Graduate students often end up with more student loan debt compared to undergraduates. If you have high interest rates on your graduate student loans, they could be especially difficult to manage.
However, if you refinance graduate student loans, you might be able to lower your interest rate and save money on your loans, which could help you pay them off faster.
Current private student loan refinance rates
Best lenders for refinancing graduate student loans
Graduate school can be an expensive investment. For recent graduates, the average grad school debt was $84,300, and the average student loan payment for borrowers on the standard repayment plan was $723 — higher than the overall average payment of $393.
If you have a high interest rate or steep monthly payment on your graduate student loans, you might be able to reduce one or both by refinancing — which could save you money in the long run.
Brazos: Best for Texas residents
If you’re a resident of Texas, Brazos might be a good option for refinancing your graduate student loans. With Brazos, you can refinance $10,000 up to $250,000 (depending on your degree).
It also offers a wide range of term lengths to choose from — five, seven, 10, 15, or 20 years.
Citizens: Best for existing customers of Citizens
With Citizens, you can refinance up to $500,000 in graduate student loans.
If you already have a Citizens account, refinancing with them could be a good option, as you might qualify for a 0.25% loyalty rate discount. You could also score another 0.25% rate discount if you sign up for automatic payments.
College Ave: Best for custom term lengths
Most lenders just offer a few term length options for you to choose from, but not College Ave — you can choose from 16 different term lengths, ranging from five to 20 years.
Keep in mind that choosing a shorter term will save you on interest charges, while selecting a longer term will generally get you a lower monthly payment (though you’ll pay more in interest over time).
ELFI: Best for large loan balances
Education Loan Finance (ELFI) offers graduate student loan refinancing for balances starting at $10,000 with no maximum. This could make it a good choice if you have a large student loan balance, such as from a medical or law degree.
INvestEd: Best for borrowers who didn’t finish their degrees
INvestEd is one of the few lenders that doesn’t require you to have finished your degree to be eligible for refinancing.
It also offers up to 24 months of forbearance over the life of your loan, which could be very helpful if you run into financial hardship.
ISL Education Lending: Best for borrowers who want to refinance while still in school
If you want to refinance during your undergraduate or graduate studies, ISL Education Lending might be a good option. You can refinance $5,000 to $300,000 — though keep in mind that different limits apply to borrowers who are still in school as well as California residents.
ISL Education Lending also offers graduated repayment plans, which could be helpful if you expect your income to increase in the future.
MEFA: Best for borrowers who might need a modified payment plan
With MEFA, you can refinance $10,000 up to your total amount of qualified education debt.
Plus, if you refinance with MEFA and encounter unexpected financial difficulties, you can apply for a modified payment plan and make reduced or interest-only payments for up to 48 months.
PenFed: Best for spouses refinancing loans together
PenFed is one of the only lenders that allows spouses to refinance their student loans together, which could be helpful for partners who want to combine their debt.
You can refinance $7,500 to $300,000 with PenFed.
RISLA: Best for people who need income-based repayment
Unlike federal student loans, private student loan repayment help is at the discretion of the lender. And in most cases, help offered by private lenders is only temporary deferment or forbearance.
However, if you refinance with RISLA and face financial hardship, you can sign up for Income-Based Repayment (IBR) — similar to the federal repayment program. This will cap your payment at 15% of your discretionary income.
If you make on-time payments for 25 years under the IBR plan, RISLA will forgive your remaining balance.
Learn More: Private Student Loan Consolidation
How to refinance graduate student loans
If you’ve decided to refinance student loans, follow these five steps:
- Check your credit. It’s a good idea to make sure your credit report doesn’t have any errors. If you find incorrect information, you can dispute it with the credit bureaus to potentially boost your credit score.
- Research and compare lenders. Be sure to compare as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Consider rates, repayment terms, and any fees charged by the lender.
- Choose your loan option. After comparing lenders, choose the loan option that best suits your needs and goals — for example, a lower rate or extended repayment term.
- Fill out the application. You’ll need to complete a full application and submit any required documentation, such as pay stubs or student loan statements. The lender will also do a hard pull of your credit to determine your creditworthiness.
- Manage your payments. If you’re approved, the lender will have you sign for the loan. Be sure to continue making payments on your old loan until everything is processed. After this, you’ll begin paying on your new loan. You might also consider signing up for automatic payments — depending on the lender, you could get an autopay rate discount.
Refinancing might get you a lower interest rate, which could help you save money over the life of your loans — freeing up your budget for other financial goals.
Which graduate student loans can you refinance?
You can generally refinance any graduate student loans, whether they're federal or private. Some lenders, such as SoFi, also offer special refinance programs for specific degrees, such as medicine or dentistry.
Can you refinance other student loans while in graduate school?
You can, but it’s usually best to wait to refinance undergraduate loans until after you’re earning an income and can make the payments.
You might also be able to defer your federal or private student loans while you’re attending graduate school — check with your servicer or lender to see if this is an option for you.
Is there a downside to refinancing student loans?
Yes, there are some potential downsides to refinancing:
- Could lower your credit score: Refinancing might cause a temporary dip in your credit score, as the lender will need to perform a hard credit check to review your credit. However, this impact is typically only temporary, and your credit will likely bounce back up after a few months.
- Might lead to more interest charges: If you refinance for a longer term, you could pay more in interest over time. It’s usually a good idea to choose the shortest term length you can afford.
- Will lose federal benefits: Refinancing federal student loans will cost you your federal protections, such as access to alternative repayment plans and loan forgiveness options.
Be sure to carefully consider whether student loan refinancing is right for you. If you decide to refinance, research and compare as many lenders as you can to find a loan that fits your needs.
