Student Loan Repayment Calculator
Calculate your monthly student loan payment, total interest, and payoff date. Compare Standard, Graduated, and Income-Driven Repayment plans side by side.
Your student loan
This calculator provides estimates only. Actual payments may vary based on servicer, capitalized interest, and plan eligibility. Not financial advice.
Monthly payment
$325.58
Total interest paid
$9,069
Total amount paid
$39,069
Payoff date
Aug 2036
10 yr
Compare all three plans
The same loan, run through Standard, Graduated and IDR (SAVE) side by side.
| Plan | Monthly | Total paid | Interest | Payoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $325.58 | $39,069 | $9,069 | 10 yr |
| Graduated | $162.79 + | $41,911 | $11,911 | 10 yr |
| IDR (SAVE) | $40.78 | $9,788 | $9,788 | 20 yr$30,000 forgiven |
Graduated starts low and steps up every two years, so its "Monthly" figure is the first payment.
Principal vs interest over time
Cumulative dollars paid, stacked. Click a legend item to hide or show a series.
Amortization schedule
| Month | Payment | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $325.58 | $188.08 | $137.50 | $29,811.92 |
| 2 | $325.58 | $188.94 | $136.64 | $29,622.98 |
| 3 | $325.58 | $189.81 | $135.77 | $29,433.17 |
| 4 | $325.58 | $190.68 | $134.90 | $29,242.50 |
| 5 | $325.58 | $191.55 | $134.03 | $29,050.95 |
| 6 | $325.58 | $192.43 | $133.15 | $28,858.52 |
| 7 | $325.58 | $193.31 | $132.27 | $28,665.21 |
| 8 | $325.58 | $194.20 | $131.38 | $28,471.01 |
| 9 | $325.58 | $195.09 | $130.49 | $28,275.92 |
| 10 | $325.58 | $195.98 | $129.60 | $28,079.94 |
| 11 | $325.58 | $196.88 | $128.70 | $27,883.06 |
| 12 | $325.58 | $197.78 | $127.80 | $27,685.28 |
For your total annual tax picture use the Income Tax Calculator. Planning to pay off other debts at the same time? Try the Debt Payoff Calculator. Already have a full paycheck breakdown? See the Paycheck Calculator for take-home pay after deductions.
How to use
- 1
Enter your total student loan balance and its annual interest rate, then pick a repayment term of 10, 20, 25 or 30 years.
- 2
Choose Standard, Graduated or IDR (SAVE). For IDR, add your annual gross income and family size so the 5% discretionary-income formula can run.
- 3
Read the summary cards, compare all three plans in the table, and scroll the month-by-month amortization schedule to see how interest shrinks over time.
Student Loan Repayment Calculator — Standard, Graduated & IDR Plans
Estimate your monthly student loan payment, total interest, payoff date and possible forgiveness, and compare Standard, Graduated and Income-Driven (SAVE) repayment side by side.
This student loan repayment calculator turns a balance, an interest rate and a term into the three numbers that actually matter: what you pay each month, what the loan costs you in total, and the month you finally clear it. Everything recalculates as you type, entirely in your browser — nothing about your balance or income is sent anywhere.
The Standard plan uses the same fixed-payment amortization formula your servicer uses: payment = balance × r(1+r)^n ÷ ((1+r)^n − 1), where r is your monthly rate and n is the number of months. It is the cheapest federal option in total interest because the balance falls fastest. The Graduated plan starts at roughly half that payment and steps up every two years, sized so the loan still retires inside the same term — easier early on, more expensive overall.
Income-Driven Repayment models the SAVE formula: 225% of the federal poverty guideline for your household is protected, and the monthly payment is 5% of whatever income sits above that, divided by twelve. Under SAVE, interest your payment does not cover is waived rather than added to the balance, so a low payment never makes the loan grow. Anything left after 20 years of undergraduate payments is treated as forgiven, and the calculator shows that amount explicitly.
Use the side-by-side comparison to see the real trade-off. A borrower with a $30,000 balance at 5.5% pays about $326 a month on Standard and clears the loan in ten years; the same borrower on IDR with a modest income may pay a fraction of that but carry the loan for two decades and finish with a forgiven balance. Neither is automatically right — the answer depends on your cash flow now, your expected income growth, and whether you are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SAVE plan?
SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) is a federal income-driven repayment plan that sets your monthly payment at 5% of discretionary income for undergraduate loans, protects 225% of the federal poverty guideline for your family size, and waives interest your payment does not cover so the balance never grows. SAVE is subject to ongoing legal challenges — verify its current status at studentaid.gov before relying on it.
How is an IDR payment calculated?
Take your annual gross income, subtract 225% of the poverty guideline for your household (about $35,213 for a single person in 2026), multiply what remains by 5%, and divide by twelve. If your income is at or below the protected amount, your calculated payment is $0.
Should I choose Standard or Graduated repayment?
Choose Standard if you can afford the fixed payment — it costs the least in total interest. Choose Graduated if your income is low now but expected to rise: the first payment is roughly half of Standard and steps up every two years, though you pay more interest across the full term.
How long until my student loans are forgiven?
Under income-driven repayment, undergraduate loans are generally forgiven after 20 years (240 qualifying monthly payments) and graduate loans after 25 years. Public Service Loan Forgiveness can cut that to 10 years of qualifying payments while working full-time for a government or eligible nonprofit employer.
What happens if I can't afford my student loan payment?
Contact your servicer before you miss a payment. Switching to an income-driven plan can drop the payment to as little as $0 without penalty, and deferment or forbearance can pause payments temporarily. Default — generally 270 days past due on federal loans — triggers wage garnishment and severe credit damage, so it is worth acting early.
How much interest will I pay on a $30,000 student loan?
At 5.5% over the standard 10-year term, a $30,000 loan costs about $326 a month and roughly $9,000 in total interest. Stretching the same loan to 25 years lowers the monthly payment but more than doubles the interest, which is exactly what the plan comparison table in this calculator makes visible.
Does paying extra each month help?
Yes. On Standard and Graduated plans, any amount above the scheduled payment goes straight to principal once the month's interest is covered, which shortens the term and cuts total interest. On income-driven plans, extra payments reduce the balance but do not reduce the number of months to forgiveness.
Are private student loans eligible for IDR or SAVE?
No. Income-driven repayment, SAVE and federal forgiveness programs apply only to federal loans. Private loans follow the terms in your promissory note, so use the Standard tab of this calculator to model them and talk to your lender about hardship options.
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