Average Student Loan Interest Rates (Federal Direct, Fixed) (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Headline takeaways: Direct Subsidized & Unsubsidized (undergraduate): 6.53% fixed (new loans); Direct Unsubsidized (graduate/professional): 8.08% fixed (new loans); Direct PLUS (parent & grad/professional): 9.08% fixed (new loans).
Key Facts
- Direct Subsidized & Unsubsidized (undergraduate): 6.53% fixed (new loans)
- Direct Unsubsidized (graduate/professional): 8.08% fixed (new loans)
- Direct PLUS (parent & grad/professional): 9.08% fixed (new loans)
- Rate window: 2024-25 (first disbursement Jul 1, 2024 – Jun 30, 2025)
Download the data
Downloads reflect the processed dataset used to generate this page’s charts and tables.
Federal Direct Loan Interest Rates
Federal Direct Fixed Rates (New Loans)
These are the official fixed rates for new federal loans first disbursed in the stated academic window; private refinance and credit-based loans use different pricing. Window: 2024-25 (first disbursement Jul 1, 2024 – Jun 30, 2025).
U.S. Department of Education / Federal Student Aid fixed-rate schedule for the disbursement window shown.
FAQ
What does the Average Student Loan Interest Rates (Federal Direct, Fixed) (2026 stats) dataset measure?
It summarizes the metrics shown on this page (charts and tables) using the sources listed in the Data Sources section, with national aggregates and breakdowns where available.
What is the primary data source?
College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education). Some pages also incorporate Census ACS context where noted.
How often is this page updated?
Pages update when the underlying processed datasets are refreshed and the HTML is regenerated; the Last updated date reflects the most recent build.
Analysis & insights
The charts summarize average student loan interest rates (federal direct, fixed) (2026 stats) from EDsmart files and the cited sources; they describe historical records, not future outcomes. National aggregates flatten real variation—Ohio, Georgia, and Washington can look like different worlds. Skewed distributions split the median and the mean into different stories. Program, year, and campus still matter more than any single national line.
Patterns may line up with state policy, labor markets, or mission; association is easy to spot, causation is not. Populous states weigh heavily in national totals. Campus-level detail for a given year lives in the College Scorecard or IPEDS. Suppressed cells in federal releases can move medians in thin markets. Small changes between data refreshes are normal for living files.
Data Sources
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and enrollment data
- Data year: 2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Census ACS - U.S. Census Bureau
- Demographic and workforce data
- Data year: 2023
- Source: census.gov