Earnest offers student loan refinancing, private student loans, and personal loans with no fees. See current rates, eligibility, and how it works.
Earnest is an online consumer lender founded in San Francisco in 2013 by Louis Beryl and Ben Hutchinson. It built its reputation on student loan refinancing, later expanding into private student loans and personal loans. In 2017, Navient acquired Earnest for $155 million, and it has continued to operate under its own brand as part of Navient's broader loan servicing and fintech business.
Unlike traditional banks, Earnest built its underwriting model to look beyond a simple credit score, factoring in elements like savings behavior, education, and career trajectory when assessing borrowers, particularly for its advanced-degree loan products.
Earnest's core products are student loan refinancing, private student loans for students still in school, and personal loans for broader financing needs like debt consolidation or large purchases. All products are marketed with no application, origination, or prepayment fees, which differentiates Earnest from many traditional lenders that charge upfront costs.
Borrowers can choose flexible repayment terms and, for student loan refinancing, may qualify for a lower advanced-degree APR if refinancing more than $100,000 with an approved professional or graduate degree. An automatic payment enrollment discount of 0.25% is applied across products to reduce the effective rate further.
Earnest doesn't charge subscription or platform fees; its cost to borrowers is expressed purely through loan interest rates. As of mid-2026, fixed APRs for student loan refinancing generally range from about 4.70% to 10.24%, and variable APRs range from about 6.13% to 10.24%, both figures already reflecting the 0.25% autopay discount at the low end.
Borrowers refinancing more than $100,000 with an approved advanced or professional degree may qualify for a lower advanced-degree rate, with fixed APRs starting around 3.52% and variable APRs around 5.73%. Actual rates depend on credit profile, loan term, and market conditions, and are subject to change.
Earnest operates as its own brand but has been owned by Navient since Navient's 2017 acquisition of the company for $155 million.
Earnest doesn't publish a strict minimum, but it generally favors borrowers with strong credit and stable income, and its underwriting also considers factors like savings and education.
Yes, refinancing federal student loans into an Earnest private loan converts them into private debt, forfeiting federal protections like income-driven repayment plans and loan forgiveness eligibility.
Yes, Earnest applies a 0.25% APR discount to borrowers who enroll in automatic payments.
Earnest advertises no application, origination, or prepayment fees across its student loan refinancing, private student loan, and personal loan products.
Earnest lends in most but not all US states; availability should be confirmed during the application process since it can vary by state regulation.