
Before applying for a College Ave parent loan
Before taking out a College Ave parent loan or any other parent student loan, your child should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, and max out their federal loan options. And make sure the loan payments won't stop you from reaching other financial goals, like saving for retirement.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s FAFSA Guide
Compare your private student loan options to make sure you’re getting the best rate you qualify for. In addition to interest rates, look at lenders’ repayment alternatives and the flexibility they offer to borrowers who struggle to make payments.
If you aren’t eligible for a College Ave parent loan
If College Ave denies your student loan application, the lender will let you know why. Depending on the reason, you may want to consider other parent loan options or, if you haven’t already, try applying with a co-signer.
If you don’t have access to a co-signer — or still aren’t eligible with one — consider lenders that don’t require co-signers or specialize in bad or no credit student loans.
Graduate student loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
International students can qualify with a co-signer.
Nine-month grace period is longer than other lenders offer.
Cons
You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Best for graduate students who'll need extra time before starting repayment.
Full Review
College Ave offers a student loan for graduate students, as well as specific lending products for medical school, dental school, law school and business school.
The underlying terms of all College Ave graduate student loans are similar. But the individual loans have different interest rate ranges, and the following features also vary:
How long you have to repay. All graduate students can choose a repayment term of 5, 8, 12, or 15 years. But if you're in medical, dental or law school, you also have access to a 20-year repayment term.
When payments start. College Ave graduate, business and law school loans receive a 9-month grace period before payments are due. Dental school loans have a 12-month grace period, and medical school loans get 36 months before payments start.
All graduate students can also receive a 6-month grace period extension after leaving school, while longer deferments are available for law students during clerkships (12 months) and dental and medical students during residency (12 months and 48 months, respectively).
These grace periods are longer than many lenders offer — especially the 9 months for non-health professional students. That makes College Ave a good option if you're a graduate student who'll need extra time before starting repayment.
College Ave graduate student loans at a glance
Offers personalized rate estimates via a soft credit check.
Interest rates vary by graduate school product.
International students are eligible if they apply with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
How College Ave could improve
College Ave could improve by offering additional programs such as:
Letting borrowers qualify for co-signer release faster.
Allowing borrowers who have previously filed for bankruptcy to qualify.
College Ave graduate student loan details
Before applying for a College Ave graduate loan
Before taking out a College Ave graduate student loan or any other private student loan, you'll generally want to exhaust your federal student loan options first. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, to apply.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s FAFSA Guide
Compare your graduate student loan options to make sure you’re getting the best rate you qualify for. In addition to interest rates, look at lenders’ repayment alternatives and the flexibility they offer to borrowers who struggle to make payments.
If you aren’t eligible for a College Ave graduate student loan
If College Ave denies your student loan application, the lender will let you know why. Depending on the reason, you may want to consider other graduate loan options or, if you haven’t already, try applying with a co-signer.
If you don’t have access to a co-signer — or still aren’t eligible with one — consider lenders that don’t require co-signers or specialize in bad or no credit student loans.
Dental school loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Twelve-month grace period is longer than other lenders offer.
You can defer payments up to an additional 12 months during residency after your grace period.
Cons
You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Best for dental students who'll need extra time before starting repayment.
Law school loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Nine-month grace period is longer than other lenders offer.
You can defer payments up to an additional 12 months during clerkship after your grace period.
Cons
You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Best for law students who'll need extra time before starting repayment.
MBA loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
International students can qualify with a co-signer.
Nine-month grace period is longer than other lenders offer.
Cons
You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Best for MBA students who'll need extra time before starting repayment.
Medical school loan review
5.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingon College Ave's website
Pros
You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
International students can qualify with a co-signer.
You can defer payments up to an additional 48 months during fellowship after your grace period.
Cons
You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Best for med students who'll need extra time before starting repayment.
Frequently asked questions
College Ave is a legitimate online lender that has been in business since 2014. College Ave offers private undergraduate, graduate and parent student loans while also refinancing existing student loans.
No. College Ave lends private student loans. Before taking out any private student loan, exhaust federal options first by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
College Ave only requires a co-signer if you're an international student. But applying with a co-signer may improve your chances of being approved for a private student loan or qualify you for a lower interest rate.
College Ave does not offer co-signer release on refinanced student loans. Co-signer release is available on other College Ave loans if you’re halfway through your repayment term, have made your previous 24 payments on time and meet additional criteria.