NerdWallet's Guide to Private Student Loans
When you apply for private loans, the lender will want to see proof you can repay it, usually in the form of a good credit score. A co-signer can help you qualify; that person will be responsible for the loan if you can’t pay it back.
Private student loans can cover any costs related to attending college and are originated from a bank, credit union or an online lender. Since private student loans come with less flexibility for borrowers, look to these loans only after exhausting all of the federal student loans available to you.
Specific types of private student loans
Most federal student loans don’t require a credit check, so they’re your best option. If you need more money for school, a handful of private lenders offer loans specifically for borrowers with bad credit. They’ll decide whether to lend to you based on additional factors like earning potential.
Undergraduates in particular often need a co-signer to get a private loan. But if you don’t have access to one, a few lenders will assess your ability to repay according to factors beyond credit history, making it more likely you’ll qualify on your own.
Graduate student loans are offered by both the federal government and private lenders. Take advantage of the unsubsidized federal student loans offered to you before taking on any federal grad PLUS loans or private student loans.
Students who aren’t U.S. citizens generally won’t qualify for federal student loans (unless you’re an eligible noncitizen). Several private lenders offer loans for international students, and they often require a U.S. citizen co-signer.
Many states offer their own loan programs, but they generally behave more like private loans than federal loans.
Credit unions and community banks offer private loans, too. If you have an existing relationship with one of these institutions, you may have access to more favorable terms and discounts on your loan than larger financial institutions offer.
An income share agreement, or ISA, offers funding for college that you repay based on your future salary. Consider an ISA instead of high-interest loans, such as federal PLUS loans or private student loans — especially if you plan to enter a high-paying profession. You'll likely get the most favorable repayment terms.
Private student loans may offer lower interest rates than federal loans for medical students with good credit. But they don’t come with forgiveness options if you work for a nonprofit hospital after graduation, which would qualify you for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
This is a type of loan offered directly by a college. An institutional loan doesn't come with standard features such as interest rates, terms and repayment options, so consider all attributes of the loan before accepting it.
If you need to borrow money for your coding bootcamp, steer toward personal loans designed for bootcamp costs and away from credit cards or high-interest personal loans. Bootcamp loans may have lower interest rates and more favorable repayment terms for students.
These loans cover expenses traditional student loans won’t — like prep classes, living expenses and exam application fees — while law students or graduates study for the bar exam. Bar loans also typically have higher interest rates than private or federal student loans do.
Private student loan interest rates
The NerdWallet team of student loans experts analyzed reported rates from 24 lenders over a period of 38 months. We considered four variables — average maximum fixed rates, average minimum fixed rates, average maximum variable rates and average minimum variable rates — for each lender on a month-over-month basis.
The average rates as of July 3, 2024, were:
Minimum fixed interest rate - 4.65%
Maximum fixed interest rate - 14.70%
Minimum variable interest rate - 5.71%
Maximum variable interest rate - 15.58%
Average rates in general have continued to vacillate over the last 12 months. All average rates — except maximum fixed and variable rates — have decreased since last month.
The reported rates represent lenders' advertised ranges. It's best to prequalify with multiple lenders to ensure you accept the best rate available to you.
Lenders typically offer the lowest rates to those with the strongest financial profiles. Based on our analysis, less than 30% of borrowers are offered the lowest rate. That percentage includes companies that offer all borrowers the same rate. Excluding those companies, less than 18% of borrowers are offered the lowest rate.
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.
DisclaimersAnnual Percentage Rates (APR), loan term and monthly payments are estimated based on analysis of information provided by you, data provided by lenders, and publicly available information. All loan information is presented without warranty, and the estimated APR and other terms are not binding in any way. Lenders provide loans with a range of APRs depending on borrowers' credit and other factors. Keep in mind that only borrowers with excellent credit will qualify for the lowest rate available. Your actual APR will depend on factors like credit score, requested loan amount, loan term, and credit history. All loans are subject to credit review and approval.
1 Sallie Mae Undergraduate Student Loan
Lowest rates shown include the auto debit. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. Advertised APRs are valid as of 1/27/2025. Loan amounts: For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.2 College Ave Private Student Loan
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. (1)All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. (2)As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. (3)This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 3/3/2025. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.3 Ascent Credit-based Student Loan
Ascent’s undergraduate and graduate student loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations, terms and conditions may apply for Ascent's Terms and Conditions please visit: AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed above are effective as of 3/1/2025 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount of 0.25% for credit-based college student loans and 1.00% discount on outcomes-based loans when you enroll in automatic payments. The Full P&I (Immediate) Repayment option is only available for college loans (except for outcomes-based loans) originated on or after June 3, 2024. For more information, see repayment examples or review the Ascent Student Loans Terms and Conditions. The final amount approved depends on the borrower’s credit history, verifiable cost of attendance as certified by an eligible school, and is subject to credit approval and verification of application information. Lowest interest rates require full principal and interest (Immediate) payments, the shortest loan term, a cosigner, and are only available for our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores. Actual APR offered may be higher or lower than the examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins. 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. For details on Ascent borrower benefits, visit AscentFunding.com/BorrowerBenefits. The AscentUP platform is only available to eligible Ascent borrowers and subject to terms and conditions.
