Earnest Student Loan Refinancing Review
Large loan sizes and long terms from a Navient subsidiary that settled a discrimination claim in 2025 and offers almost no cosigner release.
By Michael Hewitt, Founder & Editor-in-Chief. Rates last checked September 11, 2026.
Our verdict
Large balances and terms to 20 years make Earnest a fit for refinancers who'll never need a cosigner released, at 3.94% fixed with autopay or 4.19% without. Cosigner release is offered only to some Connecticut residents, so elsewhere the way off a cosigned loan is another refinance. A $2.5 million Massachusetts AG settlement in July 2025, over allegations Earnest denied, weighs on the grade.
Skip it if your loan has a cosigner who'll want off, or you're refinancing federal loans you may need forgiveness on.
About Earnest Student Loan Refinancing
Large loan sizes and long terms from a Navient subsidiary that settled a discrimination claim in 2025 and offers almost no cosigner release. Earnest Student Loan Refinancing is offered by Earnest Operations LLC (NMLS #1204917), a subsidiary of Navient. Our editorial rating is 4.6 out of 5.
Best for: Large balances and long terms, for borrowers who will never need a cosigner released.
Editorial grade: B- (composite score 69/100).
Highlights
- Fixed 4.19% to 10.24% APR, or 3.94% to 9.99% with the 0.25% autopay discount, valid as of 1 September 2026
- Variable 6.13% to 10.24% APR, or 5.88% to 9.99% with autopay
- Loan sizes from $5,000, with terms to 20 years
- Skip one payment per year after six consecutive on-time payments
What we like
- Refinances undergraduate, graduate and parent loans, and will consider borrowers who did not finish a degree
- Skip-a-payment once every twelve months is a real, usable flexibility
- No origination, application or prepayment fees
- Trustpilot 4.6 across 8,491 reviews
Where it falls short
- Earnest paid the Massachusetts Attorney General $2.5 million in July 2025 over algorithmic underwriting, including a rule that automatically denied applicants without a green card, and adverse action notices that did not say why someone was refused. Earnest denied the allegations
- There is effectively no cosigner release. It is offered only to Connecticut residents on loans originated on or after 1 October 2025, so for everyone else the only way off a cosigned loan is another refinance
- It is a Navient subsidiary, and Navient was permanently banned from federal student loan servicing by the CFPB in 2024
Fees, minimums, and rates
Monthly fee: No origination, application or prepayment fees. Minimum to open: $5,000 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 Earnest Operations LLC (NMLS #1204917), a subsidiary of Navient. It is built from Earnest Operations LLC (NMLS #1204917), a subsidiary of Navient'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.