College Ave specializes exclusively in private student loans for undergraduates, graduate students, and parents. The lender, founded in 2014, operates entirely online and says it completes applications and approvals in three minutes.
College Ave offers loan amounts from $1,000 to the total cost of attendance, with term lengths ranging from five to 20 years depending on loan type. Fixed interest rates for undergraduate loans run from 2.05% to 17.99%, while graduate loans range from 3.89% to 15.99%. Parent loans carry rates from 3.99% to 17.99%. Rates reflect a discount for setting up auto-pay and are current as of November 4, 2026.
Parent borrowers can choose flexible repayment options with any term length between five and 15 years. Most other loan types offer four in-school repayment choices, including interest-only payments or deferred payments until after graduation.
College Ave charges no origination fees but does impose late payment fees up to $25. The company offers cosigner release, but borrowers must have completed half their original repayment term before applying. For a 10-year loan, that means waiting five years of payments.
To qualify, you must be at least 16 years old, attend an eligible school, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (or an international student with a U.S. Social Security number and eligible cosigner), and have a credit score around the mid-600s or have an eligible cosigner. College Ave considers debt-to-income ratio but does not disclose specific income cutoffs.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's database shows 95 complaints against College Ave over the past three years. The most common complaints involved payment handling, loan detail information requests, and loan denials. The company's mobile app ratings are 2.6 out of five stars on Apple's App Store and 3.8 out of five on Google Play.
College Ave is licensed in all 50 states and has held Better Business Bureau accreditation since 2015. The lender's loans are made available by Firstrust Bank, which carries FDIC coverage. S&P Global Ratings gave College Ave a AAA rating in 2024 for its latest asset class.