Best Education Loan For Students In USA
Student loans are important tools that can help students meet the costs associated with continuing their education. Student loans can cover things like tuition, course materials, and room and board. The eligibility requirements, interest rates, costs, and characteristics of a student loan can vary widely and are at the discretion of the lender.
The best student loans offer competitive interest rates, a variety of payment terms, and discounts for things like automatic payment.
1. Ascent
STARTING INTEREST RATE: 1.75%
MIN CREDIT SCORE: Not disclosed
TERMS: 5-20 years
However, interest rate offers may be higher than co-signed loans. Both types of loans give you a 0.25% interest rebate when you sign up for automatic payment. If you have a co-signer, you can release them from the loan after 24 months of on-time payment. Ascent offers a cash back reward on the initial loan balance once the borrower graduates and meets certain criteria.
Ascent repayment terms are 5, 7, 10, 12, or 15 years for student and graduate loans. The lender offers a few repayment options, including full school deferral for up to six months after graduation and low-cost repayment at school. There are also no penalties for repaying your loan early. In addition to credit, income, and other financial information that lenders use to evaluate applicants.
Ascent also considers your school and program, GPA (you need a minimum of 2.9), graduation date, major, and similar factors. Applications for deferral or injunctive relief are also possible for active military service, school enrollment, internships or financial emergencies.
Advantages
- Graduated repayment
- 1% cash-back graduation reward
- Non-co-signer student loan option
Disadvantages
- No parent-specific loan options
- No student loan refinancing options
- Only available for tuition and expenses at 2,200 schools
2. Citizens Bank
STARTING INTEREST RATE: 2.29%
MIN CREDIT SCORE: Not disclosed
TERMS: 5-15 years
Citizens Bank offers some of the lowest interest rates among the best student loans. After signing up for Autopay and signing up for an additional account with Citizens Bank, e.g. checking or savings account, borrowers can apply for a number of potentially cheap loans.
Interest rates depend on whether you are a student or parent and whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, and there are no application fees. After you get your first student loan from Citizens Bank,
‘s multi-year approval also makes it easier to access additional student loans as your spending changes.
Citizens Bank student loans have terms of five, 10, or 15 years, and you can borrow anywhere from $1,000 to $350,000 over time, depending on your degree, educational level, and whether your parents borrow on your behalf.
Borrowers can choose one of three repayment options: immediate full repayment, only interest payments during school hours, or a full deferral during school hours. College students may need a co-signer to qualify, although a co-signer release is offered after 36 on-time payments. Citizens Bank also offers student loan refinancing.
Advantages
- Rate discounts up to 0.50% with autopay and Citizens account holders
- Multi-year approval simplifies borrowing over time
- Options for parents and graduate students
Disadvantages
- No specific options for loans without a cosigner
- Co-signer and discounts required for lowest rates
3. SoFi
STARTING INTEREST RATE: 2.59%
MIN CREDIT SCORE: Not disclosed
TERMS: 5-15 years
SoFi offers some of the best graduate student loans, from MBA programs to law school to certificate programs. SoFi’s lowest published rates reflect discounts of 0.25% for auto-payment and 0.125% for SoFi membership.
In addition, SoFi offers strong membership benefits that can be of great value to graduate students, including free career advice and financial planning. Your unemployment protection program will also stop student loan payments for up to 12 months if you lose your job through no fault of your own.
Co-signers, you can request release after 24 prompt payments. SoFi also offers student loan refinancing. Please note that in order to receive a SoFi graduate loan, you must have completed a BA or BS program and be enrolled at less than half the time in your program.
Advantages
- No loan fees
- Built-in unemployment protection
- Access to career services features
Disadvantages
- Not open to international students (except with a U.S. co-signer)
- Eligible school list only available on application
4. Credible
STARTING INTEREST RATE: 0.94%3
MIN CREDIT SCORE: Not disclosed
TERMS: 5-20 years
Consider using Credible when purchasing a student loan. It is a comparison site that provides you with a personalized table of up to eight lender quotes to compare. If you see one you like, you can click through to the lender’s website to fill out a student loan application.
Here’s how it works: You create a Credible account and fill out a short form sharing your details. Credible uses this information to match student loan offers to you. This only requires a gentle check of your credit report, meaning it won’t harm your credit score.
Credible’s lending partners offer variable APRs for student loans from 0.94% to 14.75% and fixed APRs from 3.15% to 14%.75%.3 They also do not charge student loan origination or processing fees. Student loan terms range from five to 20 years, with undergraduate and graduate student loans available with or without co-signers.
Advantages
- Compare multiple student loan offers in one place
- See rates and pre-qualified offers without affecting credit
- Request loan offers with or without a cosigner
Disadvantages
- Some borrowers may not receive pre-qualified student loan rates
- Some lenders don’t provide pre-qualified rates
5. Sallie Mae
STARTING INTEREST RATE:2.62%
MIN CREDIT SCORE:Not disclosed
TERMS:5-15 years
Sallie Mae offers the best co-signer student loans thanks to its flexible options and clear co-signer policies. It also helps that it offers cheap loans for college students after they sign up for Autopay and pay at school.

Advantages
- No specified maximum loan amount limit
- 96% acceptance rate for borrowers with a co-signer
- Open to international students
Disadvantages
- No student loan refinancing options
- Only three repayment options
How to Choose the Best Student Loan Provider ?
If you need to get student loans, take the time to learn how student loans work. This can help you determine what you need and want in a student loan to make an informed decision and private student loan offers, focus on credit costs.