$25,000 student loan monthly payment
$284.12/month 10-year standard plan
$9,095 total interest over 10 years
Principal $25,000 Interest $9,095. 27¢ of every dollar paid goes to interest.
10-year standard plan at 6.52%, the fixed rate on undergraduate Direct Loans first disbursed July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
New loans from July 1, 2026 default to the Tiered Standard plan: 15 years at $218.05 a month for this balance.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2026-27 rates. An average, not an offer.
By repayment plan
| Plan | Who can use it | Monthly payment | Total interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (10 years) | Loans made before July 1, 2026 | $284.12 | $9,095 | $34,095 |
| Tiered Standard (15 years) | Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026 | $218.05 | $14,249 | $39,249 |
| Extended (15 years) | Not eligible: requires more than $30,000 in Direct Loans | $218.05 | $14,249 | $39,249 |
| Extended (20 years) | Not eligible: requires more than $30,000 in Direct Loans | $186.69 | $19,805 | $44,805 |
| Extended (25 years) | Not eligible: requires more than $30,000 in Direct Loans | $169.11 | $25,734 | $50,734 |
Income-driven repayment (the Repayment Assistance Plan for new borrowers) sets payments from 1% to 10% of adjusted gross income instead, so it is not priced here.
By loan type, 10-year standard
| Loan | Rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Direct, 2026-27 | 6.52% | $284.12 | $9,095 |
| Graduate Direct Unsubsidized, 2026-27 | 8.07% | $304.24 | $11,509 |
| Direct PLUS (parent, legacy grad), 2026-27 | 9.07% | $317.64 | $13,116 |
| Undergraduate Direct, 2025-26 | 6.39% | $282.47 | $8,897 |
| Graduate Direct Unsubsidized, 2025-26 | 7.94% | $302.53 | $11,303 |
Origination fees of 1.057% (Direct) and 4.228% (PLUS) are deducted from each disbursement and are not in these payments.
Payment and income
The standard payment of $284.12 is 10% of gross income at $34,095 a year.
Amortization schedule
First 12 months
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $148.29 | $135.83 | $24,851.71 |
| 2 | $149.10 | $135.03 | $24,702.61 |
| 3 | $149.91 | $134.22 | $24,552.71 |
| 4 | $150.72 | $133.40 | $24,401.98 |
| 5 | $151.54 | $132.58 | $24,250.44 |
| 6 | $152.36 | $131.76 | $24,098.08 |
| 7 | $153.19 | $130.93 | $23,944.89 |
| 8 | $154.02 | $130.10 | $23,790.86 |
| 9 | $154.86 | $129.26 | $23,636.00 |
| 10 | $155.70 | $128.42 | $23,480.30 |
| 11 | $156.55 | $127.58 | $23,323.75 |
| 12 | $157.40 | $126.73 | $23,166.35 |
Year by year
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,834 | $1,576 | $23,166 |
| 2 | $1,957 | $1,453 | $21,210 |
| 3 | $2,088 | $1,321 | $19,121 |
| 4 | $2,229 | $1,181 | $16,893 |
| 5 | $2,378 | $1,031 | $14,514 |
| 6 | $2,538 | $871 | $11,976 |
| 7 | $2,709 | $701 | $9,268 |
| 8 | $2,891 | $519 | $6,377 |
| 9 | $3,085 | $325 | $3,292 |
| 10 | $3,292 | $117 | $0 |
| Total | $25,000 | $9,095 | $0 |
Full schedule, all 120 payments
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 148.29 | 135.83 | 24,851.71 |
| 2 | 149.10 | 135.03 | 24,702.61 |
| 3 | 149.91 | 134.22 | 24,552.71 |
| 4 | 150.72 | 133.40 | 24,401.98 |
| 5 | 151.54 | 132.58 | 24,250.44 |
| 6 | 152.36 | 131.76 | 24,098.08 |
| 7 | 153.19 | 130.93 | 23,944.89 |
| 8 | 154.02 | 130.10 | 23,790.86 |
| 9 | 154.86 | 129.26 | 23,636.00 |
| 10 | 155.70 | 128.42 | 23,480.30 |
| 11 | 156.55 | 127.58 | 23,323.75 |
| 12 | 157.40 | 126.73 | 23,166.35 |
| 13 | 158.25 | 125.87 | 23,008.10 |
| 14 | 159.11 | 125.01 | 22,848.99 |
| 15 | 159.98 | 124.15 | 22,689.01 |
| 16 | 160.85 | 123.28 | 22,528.16 |
| 17 | 161.72 | 122.40 | 22,366.44 |
| 18 | 162.60 | 121.52 | 22,203.84 |
| 19 | 163.48 | 120.64 | 22,040.36 |
| 20 | 164.37 | 119.75 | 21,875.98 |
| 21 | 165.26 | 118.86 | 21,710.72 |
| 22 | 166.16 | 117.96 | 21,544.56 |
| 23 | 167.07 | 117.06 | 21,377.49 |
| 24 | 167.97 | 116.15 | 21,209.52 |
| 25 | 168.89 | 115.24 | 21,040.63 |
| 26 | 169.80 | 114.32 | 20,870.83 |
| 27 | 170.73 | 113.40 | 20,700.10 |
| 28 | 171.65 | 112.47 | 20,528.45 |
| 29 | 172.59 | 111.54 | 20,355.86 |
| 30 | 173.52 | 110.60 | 20,182.34 |
| 31 | 174.47 | 109.66 | 20,007.87 |
| 32 | 175.41 | 108.71 | 19,832.46 |
| 33 | 176.37 | 107.76 | 19,656.09 |
| 34 | 177.33 | 106.80 | 19,478.76 |
| 35 | 178.29 | 105.83 | 19,300.47 |
| 36 | 179.26 | 104.87 | 19,121.21 |
| 37 | 180.23 | 103.89 | 18,940.98 |
| 38 | 181.21 | 102.91 | 18,759.77 |
| 39 | 182.20 | 101.93 | 18,577.57 |
| 40 | 183.19 | 100.94 | 18,394.39 |
| 41 | 184.18 | 99.94 | 18,210.20 |
| 42 | 185.18 | 98.94 | 18,025.02 |
| 43 | 186.19 | 97.94 | 17,838.83 |
| 44 | 187.20 | 96.92 | 17,651.63 |
| 45 | 188.22 | 95.91 | 17,463.42 |
| 46 | 189.24 | 94.88 | 17,274.18 |
| 47 | 190.27 | 93.86 | 17,083.91 |
| 48 | 191.30 | 92.82 | 16,892.61 |
| 49 | 192.34 | 91.78 | 16,700.27 |
| 50 | 193.39 | 90.74 | 16,506.88 |
| 51 | 194.44 | 89.69 | 16,312.44 |
| 52 | 195.49 | 88.63 | 16,116.95 |
| 53 | 196.56 | 87.57 | 15,920.39 |
| 54 | 197.62 | 86.50 | 15,722.77 |
| 55 | 198.70 | 85.43 | 15,524.07 |
| 56 | 199.78 | 84.35 | 15,324.29 |
| 57 | 200.86 | 83.26 | 15,123.43 |
| 58 | 201.95 | 82.17 | 14,921.48 |
| 59 | 203.05 | 81.07 | 14,718.43 |
| 60 | 204.15 | 79.97 | 14,514.27 |
| 61 | 205.26 | 78.86 | 14,309.01 |
| 62 | 206.38 | 77.75 | 14,102.63 |
| 63 | 207.50 | 76.62 | 13,895.13 |
| 64 | 208.63 | 75.50 | 13,686.50 |
| 65 | 209.76 | 74.36 | 13,476.74 |
| 66 | 210.90 | 73.22 | 13,265.84 |
| 67 | 212.05 | 72.08 | 13,053.79 |
| 68 | 213.20 | 70.93 | 12,840.60 |
| 69 | 214.36 | 69.77 | 12,626.24 |
| 70 | 215.52 | 68.60 | 12,410.72 |
| 71 | 216.69 | 67.43 | 12,194.02 |
| 72 | 217.87 | 66.25 | 11,976.15 |
| 73 | 219.05 | 65.07 | 11,757.10 |
| 74 | 220.24 | 63.88 | 11,536.86 |
| 75 | 221.44 | 62.68 | 11,315.41 |
| 76 | 222.64 | 61.48 | 11,092.77 |
| 77 | 223.85 | 60.27 | 10,868.92 |
| 78 | 225.07 | 59.05 | 10,643.85 |
| 79 | 226.29 | 57.83 | 10,417.55 |
| 80 | 227.52 | 56.60 | 10,190.03 |
| 81 | 228.76 | 55.37 | 9,961.27 |
| 82 | 230.00 | 54.12 | 9,731.27 |
| 83 | 231.25 | 52.87 | 9,500.02 |
| 84 | 232.51 | 51.62 | 9,267.51 |
| 85 | 233.77 | 50.35 | 9,033.74 |
| 86 | 235.04 | 49.08 | 8,798.70 |
| 87 | 236.32 | 47.81 | 8,562.38 |
| 88 | 237.60 | 46.52 | 8,324.78 |
| 89 | 238.89 | 45.23 | 8,085.89 |
| 90 | 240.19 | 43.93 | 7,845.70 |
| 91 | 241.50 | 42.63 | 7,604.20 |
| 92 | 242.81 | 41.32 | 7,361.39 |
| 93 | 244.13 | 40.00 | 7,117.26 |
| 94 | 245.45 | 38.67 | 6,871.81 |
| 95 | 246.79 | 37.34 | 6,625.02 |
| 96 | 248.13 | 36.00 | 6,376.89 |
| 97 | 249.48 | 34.65 | 6,127.42 |
| 98 | 250.83 | 33.29 | 5,876.59 |
| 99 | 252.19 | 31.93 | 5,624.39 |
| 100 | 253.57 | 30.56 | 5,370.83 |
| 101 | 254.94 | 29.18 | 5,115.88 |
| 102 | 256.33 | 27.80 | 4,859.55 |
| 103 | 257.72 | 26.40 | 4,601.83 |
| 104 | 259.12 | 25.00 | 4,342.71 |
| 105 | 260.53 | 23.60 | 4,082.18 |
| 106 | 261.94 | 22.18 | 3,820.24 |
| 107 | 263.37 | 20.76 | 3,556.87 |
| 108 | 264.80 | 19.33 | 3,292.07 |
| 109 | 266.24 | 17.89 | 3,025.84 |
| 110 | 267.68 | 16.44 | 2,758.15 |
| 111 | 269.14 | 14.99 | 2,489.01 |
| 112 | 270.60 | 13.52 | 2,218.41 |
| 113 | 272.07 | 12.05 | 1,946.34 |
| 114 | 273.55 | 10.58 | 1,672.79 |
| 115 | 275.04 | 9.09 | 1,397.76 |
| 116 | 276.53 | 7.59 | 1,121.23 |
| 117 | 278.03 | 6.09 | 843.19 |
| 118 | 279.54 | 4.58 | 563.65 |
| 119 | 281.06 | 3.06 | 282.59 |
| 120 | 282.59 | 1.54 | 0.00 |
Questions
What is the monthly payment on a $25,000 student loan?
$284.12 a month on the 10-year standard plan at the 6.52% undergraduate rate, with $9,095 in interest. At the 8.07% graduate rate it is $304.24.
How long does it take to pay off $25,000 in student loans?
10 years on the standard plan. New loans disbursed from July 1, 2026 use the Tiered Standard plan, which sets 15 years for this balance ($218.05 a month, $14,249 in interest).
Can I stretch a $25,000 student loan to 25 years?
Not on the Extended plan, which needs more than $30,000 in Direct Loans. Income-driven repayment (RAP) can lower the payment based on income.
What salary do I need for a $25,000 student loan?
The standard payment of $284.12 is 10% of gross income at $34,095 a year. If that is too much, income-driven repayment ties the payment to income instead.
Are private student loan rates the same?
No. Private lenders price on credit; published ranges in September 2026 ran from about 2.99% to 17.99% APR. Federal rates are fixed by law and the same for every borrower.
Sources
- Federal Direct Loan rates, 2026-27. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, loans first disbursed from July 1, 2026; retrieved September 26, 2026.
Numbers on this page last changed September 26, 2026. How they are calculated: methodology.