Student Loans Earnest vs. Ascent: 2026 Student Loan Comparison 2 people contribute to this content Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Expertise: Bank accounts, taxes, personal loans, debt management, student loans, auto loans, budgeting, money management, home equity Timothy Moore is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) specializing in bank accounts, student loans, taxes, and insurance. His passion is helping readers navigate life on a tight budget. Learn more about Timothy Moore, CFEI® Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Expertise: Student loans, mortgages, personal loans, home equity, investing Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015. Learn more about Kristen Barrett, MAT Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Expertise: Bank accounts, taxes, personal loans, debt management, student loans, auto loans, budgeting, money management, home equity Timothy Moore is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) specializing in bank accounts, student loans, taxes, and insurance. His passion is helping readers navigate life on a tight budget. Learn more about Timothy Moore, CFEI® Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Expertise: Student loans, mortgages, personal loans, home equity, investing Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015. Learn more about Kristen Barrett, MAT show more Feb 03, 2026 Both Earnest and Ascent have some of the best private student loans available, but which one is the better option for you? Below, we’ll compare rates, terms, special features, and more and break down which lender is better for your specific situation. For this Earnest vs. Ascent private student loans comparison, we’ll primarily focus on cosigned loans for undergrads, which are the most common type of student loan for the average borrower. 4.7 Visit Site 4.8 Visit Site Fixed rates (APR) 4.13% – 17.99%* 2.89% – 14.93%^ Fixed rates (APR) Fixed rates (APR) 4.13% – 17.99%* 2.89% – 14.93%^ Variable rates (APR) 4.13% – 17.99%** 4.34% – 14.84%^^ Variable rates (APR) Variable rates (APR) 4.13% – 17.99%** 4.34% – 14.84%^^ Borrowing amount $1,000 up to the certified cost of attendance $2,001 up to the certified cost of attendance Borrowing amount Borrowing amount $1,000 up to the certified cost of attendance $2,001 up to the certified cost of attendance Repayment options Full, interest only, flat ($25/month), or deferred Full, interest only, flat ($25/month), or deferred Repayment options Repayment options Full, interest only, flat ($25/month), or deferred Full, interest only, flat ($25/month), or deferred Repayment terms 5, 7, 10, 12, or 15 years 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, or 20 years Repayment terms Repayment terms 5, 7, 10, 12, or 15 years 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, or 20 years Grace period 9 months 9 months Grace period Grace period 9 months 9 months Loan types available Undergraduate, graduate, loans with cosigner, MBA, medical school, law school, half-time students, DACA students, refinances Undergraduate with cosigner, undergraduate without cosigner, graduate, MBA, dental, law, medical, health professionals, PhD & master’s, computer science & engineering, parent, DACA & international, career & trade school Loan types available Loan types available Undergraduate, graduate, loans with cosigner, MBA, medical school, law school, half-time students, DACA students, refinances Undergraduate with cosigner, undergraduate without cosigner, graduate, MBA, dental, law, medical, health professionals, PhD & master’s, computer science & engineering, parent, DACA & international, career & trade school LendEDU's take Best for large loans Best graduation reward LendEDU's take LendEDU's take Best for large loans Best graduation reward See the best private student loans. *ⓘ **ⓘ ^ⓘ ^^ⓘ Table of Contents Ascent vs. Earnest Rates Repayment Borrowing amounts Loan types Earnest vs. Ascent scenarios If you need a cosigner If you can qualify without a cosigner If you only need a little financial assistance If you’ll need more financial assistance If you want a longer repayment term If you want payment flexibility If you’re attending a career or trade school If you want to refinance your student loans What real students think: Earnest vs. Ascent Ascent vs. Earnest: Rates, repayment, borrowing amounts, and loan types While you should always prioritize taking out federal student loans when possible, sometimes these don’t cover the full cost of college. If that’s the case, your next course of action is usually to apply for a private student loan. Among our top-recommended private lenders are Earnest and Ascent. Both lenders have longer-than-average grace periods (nine months) for undergrads, and their interest rates on cosigned undergrad loans are quite competitive. Best Graduation Reward 4.8 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 2.89% – 14.41% Variable APR 4.34% – 14.75% Funding $2K – $200K Min. Credit Score 620 4.8 View Rates Best for Large Loans 4.7 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 4.13% – 17.99% Variable APR 4.13% – 17.99% Funding $1K – total costs Min. Credit Score 650 4.7 View Rates Let’s take a closer look at how the two compare. Rates Both Earnest and Ascent offer fixed- and variable-rate options for their student loans, with lower rates for student loans with a cosigner. Ascent has the lowest overall fixed rate (cosigned), but when you compare non-cosigned loans, Earnest’s rates are considerably lower. The takeaway: Ascent: Better rates with a cosigner Earnest: Better rates without a cosigner EarnestAscentFixed rate (APR) cosigned4.13% – 16.49%2.89% – 14.41%Variable rate (APR) cosigned4.13% – 17.99%4.34% – 14.75%Fixed rate (APR) non-cosigned4.49% – 16.49% 7.79% – 13.91%Variable rate (APR) non-cosigned6.14% – 17.99%7.54% – 13.50% Repayment Both Ascent and Earnest offer multiple repayment options and the same extended grace period for undergrad loans, but only Ascent offers a 20-year repayment option. Ascent also offers a cosigner release option, while Earnest doesn’t, but Earnest offers other helpful repayment features, such as an annual skip-a-payment option. The takeaway: Ascent: Better if you’ll want cosigner release Earnest: Better if you want payment flexibility Here’s a full breakdown of repayment details for Earnest and Ascent: EarnestAscentRepayment optionsFull, interest only, flat ($25/month), or deferredFull, interest only, flat ($25/month), or deferredRepayment terms5, 7, 10, 12, or 15 years5, 7, 10, 12, 15, or 20 years Grace period9 months9 monthsNotable featureSkip a payment once a year without penalty (interest still accrues)Cosigner release available after 12 months of on-time payments Borrowing amounts While it’s great that both Earnest and Ascent can cover up to the full certified cost of college, you may not always need that after scholarships, grants, and federal loans. Being able to borrow a smaller amount is thus crucial, and you can borrow less with Earnest. Here are the minimum borrowing amounts for each lender (barring special state-based restrictions): Ascent: $2,001 Earnest: $1,000 Worth noting: Earnest lets you borrow up to $400,000 over your academic career. Ascent tops out at only half that ($200,000). Loan types Both Ascent and Earnest offer a wide variety of student loan types, including with and without cosigners. With both, you can get financing for an undergraduate degree, a graduate degree, or a professional degree. Ascent notably has private education loans for parents (different from a parent-cosigned loan), as well as loans for career and trade schools (careful; these have a 5% origination fee). Only Earnest offers student loan refinancing. Should I get an Earnest or Ascent student loan? Both Earnest and Ascent are strong private student loan lenders worth considering if you’ve maxed out your scholarships, grants, and federal loan options. But which one is right for you? That really depends on your circumstances. Below are various borrowing scenarios, with our preferred lender in each situation: If you need a cosigner Winner Ascent Ascent is the better option if you have a willing cosigner lined up: Ascent’s lowest starting fixed rate for undergrad cosigned loans is just slightly lower than Earnest’s. Ascent’s variable rate for cosigned loans beats out Earnest’s by a whole percentage point. Even more noteworthy: It’s possible to get cosigner release with Ascent after 12 months of on-time payments. Earnest doesn’t offer cosigner release. If you can qualify without a cosigner Winner Earnest On the flip side, Earnest is a much better student loan option if you can qualify without a cosigner. Earnest’s fixed and variable rates for non-cosigned loans are notably lower than Ascent’s. If you only need a little financial assistance Winner Earnest Earnest lets you borrow as little as $1,000; this is great if most of your costs are already covered by scholarships and federal student loans. With Ascent, you’ll need to borrow at least $2,001. That’s still relatively low, but in unique circumstances where you don’t need much help at all, Earnest is the better option. If you’ll need more financial assistance Winner Earnest Earnest is also the better option if you anticipate needing a good amount of financing over the course of your college career. If you’re entering your first year of undergrad and know you’ll pursue an expensive graduate degree, or even a medical or law degree, you’ll have more flexibility with Earnest. Earnest lets you borrow up to $400,000 throughout your academic career. Conversely, Ascent caps financing at $200,000. If you want a longer repayment term Winner Ascent Ascent’s longest repayment term is 20 years, compared to Earnest’s 15 years. Choosing a longer repayment term means you’ll pay significantly more money in interest over the life of the loan, but it’s a great strategy for keeping your student loan payment as low as possible. If you’re worried about high monthly payments, go with Ascent for the 20-year repayment option. Here are some other creative ways to lower your monthly student loan payment. If you want payment flexibility Winner Earnest Despite only offering repayment terms up to 15 years (compared to Ascent’s 20), Earnest may still be the better choice if you’re worried about affording monthly payments because the lender lets you skip a payment once a year. Reasons you may need this include: You may want to skip a payment each December to afford Christmas presents as your family grows. Your car insurance likely bills twice a year. If you forgot to plan for the high payment in the middle of the year, being able to skip your student loan payment could be a game-changer. Things happen. If you don’t have a large enough emergency fund to cover an unexpected vet visit or a sudden car repair, skipping a student loan payment can help you avoid swiping your high-interest credit card or taking out a personal loan. Earnest’s skip-a-payment is one of the coolest “gimmicks” available in the world of student loans, but it’s not the only one. Ascent has a creative feature, too: When you graduate, you’re eligible to receive 1% of your principal student loan balance in cash as a graduation reward. If you’re attending a career or trade school Winner Ascent Ascent offers loans for career training programs, though these technically aren’t student loans. They’re “consumer loans,” meaning interest isn’t tax-deductible, and they can be used for a wider range of purposes. Earnest doesn’t offer financing for trade or vocational schools. If you want to refinance your student loans Winner Earnest Already have student loans and looking to refinance them? You can’t do so with Ascent. Earnest, on the other hand, is one of our top picks for the best student loan refinance companies, specifically for its low rates. How to get a student loan from Ascent or Earnest Applying for a student loan from Ascent or Earnest is straightforward; each lender has a quick online application process, allowing you to check your eligibility in minutes without an impact on your credit score. Here’s a quick look at undergraduate loan eligibility requirements for Ascent student loans vs. Earnest: EarnestAscentState49 states + D.C. (Nevada excluded)NationwideEnrollmentAt least half-timeAt least half-timeAgeAge of majority in their stateAge of majorityCosigner minimum credit score requirement650Not disclosedCosigner minimum income requirement$35,000 per yearNot disclosedCosigner minimum credit history requirement3 years2 years What real students think about Earnest vs. Ascent So far, we’ve looked at plenty of numbers, including rates, repayment terms, and borrowing amounts. Another important step to deciding between Earnest and Ascent is to read what actual borrowers think about the two lenders. You can do this by reading reviews on sites like Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot, as well as browsing Reddit threads to hear about students’ experiences with customer service and payment flexibility. Here’s a quick peek at how the two compare: EarnestAscentBBB accreditationAccreditedAccreditedBBB ratingA+BBBB customer score1.13/5 (8 reviews)3.24/5 (17 ratings)Trustpilot rating4.6 stars (8K ratings)4.6 stars (300 ratings) How we rated Earnest and Ascent We designed LendEDU’s editorial rating system to help readers find companies that offer the best student loans. Our system awards higher ratings to companies with affordable solutions, positive customer reviews, and online transparency of benefits and terms. We compared Earnest and Ascent to several student loan lenders, using hundreds of data points from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. We weighted, scored, and combined each factor to produce a final editorial rating. This rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Our take on each company is represented in our ratings and best-for designations, recapped below. Best Graduation Reward 4.8 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 2.89% – 14.41% Variable APR 4.34% – 14.75% Funding $2K – $200K Min. Credit Score 620 4.8 View Rates Best Repayment Perks 4.7 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 4.13% – 17.99% Variable APR 4.13% – 17.99% Funding $1K – total costs Min. Credit Score 650 4.7 View Rates Article sources At LendEDU, our writers and editors rely on primary sources, such as government data and websites, industry reports and whitepapers, and interviews with experts and company representatives. We also reference reputable company websites and research from established publishers. This approach allows us to produce content that is accurate, unbiased, and supported by reliable evidence. Read more about our editorial standards. Earnest Ascent Related articles College Ave vs. Ascent Student Loan Comparison December 19, 2025 Sallie Mae vs. Ascent: Student Loan Comparison December 17, 2025 Earnest vs. Sallie Mae: Which Student Loan Lender Is Better in 2026? January 5, 2026 College Ave vs. Earnest: Student Loan Comparison December 15, 2025 Earnest vs. Discover: Student Loan Comparison February 3, 2026 About our contributors Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Timothy Moore is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) specializing in bank accounts, student loans, taxes, and insurance. His passion is helping readers navigate life on a tight budget. Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015.