How Long Do Student Loans Stay On Your Credit?

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Paying off student loans is a long-term process that over 43 million Americans have committed to. However, student loans have proven to be a seemingly never-ending financial burden that has everyone— students and graduates alike—holding their heads in their hands at the mere mention of student loans.

In fact, about 24% of adults in the United States report that they have completely paid off their student loan debt, whether private or federal.

Your student loan servicer isn't the only one who monitors your monthly payments. Any late payment you make on your student loan is also noted in your credit history by the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

While student debt can be daunting on anyone's debt summary, it is good to know that it’s not meant to stay on your credit permanently.

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How long does it take to get student loans off your credit?

You can expect your student loans to stay on your credit report during the entire duration of the repayment term, which can differ for everyone depending on your chosen repayment plan. However, what remains on your credit after the repayment term is where things differ: your loan balance and your loan payment history are two separate things on your credit.

In terms of loan balances, student loans remain on your credit until:

  • You pay off the entire loan amount in full. Or,
  • The loan balance is forgiven— as part of a forgiveness program.

In terms of payment history, information about loan payments and certain loan statuses may remain on your credit for up to 10 years even after the loan account is closed and the loan is paid off completely. Luckily, this does not apply to negative information that may be hurting your credit, which will be removed sooner, at seven years after the first missed payment/the student loan defaulted.