How Long Does It Take To Pay Off Student Loans?

Student loans may take longer to repay than you'd expect. While federal student loan borrowers are automatically put on a 10-year Standard Repayment Plan, it takes borrowers an average of 20 years to repay educational debt.

The longer timeline can be explained by behaviors like switching student loan repayment plans, putting loans into deferment or forbearance, and taking out multiple loans.

This guide explains more details about how long it takes to pay off student loans, as well as repayment options, and ways to pay off student loans faster.

Current student loan refinance rates

How long does it take to pay off student loans on average?

While federal student loans have a 10-year repayment plan by default, some payment plans allow you much longer to pay back your debt. The table below shows different federal student loan repayment plan options, effective as of December 2025.

Borrowers interested in federal loan forgiveness programs must enroll in income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Family size and income determine monthly payments on these plans. If you qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, your balance will be forgiven after 120 eligible payments. Otherwise, forgiveness comes after 20 or 25 years on an IDR plan.

Longer repayment timelines offer smaller monthly payments, so many borrowers prefer to change student loan repayment plans to those with longer terms. This preference, along with participation in IDR plans and flexible options for deferment and forbearance, helps explain why the average repayment time is actually 20 years.

Changes to student loan repayment timelines for 2026

New federal regulations taking effect in 2026 that are changing how federal student loan repayment works could also change the average time to repay student loans.

Borrowers who take out new federal student loans on or after July 1, 2026, can choose between just two repayment options:

• Standard Repayment Plan: Repayment periods range from 10 to 25 years, and the principal balance determines the length of the loan term. 
• Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP): RAP is a new income-driven plan that extends repayment to 30 years. 

Jack Wang, wealth advisor and host of the Smart College Buyer podcast, views the changes positively overall. “The system will be a lot less confusing for borrowers,” says Wang, though he acknowledges that borrowers who need to switch plans might be in for a “painful” transition. 

“I think the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) provides even more clarity because it is a much simpler calculation to determine the payment and waives excess interest, thus addressing one of the most confusing elements of IDRs — why people make payments, and the balance goes up,” says Wang. “The downside is that RAP is far less generous than income-based repayment (IBR), and significantly less generous than SAVE.”

Private student loan repayment terms

For private student loans, most repayment plans last between 10 and 25 years. However, loan terms vary by lender, so it's harder to pin down how long it will take to pay off private loans.

A shorter loan term means you’ll have higher monthly payments. However, interest rates will likely be lower since the short repayment timeline poses less risk for lenders. 

Conversely, a longer loan term can offer a more manageable monthly payment, but you'll likely spend more on student debt repayment overall due to paying interest for longer.
 

How to pay off student loans faster

If your student loan repayment timeline is longer than you’d like and you're interested in paying off student loans faster, adjusting your repayment strategy could help. Here are a few ways to do that. 

• Refinancing: If you can qualify for a lower interest rate, then more of each monthly payment will go toward reducing the principal balance. This helps you become debt-free sooner. Compare offers from the best student loan refinance lenders to try to find the most affordable refinance loan possible.
• Biweekly payments: Making biweekly half-payments results in 13 full payments by the end of the year. If you have a 10-year loan term, this strategy can help shorten your payoff timeline.
• Redirecting cash windfalls: Put additional income, like bonuses and tax refunds, toward aggressively paying down your student loans. This not only helps you get out of debt faster, but also saves you money on interest.
• Paying more than the minimum: The monthly payment on your student loan bill is just the minimum payment required to keep your loan account in good standing. If you have enough discretionary income, pay extra each month to reduce your principal balance faster.

Factors that affect how long repayment takes

Your timeline for repaying your student loan debt varies depending on multiple factors, including:

• Loan balance: If you completed a graduate or professional degree, you may owe more. Higher balances can prolong your repayment timeline.
• Interest rate: When your loan has a high rate, more of your monthly payment goes toward finance charges instead of paying down your principal.
• Repayment plan: Loan terms vary. Choosing an income-driven plan with a longer payoff timeline might be the best decision if you don’t anticipate meaningful wage increases later in your career and want the security of a low monthly payment.  
• Deferment or forbearance: Loan deferment or forbearance can be a lifeline when you can’t make regular loan payments due to financial hardship or because you returned to school. Unfortunately, both options pause your payoff progress, which extends the time you remain in debt. 

Joseph Price-Gault, head of student loan refinancing at Juno, a student loan negotiation group, also explains that “income trajectory” has a significant impact on your timeline for student loan payoff.

“Medical professionals often see a dramatic increase in income after residency and fellowship,” explains Price-Gault. “During training, their income is low enough that they either pay very little or rely on an income-driven plan. Once they begin practicing, many aggressively accelerate repayment because their income now reflects their specialty.”

Price-Gault also notes that life milestones, such as getting a mortgage, buying a car, or starting a family, can affect the money you have to put toward your debt. You'll have to balance paying for these other expenses with your desire to be debt-free on your student loans.

Strategies to pay off student loans faster

Your repayment term is the maximum amount of time you have to pay off your loans. But that's not to say that you can't pay off your student loans sooner rather than later.

“Paying off the loan early in its life is often far more advantageous than waiting until later to be aggressive, since most student loans effectively front-load the interest expense,” says Bennett Pardue, a partner and financial adviser at New Canaan Group.

Here are three strategies to pay off student loans faster:

1. Make extra payments: Any additional cash you put toward your balance can chip away at your student loans faster. If you get a tax refund, money for your birthday or a holiday, or a bonus at work, consider putting it toward your student loans. Tell your loan servicer you'd like to put the additional funds toward your principal balance, otherwise, it'll be put toward the interest first.
2. Pick a repayment strategy that motivates you: With the debt snowball method, you focus on paying off your smallest loan balance first. This can lead to quick wins that push you to keep going with your other loans. Meanwhile, the debt avalanche repayment strategy allocates any extra funds toward your highest-interest debt first, helping you to save the most on interest. In both cases, minimum payments are made on the rest of your loans.
3. Consider student loan refinancing: If your goal is to be debt-free as soon as possible, refinancing your student loans can make sense, since it can lead to a shorter repayment term and/or a lower interest rate, which can expedite repayment. However, think carefully before refinancing federal student loans.

“If you're confident in your ability to meet fixed payments and want to pay off your loans quickly, private loans or refinancing may make sense,” says Adrianna Adams, a CFP and head of financial planning at Domain Money.

“However, refinancing federal loans into private ones forfeits access to forgiveness programs, income-based repayment plans, and features like deferment or forbearance, so it's important to consider all of the pros and cons,” Adams adds.

So, before refinancing your federal student loans, evaluate your financial goals.

Factors that influence how long it takes to repay student loans

Every borrower's situation is unique, so there's no standard repayment timeline. But several factors influence how long it takes to pay off student loans, including:

• Loan balance: Your outstanding balance is a mix of your principal balance (what you originally borrowed) and any interest accrued. Depending on your budget and repayment plan, it could take longer to pay off higher loan balances.
• Interest rate: Federal loans have the benefit of fixed interest rates, while private loans can have either fixed or variable rates. High interest rates can mean paying more in interest before being able to tackle the principal balance. Lower rates can make repayment more affordable and manageable.
• Income: How much you earn impacts your ability to repay your student loans. It can also affect the size of your monthly payments under any of the income-driven repayment plans. A higher income can help you pay off your student loans faster, while a lower income can extend the repayment timeline.
• Repayment plan: You have more options for repayment timelines with federal loans. Each repayment plan has a different repayment term, which outlines how long you have to pay off your student loans. The Standard Repayment Plan has a 10-year repayment term, while the Extended Repayment Plan gives you up to 25 years to pay off your loans.
• Financial changes: Navigating a job loss or reduced workload can affect your repayment timeline if you have fewer resources to put toward your debt. Conversely, if you get a raise or lower your expenses and cost of living, you may have a larger cushion to help you pay off debt.

Tips for managing student loan repayment timelines

How long it takes to pay off student loans depends on various factors. To find the best repayment timeline, consider the following:

Focus on your goals

Your repayment term dictates how long it can take to pay off student loans. But with federal loans, you can switch up your repayment plan as needed for your goals.

If you want to pay off your student loans quickly or pay less in interest, stick to the Standard Repayment Plan. If you know your repayment strategy is getting a portion of your loans forgiven, choose one of the income-driven repayment plans.

“Another consideration is how student loans affect your ability to qualify for other loans, such as a mortgage,” says Adams. “If buying a home is a priority, paying down student loans faster may improve your debt-to-income ratio and help you achieve that goal.”

Create a budget

Use budgeting apps or tools to help you plan for your monthly payments each month so you stay on track. If you can cut down on other categories, you can free up additional funds to put toward your debt.

Stick to the plan

Keep up with your monthly student loan payments to stay on track. While deferment and forbearance are useful tools if you're experiencing financial hardship, they could extend your repayment timeline.

“Those deferred payments are still part of the total balance you owe, and if you have unsubsidized loans, interest can continue to be added to your balance. This can extend your payoff period,” says Banning.

It could be more cost-effective to switch to an income-driven repayment plan, which could get you $0 monthly payments that still count toward loan forgiveness.