8 Best Dental School Loans of February 2026
Dental students facing heavy debt should opt for federal loans.
Federal student loans should be your first choice if you need to borrow to pay for dental school. Government-funded options include low-cost loans for dentists, and all federal loans let you tie payments to your future income.
Dentists also have strong earning potential, so private dental school loans can be a viable option. Make sure you can get a better interest rate than what federal loans offer and that you won’t need benefits like income-driven payment plans.
Here are our picks for the best dental school loans and what you should know.
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Why trust NerdWallet
- 19 student loans lenders reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 10+ years of combined experience covering higher education and consumer lending.
- Objective, comprehensive star-rating system assessing 40 categories and more than 50 data points across student loan origination and student loan refinance.
- Governed by NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Best Dental School Loans
Lender | NerdWallet editorial rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5.0 /5 | Mid-600s | 2.74-15.99% | 3.89-15.99% | Check Rate on College Ave's website | |
4.5 /5 | Mid-600's | 2.89-14.98% | 3.75-13.35% | Check Rate on Sallie Mae's website | |
Best for customer support and wide availability 5.0 /5 | Low-Mid 600s | 3.49-15.31% | 4.69-15.65% | Check Rate on Ascent's website | |
4.5 /5 | 650 | 4.45-14.90% | 4.99-15.30% | Read Review on NerdWallet | |
5.0 /5 | None | 6.39-7.94% | N/A | Read Review on NerdWallet |
Our pick for
Dental students with excellent credit
Some private lenders offer specific student loans for dental school. You or a co-signer will need excellent credit to get rates that make it worth forgoing federal loan benefits.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Mid-700s.
- Minimum income: $35,000 per year.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to the total cost of attendance.
- 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.
- You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.
Our pick for
Part-time dental students
- One of the few lenders to provide loans to part-time students.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Non-U.S. citizens, including DACA students, who live in the U.S. and attend school in the U.S. can apply with a qualified co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Does not offer bi-weekly payments via autopay.
Rating and details displayed are for Sallie Mae's undergraduate student loan. Dental students can receive a residency deferment of up to 48 months.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 758.
- Minimum income: $35,000.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to your total cost of attendance.
- Option to skip one payment every 12 months.
- No late fees.
- Nine-month grace period is longer than most lenders offer.
- Loans aren't available in Nevada.
Our pick for
Payment flexibility
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Not available.
- Minimum income: Not available.
- Loan amounts: up to $200,000.
- Among the best for payment flexibility.
- Grace period of 12 months is longer than many lenders offer.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Stands out for features that enable faster loan repayment.
- You must be enrolled at least half-time to qualify.
Our pick for
Most borrowers as a first option
If low-cost federal health professions student loans aren’t available, start with federal direct unsubsidized loans to pay for dental school.
- No credit check or minimum income is needed to borrow.
- Loan amounts for undergraduates: $5,500 year one, $6,500 year two, $7,500 year three and thereafter, up to a total of $31,000
- Independent students and graduate students have higher loan limits.
- Undergraduate interest rate fixed at 3.73%, while grad students get higher 5.28% rate
- More flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers than other lenders.
- Subsidized loans do not collect interest while in school or during deferment.
- Lower interest rates than many private lenders.
- You pay an origination fee.
Graduate students can receive only unsubsidized direct loans. They can take out up to $20,500 annually, which may not be enough to cover your dental school bill.
Our pick for
Manageable payments post-graduation
Grad PLUS loans offer income-driven plans that can cap your bills at 10% of your discretionary income, but repayment terms can last up to 25 years.
- Grad PLUS loan borrowers must not have adverse credit history.
- Borrowers with adverse credit history can still receive a grad PLUS loan by enlisting a co-signer without adverse credit history or documenting extenuating circumstances for their credit history.
- Loan amounts: Total cost of attendance minus other financial aid.
- More flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers compared with private lenders.
- All borrowers who attend a school authorized to receive federal aid can qualify.
- May have higher interest rates compared with private lenders.
- You pay an origination fee.
- You can’t see if you’ll qualify without a hard credit check.
Grad PLUS loans have higher interest rates and fees than unsubsidized loans but let you borrow more money.
Our pick for
International dental students
International students aren’t eligible for federal student loans and will have few private options without access to an eligible co-signer.
- MPOWER considers future income potential but does not factor in credit scores.
- Loan amounts: Minimum $2,001. Maximum loan is $100,000, limited to $50,000 per academic period.
- Offers a hard-to-find option: non-co-signed student loans for international and DACA students.
- Borrowers are assigned a dedicated student loan advisor.
- Borrowers can request forbearance of up to 24 months, which is longer than many lenders offer.
- Payment required while in school.
- Offers only one repayment term: 10 years.
You can only take out up to $50,000 a year ($25,000 each semester) from MPOWER, which may not be enough by itself to pay for dental school.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
Do I need to take out loans to pay for dental school?
Dental school loans are often unavoidable: More than 80% of dentists in the class of 2024 graduated with student debt, according to the American Dental Education Association . Their average dental school debt was close to $298,000.
If you might face that level of debt, federal student loans should be your first choice.
Federal dental school loans
Federal student loans offer income-driven repayment plans that typically limit payments to 10% of your discretionary income. That can provide some financial breathing room, especially if you need money to start your own dental practice or purchase an existing one.
Federal student loans also offer Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). But unless you pursue a career like academic research or teaching dentistry, PSLF may be less of an incentive than it is for other health professionals who are more likely to work for a nonprofit like a hospital.
You may have access to multiple federal student loans for dental school. Consider them in the following order:
Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL). Students with financial need can apply for these loans at participating dental schools. Funding may be limited. These loans have a fixed interest rate of 5%, and interest is subsidized while you’re in school.
Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS). LDS and HPSL have similar terms, and both come from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Because LDS and HPSL aren’t Department of Education loans, they aren’t eligible for programs like PSLF or income-driven repayment. But you can consolidate them to qualify.
Unsubsidized federal direct loans. Graduate students are eligible for up to $20,500 annually in federal unsubsidized loans.
Graduate PLUS loans. After exhausting the previous options, you can borrow what remains up to your cost of attendance in graduate PLUS loans. PLUS loans have the highest interest rates and charge the most in fees among federal student loans.
If you’re in an undergraduate dental program — to be a dental hygienist or dental assistant, for example — you may also be eligible for subsidized loans. You’ll need to demonstrate financial need to qualify for these loans, and loan limits are different for undergraduates.
» MORE: Subsidized vs. unsubsidized student loans
Private dental school loans
Many private lenders offer student loans for dental school. These loans are credit-based, so you could beat a federal loan’s interest rate if you or a co-signer has good credit.
Some lenders market loans specifically for graduate-level dental students, which may have features tailored to dental students. For example, multiple lenders let you postpone payments during a residency.
Such perks can sound nice, but keep an eye on how much you’ll owe each month. A potential six-figure dentist salary may make you confident in affording those bills, but if you aren’t able to, you won’t be able to fall back on income-driven payments like you can with federal loans.
If you end up earning more than expected after taking out federal loans, consider refinancing your dental school loans with a private lender at a lower interest rate to recoup some savings.
How to get loans for dental school
How you get loans for dental school depends on the type you wish to take out:
Health professions student loans. Contact your dental school’s financial aid office to see if it participates in this program and ask about the application process.
Federal student loans. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to qualify for subsidized and unsubsidized direct loans, as well as graduate PLUS loans.
Private student loans. You can borrow from any private lender that offers graduate student loans. Get the best deal possible by shopping around, then apply directly with the lender.
» MORE: Our top grad school loan picks
Are there loan forgiveness programs for dental school debt?
There are several dental school debt forgiveness programs that can reduce or even eliminate federal or private student loans. You typically need to practice in a rural or underserved area to qualify.
Last updated on January 12, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the average dental school debt?
Dentists in the class of 2024 graduated with an average student loan debt of $312,700, according to the American Dental Education Association.
How do you get loans for dental school?
Getting federal student loans for dental school typically requires completing the FAFSA. Private dental school loans require applying directly with a lender.
What’s the best student loan for dental school?
Because dental students average six figures of debt, they should usually opt first for federal student loans to have the option of enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan.
Are there private loans for dental school?
Multiple lenders offer private loans specifically for dental students, including College Ave and Sallie Mae. But you can take out any graduate-level loan. Compare multiple offers to get the best deal.
How we chose the best student loans
Our team of student loan experts follows an objective and robust methodology to rate lenders and pick the best.
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Lenders reviewed
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Lenders reviewed
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50+
Data points analyzed
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Our team tracks and reassesses more than 50 data points annually, including APR ranges, fees, credit requirements, and borrower tools, ensuring up to date, accurate comparisons.
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5.0
Overall score
NerdWallet reviewed 19 banks, credit unions and online lenders offering student loans and student loan refinancing. We included 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. Some lenders are NerdWallet partners, but this did not influence our selection of the winner.
We consider 40 features and more than 50 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 a wide range of 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.
NerdWallet's Best Dental School Loans of February 2026
- College Ave Dental Student Loan: Best for Dental students with excellent credit, Fixed APR: 2.74-15.99%
- Sallie Mae Dental School Loan: Best for Part-time dental students, Fixed APR: 2.89-14.98%
- Ascent Dental Student Loan: Best for Payment flexibility, Fixed APR: 3.49-15.31%
- Earnest Dental School Loan: Best for Part-time dental students, Fixed APR: 4.45-14.90%
- Federal Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan: Best for Most borrowers as a first option, Fixed APR: 6.39-7.94%
- Federal Grad PLUS Loan: Best for Manageable payments post-graduation, Fixed APR: 8.94-8.94%
- MPOWER Private Student Loan: Best for International dental students, Fixed APR: 12.99-15.99%
- Brazos Private Student Loan: Best for Dental students from Texas, Fixed APR: 2.71-7.38%