How to Calculate Weighted Average Interest Rate
Summary: To calculate the weighted average interest rate of all your loans, multiply each loan amount by its interest rate. Add the results together, then divide that number by the sum of all your loan balances. Whatever that figure is, round up to the nearest 1/8 of a percent.
If you want to combine your federal loans together, the Direct Consolidation Loan program uses a weighted average interest rate. This becomes your new rate for the life of your consolidation loan, which can be a really long time (maybe 15 or 20 years, or even longer).
In the next section, what is a weighted average interest rate, we outline this even further with an example.
Note that federal consolidation is not your only option. In fact, it may not even be your best option. Student loan refinancing (through a private lender) is the only way to actually lower your interest rate. Refinancing also allows you to combine both federal and private loans together, as well as release cosigners on your loans. And if you are a parent who borrowed on behalf of your son or daughter, you may even be able to transfer your loan(s) to your child. Learn more about student loan refinancing.
What Is a Weighted Average Interest Rate?
It means that your interest rate will be based on the interest rates of the loans you would like to consolidate. And your highest outstanding federal loan balance will have the biggest impact on what your consolidation interest rate will be. The bigger the loan, the more ‘weight’ it will have on the interest rate calculation. It may push your consolidation interest rate a little higher or lower, but it likely won’t change much. After your weighted average interest rate is determined, the final step is to round up to the nearest 1/8th of 1 percent (.125). That is how the Direct Consolidation Loan program works.
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Weighted Average Interest Rate Formula
You can find the weighted average interest rate for the loans you want to consolidate in three simple steps.
- Multiply each of your loan balances by their interest rate. This will give you the per loan ‘weight factor.’
- Add all the per loan ‘weight factors’ together to get the total weighted factor.
- The last step is to divide the total (of all the weight factors) by the total of all the loan balances, then round to the nearest 1/8th of 1 percent.
Here's how that would look if you mapped it out. Let's say you have three loans:
| Balance | Interest Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Loan 1 | $4,500 | 5.31% |
| Loan 2 | $10,500 | 5.84% |
| Loan 3 | $6,000 | 4.66% |
| Total Remaining Balance | $21,000 |
Multiply the balances by the interest rate:
$4,500 x 5.31% = $238.95
$10,500 x 5.84% = $613.20
$6,000 x 4.66% = $279.60
Add the weight factors together:
$238.95
$613.20
+279.60
$1,131.75
Now, take the total of the total of the weighted factors, and divide that by the total amount of your remaining balances:
$1,131.75 divided by $21,000 equals 5.3893%
Round this to the nearest 1/8th of 1 percent to get 5.5%.
Once you know your weighted average interest rate, you are better prepared to compare Direct Consolidation Loan options and benefits with those of a private student loan refinance, which may offer more competitive rates, cosigner release, and other benefits not included in the Direct Consolidation Loan program.
Weighted Average Interest Calculator
There are a number of calculators online to help you compute the weighted average much faster than doing it by hand. Here’s one of our favorites due to its simplicity and ability to add up to 20 loans:
Best Student Loan Refinance Lenders
College Ave Student Loans
- Variable rate range: 5.99% – 11.99% APR1
- Fixed rate range: 5.99% – 11.99% APR1
- No application or prepayment fees
- Apply in 3 minutes or less for instant credit decision
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC.. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
1The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as the borrower or cosigner, if applicable, enrolls in auto-pay and authorizes our loan servicer to automatically deduct your monthly payments from a valid bank account via Automated Clearing House (“ACH”). The rate reduction applies for as long as the monthly payment amount is successfully deducted from the designated bank account and is suspended during periods of forbearance and certain deferments. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
2This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a refi borrower who selects the Full Principal & Interest Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $40,000 loan and a 5.5% Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $434.11 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $52,092.61. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.
3$5,000 is the minimum requirement to refinance. The maximum loan amount is $250,000 for those with medical, dental, pharmacy or veterinary doctorate degrees, and $150,000 for all other undergraduate or graduate degrees.
Information advertised valid as of 03/01/2023. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on the creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of full principal and interest payments with the shortest available loan term.
ELFI Student Loan Refinance
- Customers are saving an average of $309 every month and an average of $20,936 in total savings after refinancing their student loans with Education Loan Finance1
- Variable and fixed rates starting from 4.53% APR and 5.08% APR2
- Prequalify in as little as two minutes
- Award winning customer service from your dedicated Student Loan Advisor who is matched to you from the moment you sign up
1Average savings calculations are based on information provided by SouthEast Bank/ Education Loan Finance customers who refinanced their student loans between 8/16/2016 and 10/25/2018. While these amounts represent reported average amounts saved, actual amounts saved will vary depending upon a number of factors.
2Rates accurate as of 3/15/23. The interest rate and monthly payment for variable rate loans may increase after closing. Your actual interest rate may be different from the rates shown above and will be based on the term of your loan, your financial history, and other factors, including your cosigner’s (if any) financial history. For example, a 10 year loan with a fixed rate of 6% would have 120 payments of $11.00 per $1,000 borrowed. To qualify for refinancing or student loan consolidation through Education Loan Finance, you must have at least $10,000 in qualified student loan debt and must have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from an approved post-secondary Education Loan Finance institution. Education Loan Finance Parent Loans are limited to a maximum of the 10-year term.
SoFi Student Loans
- Rates as low as 5.09% variable and 4.49% fixed1
- No fees or prepayment penalties
- Unemployment protection
1Fixed rates range from 4.49% APR to 8.99% APR with a 0.25% autopay discount. Variable rates from 5.09% APR to 8.99% APR with a 0.25% autopay discount. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates on 5-, 7-, and 10-year terms are capped at 8.95% APR; 15- and 20-year terms are capped at 9.95% APR. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases. The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. This benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit lowers your interest rate but does not change the amount of your monthly payment. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.
Splash Financial Refinance Loan
- Rates as low as 4.59%1 Variable APR and 4.47%1 Fixed APR
- No pre-payment penalties, origination, or application fees
- See rates in 3 minutes without affecting your credit score2
1The rates displayed may include a 0.25% autopay discount.
2To check the rates and terms you qualify for, Splash Financial conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, the lender will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.
Earnest Student Loan Refinancing
- Variable rates starting at 4.99% APR (including 0.25% Auto Pay discount)*
- Fixed rates starting at 4.96% APR (including 0.25% Auto Pay discount)*
- Choose your own monthly payment
- No fees of any kind and exceptional customer service for the life of your loan
- Check your rate in under 2 minutes
To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or possess a 10-year (non-conditional) Permanent Resident Card, reside in a state Earnest lends in, and satisfy our minimum eligibility criteria. You may find more information on loan eligibility here: https://www.earnest.com/eligibility. Not all applicants will be approved for a loan, and not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Approval and interest rate depend on the review of a complete application.
Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 5.21% APR to 9.24% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 5.24% APR to 9.19% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once per month. The maximum rate for your loan is 8.95% if your loan term is 10 years or less. For loan terms of more than 10 years to 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 9.95%. For loan terms over 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 11.95%. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, NH, OH, TN, and TX. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and contain our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account.
*Auto Pay Discount: If you make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic, monthly deduction from a savings or checking account, your rate will be reduced by one quarter of one percent (0.25%) for so long as you continue to make automatic, electronic monthly payments. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance. Not all borrowers will qualify for our lowest rates, and your rate will be based on creditworthiness at time of application.
The information provided on this page is updated as of 03/09/2023. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice.
Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 303 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 888-601-2801 for more information on our student loan refinance product.
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY PAYMENT OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS OFFER.
What to do next?
Learn how student loan consolidation and refinance work
View Student Loan Refinancing Options