PNC Student Loans Review 2025: Rates, Refinance, Pros and Cons

3.6 _/5

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Private Student Loans

• Offers loans for undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees
• Cosigner release available after 48 consecutive, on-time payments
• 0.5% rate discount for setting up automatic payments

• No prequalification or soft credit check option to see rates
• Doesn’t offer parent loans or international student loans
• Customer service reviews across PNC as a whole are largely negative

Fixed rates (APR)	4.43% – 16.99%
Variable rates (APR)	5.59% – 16.99%
Loan amounts	$1,000 – $50,000 per year (undergrad), $65,000 per year (grad/professional); maximum $225,000 total (federal + private loans combined)
Repayment terms	5, 10, or 15 years

Refinance Student Loans

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• No graduation requirement to refinance
• Deferment option for up to 36 months if you return to full-time school
• Refinance up to $200,000 in loans (depending on degree attained)

• No refinancing options for Parent PLUS loans separately

Fixed rates (APR)	4.43% – 16.99%
Variable rates (APR)	5.59% – 16.99%
Loan amounts	$10,000 – $200,000 (depending on degree attained)
Repayment terms	5, 10, 15, or 20 years

PNC’s student loans and refinancing options are straightforward and competitive, especially for borrowers who value a traditional bank experience. However, if you’re looking for ultra-low rates, specialized benefits, or hardship protections, you may want to compare options through a marketplace like Credible before deciding.

In this PNC student loans review, we cover everything you need to know—loan rates, eligibility, pros and cons, and how it compares to other lenders in 2025.

Table of Contents

1. PNC private student loan review
   1. PNC private student loan details
   2. Pros and cons of PNC student loans
   3. PNC student loan alternatives
2. PNC private student loans refinance review
   1. PNC student loan refinance details
   2. Pros and cons of PNC student loan refinance
   3. Alternatives to PNC student loan refinance
3. Who is eligible for PNC student loans?
4. How to repay PNC student loans
5. How to apply for a PNC student loan
6. PNC customer service and support
7. FAQ

PNC private student loan review

PNC offers private student loans for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Borrowers can choose among flexible repayment options and apply for cosigner release after 48 months.

While PNC doesn’t offer niche perks like career coaching or hardship assistance, it can be a solid choice if you’re looking for a traditional private loan from a major national bank.

PNC private student loan details

Feature	Details
Fixed rates (APR)	4.43% – 16.99%
Variable rates (APR)	5.59% – 16.99%
Loan amounts	$1,000 – $50,000 per year (undergrad), $65,000 per year (grad/professional); maximum $225,000 total (federal + private loans combined)
Repayment terms	5, 10, or 15 years

What else to know:

• No application or origination fees
• 6-month grace period after graduation
• In-school deferment and interest-only payment options
• Cosigner release after 48 consecutive, on-time payments

Pros and cons of PNC student loans

Pros

• Competitive fixed and variable rates

• Flexible repayment terms (5, 10, or 15 years)

• Cosigner release after 48 months

• 0.5% autopay discount

Cons

• No soft credit check to preview rates

• No parent loans or international student loans

• No specialized borrower benefits

PNC Bank student loan alternatives

PNC is a strong choice if you want a reliable, no-frills lender for private loans. However, you may find lower rates or more borrower benefits with these higher-rated competitors:

You can see your prequalified rate, which doesn’t affect your credit score, with College Ave, Earnest, and ELFI.

PNC private student loans refinance review

PNC also refinances both private and federal student loans. One standout feature: you can refinance with PNC even if you didn’t graduate. That makes PNC a rare option for borrowers who didn’t finish their degrees.

Graduates can qualify for larger loan amounts, longer terms, and potentially lower rates compared to borrowers who didn’t graduate.

PNC student loan refinance details

Feature	Details
Fixed rates (APR)	4.43% – 16.99%
Variable rates (APR)	5.59% – 16.99%
Loan amounts	$10,000 – $200,000 (depending on degree attained)
Repayment terms	5, 10, 15, or 20 years

What else to know:

• Available even if you didn’t graduate
• Deferment up to 36 months if you return to school full-time
• Cosigner release after 48 consecutive, on-time payments
• No application or origination fees

Pros and cons of PNC student loan refinance

Pros

• Available to borrowers without a completed degree

• High maximum loan amounts ($200,000)

• Deferment option if returning to school

• Cosigner release option

Cons

• Higher maximum rate compared to some competitors

• No hardship programs or forbearance beyond deferment

Alternatives to PNC student loan refinance

PNC is a great option to refinance your student loans if you didn’t graduate.

However, those with a degree might find one of these top-rated refinance companies a better fit:

If you’re comparing multiple refinance lenders, Credible lets you check prequalified rates from several top lenders in minutes with no impact on your credit score.

Who is eligible for PNC student loans?

To qualify for a private student loan or refinance loan from PNC, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Be at least 18 years old (or 17 with a cosigner)
• Be enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school or in an eligible program
• Meet minimum credit and income requirements

For refinancing:

• Graduation not required (but graduates may qualify for better rates)
• Demonstrate payment history if no degree was obtained

How to repay PNC student loans

PNC offers three repayment options:

1. Immediate repayment: Start paying principal and interest right away.
2. Interest-only repayment: Pay only interest while in school.
3. Deferred repayment: No payments until six months after leaving school.

Choose fixed or variable rates based on your budget and risk tolerance. Keep in mind:

• Fixed rates provide predictability.
• Variable rates may start lower but can increase over time.

How to apply for a PNC student loan

Applying online is simple:

1. Choose your loan type.
2. Complete the eligibility check.
3. Create a PNC account.
4. Submit your application and any required documents.
5. Consent to a hard credit check.

If approved, PNC will send funds to your school (for private loans) or pay off your current loans (for refinancing).

PNC customer service and support

Unlike some private lenders, PNC services its own loans. That means you’ll work with PNC and PNC alone from the time you apply for a loan to the time you pay it off.

To that end, PNC’s customer service team is distributed throughout multiple states and available across multiple channels. PNC’s lending specialists can assist you with applying, making payments, setting up online access—you name it. Here’s how to reach them:

• Online: Fill out this contact form to get in touch with a PNC student lending specialist.
• Phone: 1-800-762-1001 is PNC’s dedicated student loan support number. Representatives are available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.
• Branch: PNC has 2,300 locations in 28 states and Washington, D.C. Find a branch near you for in-person assistance.

But as you can see, many PNC customers report that the company’s customer service is lacking:

Source	Customer rating	Number of reviews
Trustpilot	1.3/5	1,508
Google	1.4/5	70
Better Business Bureau	1.1/5	442

PNC is a legitimate lender with an A+ BBB rating, but it doesn’t hold BBB accreditation.  Companies must submit an application and pay a fee for accreditation, so it’s possible PNC isn’t accredited because it didn’t apply.

Despite its high BBB rating, PNC’s customer reviews reflect a negative experience. Many unhappy customers describe difficulties with the online payment system or less-than-stellar customer service at branches or over the phone. Those poor reviews are worth noting, but customer reviews can involve any of PNC’s service offerings at any of its 2,300 branches or virtual customer service departments and with any of its 56,000 employees.

Furthermore, few reviews address PNC’s student loan products. In other words, the frustrations expressed in these reviews may not be the typical PNC customer experience, at least not when it comes to student loan products.

FAQ

Does PNC offer private or federal student loans?

PNC only offers private student loans. You can defer payments on your PNC student loans like you can with federal student loans. PNC student loans aren’t eligible for federal repayment or forgiveness programs, though, and may have higher interest rates.

Does PNC require a cosigner?

PNC only requires a cosigner for students under age 18. But if you have poor credit, a limited credit history, or a lower income, a cosigner could strengthen your application and help you qualify for a better interest rate.

How long does it take to receive funds from PNC?

When you receive your funds depends on the type of student loan you take out, though PNC doesn’t give an expected timeline. Medical residency and bar study loan funds are disbursed to the borrower, whereas PNC sends all other student loan funds to the borrower’s university. 

That extra step means you’ll have to wait for your school to apply your loan funds to your tuition balance before you receive any excess. Reach out to your financial aid office for more information.

Is PNC responsible for paying off my current student loans?

PNC’s website isn’t clear about its student loan refinance process. Typically, the lender you refinance with will pay off your current student loans. Then you’ll start making payments to your new lender.

This doesn’t happen overnight, and you’re still responsible for paying your former loan servicer until the new one takes over. Ask your PNC lending specialist how long they expect the process to take and how you’ll know it’s completed so you don’t miss any payments in the meantime.

How we rated PNC student loans

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 PNC Bank 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 is represented in our rating, recapped below.

Company and product	Our rating
PNC private student loan	3.6/5
PNC refinance student loan	3.8/5