Student Loan Calculator
🇺🇸 US-specific: 2026-27 federal Direct Loan interest rates (undergraduate 6.52%, graduate 8.07%, Parent PLUS 9.07%, source: US Dept. of Education).
Enter a positive loan balance and a non-negative rate.
| Repayment term | Monthly payment | Total paid | Total interest |
|---|
Since July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers (limited exceptions for students already borrowing in the same program). New graduate loans are capped at $20,500 per year / $100,000 total, and professional-degree loans at $50,000 per year / $200,000 total; Parent PLUS is capped at $20,000 per year / $65,000 per student. Loans first disbursed on or after that date offer a Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) or a tiered Standard plan. Check studentaid.gov for the rules that apply to you. This calculator uses a fixed-rate amortization, not RAP.
Federal loans default to a 10-year Standard Repayment plan, but extended (25-year) and other plans are available and lower the monthly payment while increasing total interest paid — this table shows that tradeoff directly across common term lengths.
Free student loan calculator pre-filled with the real 2026-27 federal Direct Loan rates, showing monthly payment and total interest across all common repayment terms (10/15/20/25 years) side by side — not just one fixed schedule.
How it works
- Enter your loan balance and choose a loan type (or a custom/private rate)
- The calculator fills in the real 2026-27 federal rate automatically
- See monthly payment, total paid, and total interest for 10, 15, 20, and 25-year terms at once
Frequently asked questions
Why compare multiple repayment terms at once?
Most calculators only show one schedule at a time, hiding the real tradeoff: a longer term lowers your monthly payment but meaningfully increases total interest paid over the life of the loan. Seeing all the common terms side by side makes that tradeoff concrete.
Can new borrowers still take out a Grad PLUS loan?
No. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Grad PLUS loans ended for new borrowers on July 1, 2026 (students already borrowing in the same program may continue for a limited time). Graduate loans are now capped at $20,500 per year and $100,000 total, and professional-degree loans at $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. Parent PLUS remains, with its own caps. New loans use the Repayment Assistance Plan or a tiered Standard plan. Confirm details at studentaid.gov.
Are these the actual current federal rates?
Yes — 6.52% for undergraduate Direct Loans, 8.07% for graduate Direct Loans, and 9.07% for Parent PLUS loans, all fixed for loans first disbursed between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027, per the US Department of Education.
Related tools
From the blog
The Student Loan "Tax Bomb" Is Back in 2026 — Here's How Much You'd Actually Owe
The pandemic-era tax break on forgiven student loans expired December 31, 2025. If your IDR balance gets forgiven in 2026, the IRS treats it as income — but the insolvency exclusion can wipe out some or all of that bill.
2026-09-22
10-year vs 25-year student loan repayment: $340.95/month or $202.94 — but $20,000 more in interest
A $30,000 federal loan at 2026-27's real 6.52% rate, compared across all four common repayment terms at once.
2026-09-01Update history
- 2026-10-03 Relabeled the 9.07% option as Parent PLUS, since Grad PLUS ended for new borrowers on July 1, 2026, and added a note and FAQ on the new graduate/professional loan limits and repayment plans. Interest rates are unchanged.
- 2026-09-01 Added: a cover image (a graduation cap with a loan-balance chain link shrinking across a repayment timeline) — used as the card thumbnail, social share image, and blog title image.
- 2026-09-01 Launched: student loan calculator pre-filled with real 2026-27 federal Direct Loan rates, comparing 10/15/20/25-year repayment terms side by side. Entirely client-side, reuses the amortization engine.