Citizens Education Refinance Loan Review

A large bank that does everything in house, with the highest loan ceilings here and the worst customer sentiment.

By Michael Hewitt, Founder & Editor-in-Chief. Rates last checked September 11, 2026.

Our verdict

Large balances are the case for Citizens, which refinances up to $750,000 for professional degrees and keeps the loan in house with no origination fees. The discounts are harder to reach: the loyalty cut needs a Citizens account opened 30 days before applying, sold in 15 states, and the floor needs a 5-year term. A 1.4 Trustpilot score across 924 reviews keeps the grade low.

Skip it if you can't open a Citizens account 30 days before applying, or a 1.4 Trustpilot score worries you.

About Citizens Education Refinance Loan

A large bank that does everything in house, with the highest loan ceilings here and the worst customer sentiment. Citizens Education Refinance Loan is offered by Citizens Bank, N.A., a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Our editorial rating is 1.4 out of 5.

Best for: Very large balances, especially professional degrees, from a bank that keeps the loan.

Editorial grade: C+ (composite score 60/100).

Highlights

Terms of 5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 years, minimum $10,000
Maximum $300,000 with a bachelor's, $500,000 with a graduate degree, $750,000 for professional degrees
Up to 0.50 percentage points off, combining a 0.25 loyalty discount and 0.25 for automatic payment
No application, origination, prepayment or disbursement fees

What we like

Citizens originates, funds and services the loan itself, with no third party in the chain
The highest loan ceilings in this group by a wide margin, up to $750,000 for professional degrees
Refinances both federal and private loans, and states the federal trade-off plainly in its own disclosures
Genuinely no fees at origination

Where it falls short

Trustpilot 1.4 out of 5 across 924 reviews, by far the worst sentiment in this set
The loyalty discount requires a qualifying Citizens account opened 30 days before applying, and Citizens deposit accounts are only offered in 15 states
The advertised floor also requires a 5-year term and immediate repayment

Fees, minimums, and rates

Monthly fee: No application, origination, prepayment or disbursement fees. Minimum to open: $10,000 minimum loan. Rates and fees last checked on September 11, 2026.

How we reviewed it

This is a desk review: we have not opened an account with Citizens Bank, N.A., a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc.. It is built from Citizens Bank, N.A., a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc.'s published rates, fee schedule and terms and from the public complaint record, and compared with the other products in the Student Loan Refinancing shortlist. The rubric is the same for every brand.

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Read our full editorial methodology for how we review products.