Direct lender · United States
MEFA alternatives, ranked by interest at the ceiling
3 of the 8 nearest lenders we hold have a lower ceiling than MEFA, whose top of range costs $15,584 in interest on $30,000 over 10 years.
The lowest ceiling is Brazos at $9,949, a difference of $5,634 over the life of the loan.
The group, by interest at the ceiling
Every lender in the same category and market that publishes a computable range, in order of the worst case.
| Lender | Published range | Minimum loan | Origination fee | Interest at the ceiling | Interest at the floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEFA (this page) | 6.20% to 8.99% autopay basis not stated | $10,000 | not stated | $15,584 | $10,330 |
| Brazos | 3.99% to 5.99% with autopay | — | none | $9,949 | $6,431 |
| Yrefy | 0.10% to 5.99% autopay basis not stated | — | not stated | $9,949 | $151 |
| RISLA | 3.49% to 7.64% with autopay | $7,500 | none | $12,996 | $5,582 |
| ISL Education Lending | 5.15% to 9.40% with autopay | $5,000 | none | $16,386 | $8,448 |
| Laurel Road | 4.74% to 9.75% with autopay | $5,000 | none | $17,077 | $7,728 |
| INvestEd | 5.41% to 9.88% with autopay | $5,000 | not stated | $17,335 | $8,909 |
| Citizens | 5.90% to 10.65% autopay basis not stated | $10,000 | not stated | $18,879 | $9,787 |
| SoFi | 3.99% to 10.99% with autopay | — | none | $19,570 | $6,431 |
This table mixes autopay bases. Lenders do not publish on the same basis. Most print the range with a 0.25 point autopay discount already taken off; some print it before the discount; some do not say. We print the figure as published and label the basis where the lender states it. We do not add or remove the discount, because a figure we adjusted could not be checked against the lender's page.
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How that is worked out
Nothing else is added. The rate you are offered, any lender-specific discount you do or do not qualify for, and variable-rate movements are not in any figure on this site, because they depend on you and on the future. Where a lender states an origination fee it is added once. The published range is used exactly as printed: where the lender says the range already includes its autopay discount, we say so and do not add it back. The full method is at Method.
When to stay where you are
Three conditions under which the table above should not move you.
- A lower ceiling is not a rate you have been offered. Every lender here prices on your credit file, and none publishes where in its range a given file lands.
- If your balance is not $30,000, the minimums change who is in the table — put your balance in rather than reading this column.
Who this is not for
This is a ranking of published worst cases, not a shortlist of better lenders. We have not borrowed from any of them. If your reason for moving is service, forbearance terms or a cosigner release, the order on this page tells you nothing about that.
Sources
- MEFA rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- Brazos rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- Yrefy rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- RISLA rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- ISL Education Lending rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- Laurel Road rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- INvestEd rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- Citizens rates page. checked 2026-08-25
- SoFi rates page. checked 2026-08-25
Related
- MEFA rates in full
- Every lender we hold
- Interest calculator
- Why the advertised rate is the bottom of the range
Written by Kaz (pen name). Figures are copied from the sources' published pages on the dates shown. We have not used these products. Corrections: contact form.