Student loan refinance rates are finally starting to drop as we head into October. Thus far, fixed-rate loans are moving the most. The 5-year and 20-year loan terms are especially compelling at this point. Most economic indicators point to further rate cuts in the coming months.
Does this mean borrowers should hold off on refinancing until rates drop further? It doesn’t. If you were planning on refinancing your mortgage, it might make sense to wait a bit because there are significant costs associated with refinancing your house. With student loans, these transaction costs don’t exist. If rates drop further, you can always refinance for a second or third time.
Important Note: To compile the best refinance rates for October 2024, nearly two dozen national student loan lenders were compared. The lenders listed below were the ones with the lowest verified rates.
The lowest rate listed below includes any available .25% rate discount for borrowers who enroll in autopay.
The Current Lowest Student Loan Refinance Rates for Variable Loans
| Rank | Lender | Lowest Rate | Sherpa Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 4.86% | ELFI Review |
| 2 |  | 5.28%* | Splash Financial Review |
| 3 |  | 5.29% | Laurel Road Review |
The headline interest rates now hover around 5% with most of the top lenders. We have seen these rates climb over the past couple of months, and all signs point to them continuing to increase.
It is important to note that even though Splash, Laurel Road, and ELFI have the lowest possible interest rates, they do not necessarily get the top spot in our student loan consolidation and refinance rankings. Borrowers are still best served by applying with 4-5 lenders, as each lender has a different formula for evaluating applications. The best-advertised rates do not always equal the best rate offered, but they do provide a useful starting point.
The Best 20-Year Refinance Rates for October 2024
| Rank | Lender | Lowest Rate | Sherpa Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 6.08%* | Splash Financial Review |
| 2 | | 6.29% | ELFI Review |
| 3 | | 6.55% | Laurel Road Review |
On the other end of the spectrum, the best 20-year fixed-rate loans are currently offered by Splash, Laurel Road, and ELFI. Most other lenders have significantly higher rates and are not included in this table. The lenders at the top of this list look a lot different than the lenders at the top of the 5-year lists. Borrowers should consider whether they want a longer loan prior to putting together an application strategy.
Borrowers who are looking for the lowest possible payment when they refinance usually opt for a 20-year loan. The advantage is an easy monthly payment, but the downside is that it comes with a somewhat higher interest rate.
However, it is worth noting that the gap between the 5-year variable loans and the 20-year fixed-rate loans remains tight. Opting for a substantially lower payment and a slightly higher interest rate could make sense for many borrowers. Locking in a fixed rate also prevents payments from going up in the future.
Sherpa Tip: The interest rate gap between 10, 15, and 20-year loans is especially small right now. Even if you don’t need the lower payment offered by the 20-year loan, it might still be the best choice.
Opting for a lower monthly payment gives you flexibility in the event of any financial hardship. It also frees up cash each month to focus on other goals like buying a house or saving for retirement.
For many borrowers, I think locking in a 20-year fixed-rate loan is the best option currently available.
The Lowest Fixed-Rate Student Loans Available
| Rank | Lender | Lowest Rate | Sherpa Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 3.99% | Earnest Review |
| 2 | | 4.69%* | Splash Financial Review |
| 3 | | 4.84% | ELFI Review |
For borrowers looking for the stability of a fixed-rate loan, but still in search of an ultra-low interest rate, the 5-year fixed-rate loan is usually the best bet.
Surprisingly, with many lenders, the interest rate on a 5-year fixed loan is actually lower than a 5-year variable loan. Typically, we see lower rates on variable loans, but this is a unique interest rate environment.
Other Noteworthy Interest Rate Changes
In the mid-length loans, specifically those at 7, 10, or 15 years in duration, Splash, SoFi, and ELFI perform strongly. However, most borrowers will be best served by either opting for a short 5-year loan at the lowest interest rate possible or choosing a 20-year loan to get the smallest payment possible.
For our overall rankings and lender reviews, be sure to check out our Student Loan Rankings page.
Tips for Getting the Best Rate
For student loan borrowers looking for a lower interest rate, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
- Shopping around to find the best rate has never been more important. Interest rates are constantly changing, and some lenders are starting to get picky on approvals.
- You can always refinance again in the future. Unlike a mortgage where a refinance is time-consuming and costly, refinancing a student loan takes little time and doesn’t involve any transaction costs. If you lock in a fixed-rate loan today, you could always refinance that loan again next year if rates drop. This is the ideal strategy to use when rates are dropping.
- When you refinance you are picking a new monthly payment. Two loans at 5.49% are not necessarily the same. If you have 20 years to repay a loan, your monthly payment will be much lower than a 5-year loan. This can free up cash for building an emergency fund, saving for retirement, or buying a house.
- Play around with different repayment lengths. With some lenders, the interest rate for a 5-year loan is the same as for a 15-year loan. Lower monthly payments are preferable, even if you want to pay off your debt quickly.
Finally, if you have a variable-rate loan, you can get off the inflation roller-coaster by refinancing into a fixed-rate loan. No matter how much interest rates grow in the future, if you have a fixed-rate loan, your monthly bill won’t change.
I don’t believe this Student Loan Forgiveness is done yet. This morning, I saw this:
“New Income-Driven Repayment Plan
The Department is also proposing a rule, which has not been published, to create a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan….
******The proposed rule would also forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments, instead of the current 20 years under many IDR plans, for borrowers with original loan balances of $12,000 or less. ***** Additionally, the proposed rule would eliminate interest capitalization on borrowers’ loans so that the balance would not grow as long as they are making their required monthly payments, even if the required monthly payment is $0. According to the Department, the plan would also “simplify borrowers’ choices among loan repayment plans.” The proposed regulations will be published in the Federal Register, and the public will be invited to comment on the draft rule for 30 days.”
Hi Nicole,
This new repayment plan was announced the same day Biden announced the one-time forgiveness program. It would join several other IDR plans that all offer forgiveness.
Right now, the new IDR plan is still going through the rulemaking process, so we don’t yet know how the final terms will shake out.
Haha! So this is what happens when you rejoin society after living under a big rock for years.
I had no idea about this proposal until I stumbled upon it in a random article. Regardless, I am still keeping an eye on your blog. (Lesson learned).
My hope is that this goes through as it will help those who had not had a chance to consolidate and/or did not have enough time on the books for the PSLF.