9 Best Nursing Student Loans of August 2026
Federal student loans are best for nursing students in undergraduate and graduate school programs.
If you need nursing student loans, it's typically best to exhaust your federal options before turning to private lenders. Federal student loans offer benefits like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which many nurses may be able to take advantage of post-graduation.
Private loans for nursing students are available too. These can make sense if you’ve maxed out your federal aid. Borrowers with good credit may actually find a private nursing student loan with a lower interest rate than a federal loan.
Here are our picks for the best private loans for nursing school, as well as information on how to weigh your options.
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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 Nursing Student Loans
Lender | NerdWallet editorial rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.5 /5 | Mid-600s | 2.29-14.99% | 3.62-14.35% | Check Rate on Sallie Mae's website | |
5.0 /5 | Mid-600s | 2.09-15.99% | 3.89-15.99% | Check Rate on College Ave's website | |
4.5 /5 | 650 | 1.99-14.05% | 4.74-14.55% | Check Rate on Earnest's website | |
5.0 /5 | Does not disclose | 2.45-14.83% | 4.39-15.86% | Check Rate on SoFi®'s website | |
5.0 /5 | Low-Mid 600s | 2.69-17.01% | 3.64-16.05% | Read Review on NerdWallet | |
4.0 /5 | 660 | 3.49-11.44% | 5.99-11.69% | Check Rate on ELFI's website | |
5.0 /5 | Mid-600 | 2.39-15.58% | 3.38-15.53% | Read Review on NerdWallet |
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: Does not disclose.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to 100% of school-certified costs with no aggregate loan limit.
- Available to students enrolled half-time or less.
- Provides a dedicated customer support team for graduate and professional students.
- Offers a 0.25-percentage-point rate discount with automatic payments.
- Offers pre-qualification with a soft credit check.
- Borrowers can make interest-only payments for one year following a 6-month grace period.
- Payments can be deferred for up to 40 months during residency.
- Does not offer bi-weekly payments via autopay.
- Immediate principal and interest payment while in school isn’t an option for nursing school loans.
2026 Best Student Loan
Graduate Students
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Upper 700s.
- Minimum income: $35,000 for a borrower with no co-signer. No minimum for a borrower with a co-signer. No minimum for co-signers.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to cost of attendance.
- Has longer terms and grace periods to fit the needs of graduate school borrowers.
- Provides flexible repayment options, including automatic bi-weekly and greater-than-minimum payments.
- Offers a 0.25-percentage-point rate discount with automatic payments.
- Allows borrowers to pre-qualify with a soft credit check.
- No application, origination or prepayment fees.
- Charges a late payment fee, whereas some competitors do not.
- Doesn’t allow co-signer release until a borrower is at least halfway through their repayment term.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: The median credit score for approved borrowers was 750 in 2025.
- Minimum income: No minimum income required.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 to $400,000.
- Borrowers who return to Earnest for a new private student loan can be eligible for a 0.25% rate reduction.
- 0.25% rate reduction for borrowers who sign up for automatic payments.
- No late fees.
- Option to skip one payment every 12 months for eligible borrowers.
- Every borrower gets a 9 month grace period.
- Does not offer renewable or multi-year approval options.
- Must be enrolled half-time or more.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: No minimum income required.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to the cost of attendance.
- Graduate health professions students with no income or co-signer can use future income to apply.
- Some borrowers can qualify for multi-year approval with no annual application or hard credit check.
- Offers a 0.25-percentage-point rate discount with automatic payments.
- Borrowers earn points by using other SoFi products that can be redeemed to pay down student loans.
- Does not offer bi-weekly payments via autopay.
- Does not disclose minimum credit score requirements.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: No minimum for borrowers with a co-signer. Co-signer minimum is $30,000 annually. Borrowers without a co-signer and at least two years of credit history must earn at least $30,000 and meet debt-to-income (DTI) requirements.
- Loan amounts: $2,001 up to $400,000 aggregate.
- Offers a 0.25-percentage-point rate discount with automatic payments for graduate loans.
- Allows borrowers to pre-qualify with a soft credit check.
- No application, origination, prepayment or late fees.
- 36-month grace period for medical and veterinary degrees.
- Progressive Repayment plan an option upon exiting grace period.
- Must be enrolled at least half-time.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: None if enrolled in eligible program and credit criteria are met.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to cost of attendance.
- Offers up to 96 months of residency deferment.
- Provides multi-year approval to streamline borrowing for long degree programs.
- Has an automated deferment process for medical, dental and podiatry students.
- Allows borrowers to pre-qualify with a soft credit check.
- Some borrowers may receive a 0.25-percentage-point rate discount with automatic payments.
- Is a new product with a limited track record.
- The maximum repayment term is shorter than some competitors’ medical school loans.
- Charges a late payment fee, whereas some competitors do not.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Not disclosed.
- Minimum income: No minimum, but borrowers must demonstrate a positive income.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 minimum up to the school’s total certified cost of attendance (minus other aid) with a limit of $300,000 for undergraduate programs, $350,000 for most graduate programs and $500,000 for specialty programs such as medical and dental.
- No application fees, processing fees or late fees. -Available to students enrolled less than half time.
- Applicants can find their rate within minutes and without a hard credit check.
- Students in graduate certificate programs may apply for an Abe student loan
- Extra payments are not applied to the principal first.
Our pick for
International nursing students
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Not available. MPOWER does not require a credit score.
- Minimum income: Not available. MPOWER does not require a minimum income.
- Loan amounts: Minimum is $2,001. Maximum is $100,000, limited to $50,000 per academic period.
- Offers non-co-signed student loans for international and DACA students.
- Has a 0.25-percentage-point rate discount with automatic payments.
- Provides pre-approval within 30 minutes of application submission.
- Borrowers can request forbearance up to 24 months, which is longer than many lenders offer.
- Charges an origination fee of 5% to 8.5% for international students.
- Requires interest-only payments while the student is in school.
- Has only one loan term.
International nursing students and students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, status can borrow from MPOWER without a co-signer.
Our pick for
second-chance loans
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: Does not disclose.
- Loan amounts: $5,000 to $60,000.
- Borrowers are eligible for a 0.25% interest rate discount when they sign up for automatic payments.
- Offers academic deferment for borrowers who return to school.
- Up to 24 consecutive months of hardship forbearance.
- Allows co-signers. Co-signer release only requires a soft credit check.
- GradBridge charges a 5% origination fee and a late fee of 5% or $5 (whichever is less).
- Only offers three term lengths: 5, 10 and 15 years.
- Does not have in-house customer service representatives.
How to pay for nursing school: Start with grants and scholarships
Nursing students should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for grants, scholarships, work-study and federal student loans.
Exhaust “gift aid” you don’t have to repay before turning to student loans. For example, undergraduate nursing students with financial need can get a federal Pell Grant of up to $7,395 each year.
Aspiring nurses can also apply for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, which is operated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The scholarship covers tuition, fees and other educational costs, and comes with an additional monthly stipend. After graduation, you must spend at least two years working at an eligible health care facility with a critical nurse shortage.
If you have to borrow student loans for nursing school, opt for federal loans before considering private options. These loans come with more borrower protections, like income-driven repayment. Federal loans also tend to have lower interest rates, and they don’t require a credit check to qualify, like private options.
Types of federal loans for nursing students
Nursing students may have access to several federal loan options, depending on the degree they’re getting and which school they attend. Borrow them in this order:
Subsidized direct loans are available for undergraduate nursing students — those pursuing an Associate Degree in Nursing or Bachelor of Science in Nursing, for example — who demonstrate financial need. The amount you can borrow in subsidized student loans is limited, but these loans are a good first choice because the government pays the interest on them while you’re in school.
Nursing School Loans are a health professions student loan offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration to undergraduate and graduate students with financial need. Nursing School Loans are subsidized and have no set borrowing limit. However, these loans aren’t available at every school.
Unsubsidized direct loans are available to all nursing students, though borrowing limits and interest rates differ between undergraduate and graduate programs. Interest begins growing on unsubsidized loans as soon as you take them out, making them a more expensive option than the federal loans listed above.
Graduate PLUS loans are no longer available for new borrowers. However, under a grandfathering provision, borrowers with existing federal loans who remain at the same school in the same degree program can still access grad PLUS loans, but only for up to three years.
Amount you can borrow with federal loans
The maximum you can borrow for nursing school differs between undergraduate and graduate degrees. Here's a breakdown for the 2026-27 academic year.
Undergraduate nursing students
Dependent students can borrow $5,500 in year one, $6,500 in year two, and $7,500 in year three and beyond, up to a $31,000 aggregate cap.
Independent students (and dependent students whose parents are denied a parent PLUS loan) can borrow $9,500, $10,500 and $12,500 in those same years, up to a $57,500 aggregate cap.
Graduate nursing students
Federal loans for graduate nursing students are currently capped at $50,000 annually and $200,000 aggregate. All federal borrowing counts toward a new lifetime cap of $257,500.
The above amounts could change though. In 2026, ED tried to implement a list of what it defined as "professional" degrees that qualify for the highest borrowing caps ($50,000 annually, $200,000 aggregate). Nursing was not included on the original professional list, which would have limited borrowing to $20,500 annually and $100,000 aggregate.
In late June 2026, a federal judge blocked the new "professional" designation, and ED temporarily expanded its professional degree list to include nursing. But ED stated it expects the list to change as litigation proceeds, and some schools are still disbursing loans at the lower cap.
Private student loans for nursing school
For any costs above federal thresholds, you may need to turn to private student loans.
Undergraduate students may need a private loan for nursing school after maxing out federal options. Private loans require good credit and strong income to qualify; most undergraduate students need a co-signer to meet these lending criteria.
If you’re a graduate student, some private lenders offer loans specifically for those pursuing healthcare degrees. These may come with lower interest rates or larger borrowing limits than traditional private graduate student loans. Be sure to compare all private student loan options to get the best deal possible.
Student loan forgiveness for nurses
Federal student loans are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This program eliminates your remaining debt after you make 10 years of eligible payments while working for a qualifying nonprofit or government employer.
Some private loans may be eligible for different student loan forgiveness programs for nurses, such as the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program. Some states also help repay student loans for medical professionals, including nurses.
Last updated on August 4, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is a federal Nursing School Loan?
Federal Nursing School Loans are funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. These loans are available at participating schools for students with financial need.
Do nursing student loans qualify for forgiveness?
Yes, nurses who work at a nonprofit organization, or in a state or a health facility with a critical nurse shortage, may qualify for student loan forgiveness programs.
What is the best student loan for nursing school?
Nursing students should use federal loans before turning to private loans to fill in any remaining funding gaps. That's because federal loans offer more flexible repayment options and potential forgiveness.
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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We reviewed 20 banks, credit unions and online lenders — including the top by market share and search volume — plus lenders serving niche and nontraditional borrowers.
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Each lender is evaluated across weighted categories, covering dozens of features related to flexibility, affordability, availability, transparency and customer experience.
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NerdWallet reviewed 20 banks, credit unions and online lenders offering student loans and student loan refinancing. We included the top lenders by market share and 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.
Within weighted categories, we consider dozens of features and more than 60 data points for each financial institution. Depending on the category, these may include the availability of bi-weekly 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 Nursing Student Loans of August 2026
- Sallie Mae
- College Ave
- Earnest
- SoFi®
- Ascent
- ELFI
- Abe
- MPOWER: Best for International nursing students, Fixed APR: 10.89-18.62%
- GradBridge: Best for second-chance loans, Fixed APR: 17.40-23.07%