8 Best Private Student Loans Available

Private loans for college are worth considering if your federal student aid allotment isn’t enough to cover your tuition and other costs. Private school loans offer flexible interest rate options and repayment terms, and sometimes extra benefits as well.

But before you sign anything, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and to choose the best private student loans for college for you. After all, not all lenders are created equal.

As you compare private student loans, you could consider these eight options — they’re our favorites, based on rates and features outlined below:

Read on to learn more about each of these lenders and how to choose the right lender for your college loans.

8 best private student loans

Not sure where to begin your search? Here’s our list, in no particular order, of some of the best private student loans offered by the top lenders. To compile it, we looked for established lenders offering the best student loan rates and additional benefits, which are detailed below.

Each of these reputable lenders offers the ability to view your potential rate while only submitting to a soft credit check that won’t ding your credit report. Of course, there are other great choices out there, but think of our list as a jumping-off point as you start your research.

And whether you go with one of these or find another student loan lender that’s a better fit for you, make sure to shop around so you can get the best deal available for your situation.

1. Sallie Mae

Overview: With a best-in-class cosigner release policy, Sallie Mae could be your top choice. The longest-running lender of the bunch, it also offers no fees, low rates and unique perks like study support and credit score tracking, all free of charge. One drawback is the borrower’s inability to select the length of their repayment term.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.74% to 11.85% and variable rates from 2.75% to 10.65%.
• Loans from $1,000 up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance.
• Available to undergraduate and graduate students — even part-timers — as well as parents borrowing on behalf of students.
• Available for private K-12 education, career training certificate courses, dental and medical school and/or residencies, other health profession loans, MBA loans and bar study fees.

What to like:

• No origination fee or prepayment penalty.
• Interest-rate reduction if you set up monthly payments by automatic debit with Sallie Mae.
• Three repayment options to choose from: deferred, fixed or interest-only while you’re in school and during your grace period.
• Borrowers and cosigners receive free credit score tracking from FICO.
• Borrowers receive free tutoring for school or study resources through Chegg.
• Borrowers can apply for cosigner release after graduation and when 12 on-time principal and interest payments have been made (without having used hardship forbearance or a modified repayment plan during that time).
• Pause your loan repayment for up to 12 months using forbearance.

What to keep in mind:

• Repayment terms of 5 to 15 years are available — but you can’t choose your specific term.

Visit SallieMae

2. College Ave

Overview: This online-only lender, which was founded by former Sallie Mae executives, distinguishes itself with increased flexibility. Borrowers can expect greater in-school and post-school repayment options than what’s found elsewhere. Also, students and parents alike will appreciate perks, such as no fees and low rates, in spite of the slow path to cosigner release available at College Ave.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.39% to 11.98% and variable rates from 1.79% to 10.97%.
• Loans from $1,000 up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance.
• Student and parent loan options.
• Available to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Accessible for international students with a valid Social Security number (SSN) who apply with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner.

What to like:

• No application, origination or prepayment fees.
• Interest-rate reduction if you set up automatic payments with College Ave.
• Student repayment options of 5, 8, 10 or 15 years.
• Option for students to make full, interest-only or flat payments while in school or to defer payments until after graduation.
• Parent repayment options of 5 to 15 years.
• Option for parents to make full, interest-only or interest-plus payments while their student is in school.
• Up to $2,500 can be deposited into a parent’s bank account to pay for student’s education costs.

What to keep in mind:

• Students are required to apply with a cosigner — with the minimum credit score requirement set at 640.
• Potential qualification for cosigner release isn’t available until more than half the scheduled repayment period has elapsed.
• Repayment protections like forbearance aren’t clearly defined.

Visit College Ave

3. CommonBond

Overview: Among the best private loans for college, MBAs and other graduate degrees, online-only lender CommonBond is a regular player on our list. It is upfront about its federal loan-like origination fee for graduate and professional student loans and makes up for it with flexible terms across the board, including four different in-school repayment options.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 5.45% to 9.74% and variable rates from 3.52% to 9.50%.
• Loans from $2,000 to 100% of the school’s cost of attendance.
• Available to undergraduate students, as well as MBA candidates and other graduate and professional students attending school at least half-time.

What to like:

• No application or origination fee (for undergraduate students) or prepayment penalty.
• Interest-rate reduction if you set up automatic monthly payments with CommonBond.
• Student loan repayment options of 5, 10 or 15 years for undergraduate and graduate students (10 or 15 years for MBA students and 10, 15 or 20 years for medical and dental students).
• Four different repayment plans for students, all of which come with a six-month grace period: deferment until after college or grad school, fixed monthly payments of $25 during school, interest-only payments during school or full monthly payments for the duration of the loan.
• Students dealing with economic hardship after graduation can apply for up to 12 months of forbearance.
• Borrowers are paired with a CommonBond Money Mentor who’s expert in personal finance.
• Every time a loan is disbursed, CommonBond funds a loan for a student in need.

What to keep in mind:

• 2% origination fee on MBA, dental and medical student loans.
• Applicants must apply with a creditworthy cosigner (excluding MBA, medical and dental students, who aren’t required to have a cosigner to apply) — with a minimum credit score requirement of 660.
• Student borrowers can apply for cosigner release after repaying the loan for two years.

Visit CommonBond

4. Citizens Bank

Overview: With no-fee loan options for students and parents, Citizens Bank sets itself apart by offering multiyear approval. You can apply once for multiple years of financing for your degree. That could come in handy whether you’re an underclassman, or a graduate or professional student staring down a long road to graduation.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.04% to 6.65% and variable rates from 3.79% to 6.40%.
• Loans from $1,000 to $350,000, depending on your degree.
• Available to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Student and parent loan options.
• Accessible to international students applying with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner.

What to like:

• No application, origination or prepayment fee.
• Interest-rate reduction of up to 0.50% if you already have an account with Citizens Bank and set up automatic payments.
• Student repayment options of 5, 10 or 15 years.
• Option for students to make full or interest-only payments while in school, or to defer payments until after graduation (up to eight years of schooling covered).
• Parent repayment options of 5 or 10 years.
• Multiyear approval so you can set up borrowing for future semesters.

What to keep in mind:

• Applicants will need a 700 credit score or a qualified cosigner to be approved — you could be disqualified by a past student loan default.
• Potential qualification for cosigner release is based on creditworthiness and whether there have been 36 consecutive on-time principal and interest payments.
• Parents must make interest-only or full payments while their child is enrolled.

VISIT CITIZENS

5. Discover

Overview: Discover stands out, partly for its repayment flexibility. Enrolled students can either defer or begin repaying their loan right away, while graduates might qualify to postpone payments if necessary. The lender is also a top choice for private loan borrowers who don’t have a valid SSN but do have a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner — it offers lower interest rates than does MPOWER Financing, another option for non-citizen students. Drawbacks could include Discover’s lone 15-year repayment term option and its lack of a cosigner release policy.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.74% to 12.49%¹ and variable rates from 1.80% to 10.37%¹.
• Loans from $1,000 to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance.
• Available for undergraduate, graduate, law school and MBA students as well as students seeking a professional degree or in residency.
• International students applying with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner are also eligible to borrow — even if they don’t have a valid SSN.

What to like:

• No application, origination, prepayment or late payment fees.
• Interest-rate reduction if you set up monthly payments by automatic debit.
• Prequalify for future loans using the bank’s multiyear option.
• Four repayment options to choose from while you’re in school and during your grace period: deferred, fixed, interest-only or full payments.
• Defer your repayment for six months after leaving school and for up to three years while on active military duty or working in public service or health care residency program.
• Postpone payments for up to 12 months via forbearance.
• Receive a one-time cash award for getting a 3.0 GPA or higher, plus a 2% rebate on your loan amount upon graduation².

What to keep in mind:

• Repayment term of 15 years — you don’t get to choose a term, like with other lenders.
• Borrowers can apply with a cosigner, but a cosigner release is not offered.

Visit Discover

¹ Lowest rates shown include an interest-only repayment discount and a 0.25% interest rate reduction while enrolled in automatic payments.

² Students who get at least a 3.0 GPA (or equivalent) qualify for a one-time cash reward on each new Discover undergraduate and graduate student loan. Reward redemption period is limited. Please visit DiscoverStudentLoans.com/Reward for any applicable reward terms and conditions.

6. Earnest

Overview: This student loan refinance company offered some of the best private student loan options in April 2019, and it’s a competitive lender for undergraduate and postgraduate students alike. Unlike most lenders, Earnest considers additional criteria, including savings history and career trajectory, when determining your interest rate. On the downside, if you need to apply with a cosigner to be eligible or to lower your rate, the online-only lender doesn’t offer a path to cosigner release.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.39% to 12.78% and variable rates from 2.74% to 11.44%.
• Loans from $1,000 up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance.
• Available to undergraduates and to graduate students pursuing a law, medical, business or other eligible degrees.
• Accessible to non-citizen students who have a valid SSN and a creditworthy cosigner.

What to like:

• No origination, disbursement, prepayment or late payment fees.
• A 0.25% interest-rate reduction if you set up monthly payments via automatic debit.
• Repayment terms of five, seven, 10, 12 or 15 years.
• Four repayment options to choose from while you’re in school and during your grace period: deferred, fixed, interest-only or full payments.
• Borrowers receive a nine-month grace period before entering repayment.
• Borrowers can skip a payment once per year (although this comes at the cost of interest accruing).
• Deferment available for borrowers in the military.

What to keep in mind:

• You may not get to choose from all of the five repayment term possibilities, depending on your application.
• Cosigners on undergraduate loans must have an income of at least $35,000 and a credit score above 650, and they can’t be released from the loan.
• Loans not available in Nevada.

Visit Earnest

7. SoFi

Overview: SoFi is better known for student loan refinancing, but like Earnest, it launched a private student loan offering in 2019. You could prequalify and check your rate within minutes without affecting your credit. SoFi’s no-fee loans are worth considering, but be aware that half-time enrollment status is an eligibility factor.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.73% to 11.46% and variable rates from 2.05% to 10.63%.
• Loans from $5,000 up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance.
• Available to undergraduate students, as well as graduate students pursuing a law, business or other eligible degrees — and parent borrowers.
• Accessible to non-citizen students who apply with a qualified cosigner.

What to like:

• No origination, disbursement, prepayment or late payment fees.
• Interest-rate reduction (0.25%) if you set up monthly payments by automatic debit, plus an additional discount (0.125%) if you or your cosigner are already a SoFi member.
• Repayment terms of 5, 10 or 15 years.
• Four repayment options to choose from while you’re in school and during your grace period: deferred, fixed, interest-only or full payments.
• Borrowers who lose their job while in repayment could qualify for up to 12 months of forbearance, awarded in three-month spans.
• SoFi members are also eligible to benefit from the company’s other services, including career coaching and wealth management.

What to keep in mind:

• Cosigner release is only available after making two years’ worth of on-time payments.

Visit SoFi

8. Ascent

Overview: If you have trouble finding a cosigner during your search for the best private student loans, don’t forget to include Ascent among your lender considerations. The online company makes independent loans available to certain students (more on the criteria below) and at the same interest rates offered to borrowers who do apply with a guarantor. Ascent also borrows a couple of features from federal loans that you may or may not appreciate, including entrance counseling and a graduated repayment option that would see your monthly dues gradually increase over time.

Details:

• Fixed rates from 4.00% to 14.92% and variable rates from 3.18% to 13.92%.
• Loans from $1,000 up to 100% of your school’s cost of attendance with an aggregate maximum of $200,000.
• Available to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least half-time.
• Accessible to DACA students and other non-citizen students who apply with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner.

What to like:

• No application fee or prepayment penalty.
• Interest-rate reduction (0.25%) if you automate your monthly payments.
• Repayment terms of 5, 10 or 15 years — with a graduated repayment plan available upon leaving school.
• Three in-school repayment options for qualifying borrowers: deferred payment, fixed $25 payments and interest-only payments.
• Expansive deferment and forbearance options in cases of returning to school, serving in the military, working a residency or internship and experiencing hardship.
• Receive a 1% cashback bonus upon graduation.
• Earn a $525 referral bonus when your peer borrows from Ascent.

What to keep in mind:

• To qualify for the non-cosigned loan, you must:
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  • Be an upperclassmen or graduate student.
  • Have a 2.5 or better GPA.
  • Have two or more years of credit history and meet the minimum credit score of 680 or have a previous year income of at least $24,000 with a satisfactory debt-to-income ratio.
• Not all schools are eligible for Ascent loans.
• Borrowers and cosigners are required to take a federal loan-like “financial wellness” course as part of the application process.
• Two years of timely and full payments are required to release your cosigner (if one is attached to your loan agreement).

Visit Ascent

What stands out among the best student loans

A variety of factors differentiate the best private student loans. The main ones to focus on are interest rates and fees.

The amount of money you take out on your private school loans is only the beginning. Give yourself the best chance of maintaining a manageable level of debt by keeping your rates and fees as low as possible.

As you review different interest rates, remember that you can apply for more than one loan to see which one will give you your best deal. There are two ways you can do so without your credit score taking a hit:

1. Many private student loan lenders do a soft pull on your credit, which enables you to see what you might be approved for without negatively impacting your credit score.
2. If you were to file a formal application with more than one lender, you could avoid dinging your credit by rate shopping within a two-week window.

Besides looking for offers for the best private loans for college, also look for beneficial perks. For example, some lenders offer college students a lower rate for good grades. Others provide the ability to release your cosigner.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of options, use a monthly payment calculator to estimate what your regular dues might be.

Best private student loans for your situation

If you peruse a list of the best private student loans that’s general in nature, you could miss out on lenders that cater specifically to your needs. Different lenders serve students attending certain types of schools, for example, or pursuing specialized degrees.

To check out the banks, credit unions and online companies that we think are best for your situation, click away here:

Is a private student loan right for you?

When you consider whether a private lender is right for you, remember that even the best private student loans for college don’t come with the same protections as federal loans.

Federal student loans offer income-driven repayment plans, deferment and forbearance, as well as forgiveness program options. Some private school loans do offer hardship options in case your income hits a snag, but not all have this.

Also, private loans for college — much like federal direct unsubsidized loans — start accruing interest immediately. This contrasts with subsidized federal student loans, for which the Department of Education will pay the interest until you graduate.

Keep in mind, too, that you’ll likely need a cosigner. That’s because private student loan offers are based on your creditworthiness, and most college students are too young to have much of a credit history.

If you do get a loan with a cosigner, make sure all your payments are on time. If not, your cosigner will be responsible — and missing payments or going into default can damage their credit as well as yours.

If you see tough financial times ahead, reach out to your lender immediately to find out if you can adjust your repayment plan. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Plus, the sooner you handle the situation, the better your chances of a good outcome.

Like all financial tools, private loans for college can be a lifesaver if you use them wisely. They are best used as a backup when you can’t get enough federal student loans to cover your tuition and other education costs. In that case, private student loans can be a great way to finish off the funding for your education.

Andrew Pentis contributed to this report.