College Ave Student Loans Review
College Ave offers both private student loans and student loan refinancing. Find out what makes it one of the best in the industry.
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- Private student loans for undergraduates, graduates, parents, and careers. Full review.
- Student loan refinancing for those who have graduated and are in repayment. Full review.
Founded in 2014 by former executives of Sallie Mae, College Ave is a student loan lender based out of Wilmington, Delaware. The company offers undergraduate, graduate, parent, and career loans, as well as a student loan refinancing product for those in repayment.
In this College Ave student loans review, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about what makes this lender one of the best in the industry.
College Ave private student loans
What we like:
You choose your repayment terms
| Fixed Rates | 4.72% – 12.94% |
| Variable Rates | 3.96% – 11.98% |
| Loan Terms | 5, 8, 10, or 15 years |
| Loan Amounts | $1,000 – Cost of attendance |
The information above is for the undergraduate student loan.
Pros
- Competitive interest rates
- You get to choose your repayment term
- Offers all four in-school repayment options
- Can apply for an additional six-month grace period
- Includes death and permanent injury forgiveness
- Its website provides clear explanations of the different loan details
- Quick and easy application process
Cons
- Cosigner release isn’t available until you’re at least halfway through your repayment term
- Some eligibility criteria, like the minimum credit score, are not disclosed
College Ave offers a variety of student loans for different borrowers. These loans are available for undergraduates, graduates, parents, and career training.
We’ll cover the specifics of each loan in detail, but if you already know which type of loan you’re looking for, just click below to jump to that section:
- Undergraduate
- Graduate (e.g. dental, medical, law, MBA)
- Parent
- Career training
Undergraduate student loan
The College Ave undergraduate student loan was determined to be the best overall loan after being compared to our other partner lenders. Our analysis was based on several factors, including rates, repayment terms, loan amounts, and more.
| Product details | |
| Fixed rates (APR) | 3.34% – 12.99% |
| Variable rates (APR) | 1.04% – 11.98% |
| Rate discount | 0.25% for automatic payments |
| Loan amounts | $1,000 – total cost of attendance |
| Repayment terms | 5, 8, 10, or 15 years |
| In-school repayment | Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred |
| Grace period | 6 months |
| Fees | Late payment fee |
| Check rates |
Graduate student loan
The College Ave graduate student loan is our choice as the best overall loan after comparing it to our other partner lenders. Our analysis was based on several factors, including rates, repayment terms, loan amounts, and more.
| Product details | |
| Fixed rates (APR) | 4.99% – 11.98% |
| Variable rates (APR) | 2.49% – 10.97% |
| Rate discount | 0.25% for automatic payments |
| Loan amounts | $1,000 – total cost of attendance |
| Repayment terms | 5, 8, 10, or 15 years |
| In-school repayment | Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred |
| Grace period | 9 months |
| Fees | Late payment fee |
| Check rates |
In addition to its graduate student loan, College Ave also offers more specific loans like MBA, medical school, dental school, and law school loans. Here are some details for each of these loans:
- Fixed rates: 4.99% – 11.98%
- Variable rates: 2.49% – 10.97%
- Rate discount: 0.25% for automatic payments
- Loan amounts: $1,000 – 100% of the costs of an advanced business degree
- Repayment terms: 5, 8, 10, or 15 years
- In-school repayment: Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred
- Grace period: 9 months
- Fees: Late payment fee
- Fixed rates: 4.74% – 11.46%
- Variable rates: 2.24% – 10.45%
- Rate discount: 0.25% for automatic payments
- Loan amounts: $1,000 – 100% of the costs of attendance
- Repayment terms: 5, 8, 10, 15, or 20 years
- In-school repayment: Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred
- Grace period: 12 months
- Fees: Late payment fee
- Fixed rates: 4.74% – 11.46%
- Variable rates: 2.24% – 10.45%
- Rate discount: 0.25% for automatic payments
- Loan amounts: $1,000 – 100% of the costs of attendance
- Repayment terms: 5, 8, 10, 15, or 20 years
- In-school repayment: Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred
- Grace period: 9 months
- Fees: Late payment fee
- Fixed rates: 4.74% – 11.46%
- Variable rates: 2.24% – 10.45%
- Rate discount: 0.25% for automatic payments
- Loan amounts: $1,000 – 100% of the costs of attendance
- Repayment terms: 5, 8, 10, 15, or 20 years
- In-school repayment: Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred
- Grace period: 36 months
- Fees: Late payment fee
Parent student loan
College Ave’s parent student loan is a great option for parents who want to handle paying for their child’s education.
| Product details | |
| Fixed rates (APR) | 3.34% – 12.99% |
| Variable rates (APR) | 1.04% – 11.98% |
| Rate discount | 0.25% for automatic payments |
| Loan amounts | $1,000 – total cost of attendance |
| Repayment terms | 5 – 15 years |
| In-school repayment | Full, interest plus payment, interest-only |
| Grace period | None |
| Fees | Late payment fee |
| Check rates |
Career loan
College Ave’s career student loan is designed for students enrolled in career-focused programs. Borrowers who complete their program of study will earn $150 cash back.
| Product details | |
| Fixed rates (APR) | 3.34% – 13.95% |
| Variable rates (APR) | 1.04% – 12.99% |
| Rate discount | 0.25% for automatic payments |
| Loan amounts | $1,000 – total cost of attendance |
| Repayment terms | 5, 8, 10, or 15 years |
| In-school repayment | Full, interest-only, flat $25, or deferred |
| Grace period | None |
| Fees | Late payment fee |
| Check rates |
College Ave private student loan eligibility requirements
To be eligible for a College Ave student loan, you need to be enrolled at an approved U.S. college or university. In addition, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or an international student with a cosigner who is a citizen or permanent resident.
Unlike federal student loans which almost all students can be approved for, eligibility for College Ave’s student loans is based on creditworthiness. Since most students haven’t build a good credit score, most will need a qualified cosigner to help them be approved and to secure the lowest rates.
Here are some additional requirements:
- Minimum credit score: Mid-600s (estimate)
- Minimum annual income: $35,000
- Can you qualify after filing for bankruptcy: No
College Ave student loan refinancing
What we like:
N/A
| Fixed Rates | 3.25% – 7.99% |
| Variable Rates | 3.38% – 8.13% |
| Loan Terms | 5 – 20 years |
| Loan Amounts | $5,000 – $150,0001 |
¹College Ave’s maximum loan amount is $250,000 for medical, dental, pharmacy, and veterinary degrees
College Ave offers student loan refinancing for both federal and private student loans. You can also consolidate multiple loans into one during the process.
Pros and cons
Pros
- College Ave clearly outlines the cost impact of borrowers repayment decisions on their website
- You can choose between 16 different repayment terms
- Refinance up to $300,000
- No application, origination, prepayment, or other fees
Cons
- Some other companies offer additional rate discounts on top of the automatic payment discount
College Ave student loan refinancing eligibility requirements
College Ave will refinance both federal and private loans ranging from $5,000 to $300,000, depending on your degree.
In order to be eligible for refinancing with College Ave, you will need a good credit score and repayment history. However, the company doesn’t display a minimum credit score on its website.
Alternatives to College Ave Student Loans
Before choosing any lender, it’s best to do some comparison shopping across multiple loans and companies to find the right fit for your personal situation, budget, and financial goals.
When looking for a private student loan or a refinance loan, the most important thing to consider is the interest rate you are offered. The lower your rate, the cheaper your loan will be over time. A lower rate on your loan often outweighs any benefits that may come along with a loan with a higher rate.
With that being said, College Ave offers some of the lowest rates in the industry for both private student loans and refinancing. In addition, College Ave offers most of the major benefits that other lenders do and then some.
If you are still unsure if a student loan from College Ave is your best option, check out some of the resources below for more options:
- College Ave Competitors and Alternatives
- Best Private Student Loans
- Best Places to Refinance Student Loans
- Graduate Student Loans
- Parent Student Loans
- Student Loan Companies
- College Ave vs. Sallie Mae
- College Ave vs. SoFi
- College Ave vs. Discover
- College Ave vs. Ascent
- College Ave vs. Earnest
Bottom line
College Ave’s loans have competitive interest rates and no fees, putting the lender in the top tier of private student loan and refinance lenders. College Ave student loan reviews on Trustpilot are largely positive indicating students and graduates typically have a good experience with the company.
It also seems to care about customer service; all complaints made to the Better Business Bureau were answered, with all but one customer satisfied with the resolution.
Ready to apply? You can apply for a new student loan to pay for college here or you can apply to refinance here.
*See important College Ave disclosures
