Student Loan Repayment Calculator: Find Your Best Repayment Plan

Graduating with student debt is basically a rite of passage at this point — but figuring out how to pay it back is where things get genuinely confusing. Standard plan? Income-driven? Pay extra each month? The options are overwhelming, and the wrong choice can cost you thousands in extra interest over the years.

The CalcHub Student Loan Repayment Calculator cuts through the noise. Plug in your loan balance, interest rate, and income, and it'll show you exactly what different repayment paths look like — monthly payment, total paid, and how long until you're finally done.

What You'll Need

Before you start, grab these numbers:

• Your current loan balance (or balances, if you have multiple)


• Interest rate(s) — check your loan servicer's portal


• Your adjusted gross income (for income-driven options)


• Household size (affects income-driven plan thresholds)

How the Calculator Works

Enter your loan details and choose which repayment plans you want to compare. The calculator runs the numbers across all selected plans simultaneously so you can see the tradeoffs side by side.

Repayment Plan	Typical Monthly Payment	Loan Term	Best For
Standard	Higher	10 years	Lowest total interest
Graduated	Starts low, increases	10 years	Entry-level income
Extended	Lower	25 years	Cash-flow tight borrowers
Income-Based (IBR)	10–15% of discretionary income	20–25 years	Low-income borrowers
SAVE Plan	~5% discretionary income	20–25 years	Smallest monthly payment

A Real Example

Say you owe $35,000 at 6.5% interest:

• Standard plan: ~$397/month, done in 10 years, total paid ~$47,600
• SAVE plan: Could be ~$180/month at a $45,000 income, but you'd pay for 20 years and potentially $55,000+ total
• Paying an extra $100/month on standard: Done in ~8 years, saves roughly $2,400 in interest

That $100 extra per month is often the highest-return financial move a recent grad can make.

Practical Tips

Don't assume income-driven is always better. If you can afford the standard payment, you'll pay significantly less over time. Income-driven plans shine when cash flow is genuinely tight or when you're pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Refinancing vs. federal plans: Refinancing to a lower private rate sounds appealing, but you lose access to income-driven plans and forgiveness programs. Run both scenarios in the calculator before deciding. Round up your payment. Even an extra $25–50/month compounds meaningfully. Try it in the calculator — the time savings are usually surprising.

How does the calculator handle multiple loans?

Enter each loan separately, then look at the combined monthly payment across all your loans. Some servicers let you consolidate, which simplifies repayment but may extend your term.

What's the difference between IBR and the SAVE plan?

SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) is the newest income-driven plan and generally offers lower payments than IBR — especially for undergraduate debt. The calculator shows both so you can compare.

Can I see what happens if I pay extra each month?

Yes. There's a field for additional monthly payment so you can model the payoff acceleration effect directly.

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