Student loan interest rates for 2025 remain painfully high, adding pressure for borrowers already facing rising college costs and stalled forgiveness programs.

Federal student loans may come with slightly lower interest rates in the 2025-2026 academic year, according to an estimate by higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. The drop in interest rates could provide some very modest relief to families trying to cover college costs.

Borrowing costs on student loans for the next academic year will likely be near a 15-year high. In the 2025-26 school term, the interest rate on undergraduate student debt is expected to be 6.39%, based off Tuesday’s 10-year US Treasury auction .