Student Loan Calculator
Calculate monthly payments, total interest, and payoff date for any student loan â with subsidized vs unsubsidized, extra payments (monthly/yearly/lump sum), IBR, and automatic country rates.
Perguntas Frequentes
What is the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized student loans?
With subsidized federal loans, the US Department of Education pays all interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, during the 6-month grace period after leaving school, and during approved deferments. This means your balance does not grow during those periods. With unsubsidized loans, interest accrues from the day the loan is disbursed â even during school years, summer breaks, and the grace period. If you do not pay this accrued interest, it capitalizes (is added to your principal) when repayment begins, resulting in a higher balance you then pay interest on for the entire loan term.
What are the current federal student loan interest rates?
For the 2025-2026 academic year: Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for undergraduates are 6.39%. Direct Unsubsidized Loans for graduate students are 7.94%. Direct PLUS Loans (graduate students and parents) are 8.94%. These rates are fixed for the life of each individual loan â they do not change after disbursement. Private student loan rates vary widely, typically from about 4% to 17% or higher, based on your credit score, chosen lender, and whether you have a cosigner.
How is income-based repayment (IBR) calculated?
IBR caps your monthly payment at 10% of your discretionary income, defined as your Adjusted Gross Income minus 150% of the federal poverty guideline for your family size. For a single person earning $40,000 in 2025: the poverty guideline is $15,060, so 150% equals $22,590. Discretionary income is $17,410. Monthly IBR payment is 10% divided by 12, or roughly $145. You recertify income annually. Any remaining balance is forgiven after 20 years (post-2014 borrowers) or 25 years for older loans. Public service workers can qualify for forgiveness after just 10 years of qualifying payments under PSLF.
Do extra payments make a significant difference?
Yes â dramatically. On a $35,000 loan at 6%, adding just $100 per month extra saves over $2,700 in interest and eliminates 27 months of payments. Applying a $1,000 annual lump sum (like a tax refund) saves over $2,200 and nearly 2 years. The effect compounds because reducing principal earlier means less interest accrues in every subsequent month. The most important step: confirm with your loan servicer that extra payments are applied to principal, not simply advancing your next due date â you may need to specify this each time.
How much does the average student loan payment cost per month?
For bachelor's degree graduates with approximately $29,000 in debt, the standard 10-year monthly payment at current rates is roughly $310â$330 per month. Graduate degree holders with around $65,000 in loans pay approximately $720â$760 per month on the standard plan. Medical school graduates with $200,000+ in debt may pay $2,000â$2,200 per month on standard â which is why IBR or PSLF plans are often chosen for those borrowers. The Education Data Initiative reports the average monthly payment across all borrowers at approximately $503.
Why do I see interest rates auto-filled based on my country?
Kalcufy detects your country and pre-fills the typical student loan interest rate for your market. US borrowers see current federal rates (6.39% for undergraduates for 2025-26), UK users see the current Retail Price Index-linked rate, Canadian users see their provincial average, Brazilian users see the FIES program rate, and other countries see their relevant market averages. You can always override the rate with your actual loan rate from your servicer â we pre-fill to save you a lookup for your first calculation.