Lowest Interest Rate on Education Loan

An education loan plays a pivotal role in the academic lives of college or university students as it helps them to pursue their higher studies. Banks release a list of institutions and courses for which they provide education loans.

Updated On - 05 Sep 2025
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So, students have to go through the list to check if the courses or institutions are included in it. There are various banks that offer education loans with low interest rates. Students can compare these and finally choose the one which matches their needs.

Lowest Interest Rates

Best Education Loans with Lowest Interest Rates

The following are the banks which are currently providing education loans with the lowest rate of interest:

Bank of Baroda Education Loan Interest Rates

Bank of Baroda provides a wide range of education loans with a low rate of interest. The maximum amount offered depends on the type of loan chosen by the student. Here’s is the list of the education loan offered by the Bank of Baroda:

Education Loan Schemes 

Interest (%) 

Baroda Vidya 

12.00% 

Baroda Gyan 

11.40% to 12.55% p.a.

Baroda Scholar 

9.20% to 11.20% p.a.

Baroda Loan – Premier Institutions  

8.15% to 9.95% p.a.

  1. Processing fee: Nil. 
  2. Security: Available. 
  3. Co-borrowers: Parents or guardians can be co-borrowers. 
  4. Margin: 5% for loan above INR 4 lakh. 
  5. Concession: Female applicants get up to 0.50% concession on their return on investment. 

SBI Education Loan Interest Rate Comparison

State Bank of India (SBI) provides a wide range of education loans with interest rates starting from 8.30% and flexible repayment tenures. Education loans can be availed by students both for studies in India and abroad. SBI also offers loans to students to pursue vocational training and other professional courses.

Let us have a look at the table given below to know the interest rates charged by SBI on different education loans:

Education Loan Schemes

Interest Rates (p.a.)

SBI Take Over of Education Loan 

11.15%

SBI Global ED-VANTAGE

9.15% to 9.65%

SBI Scholar Loan

7.65% to 9.15%

SBI Student Loan

9.65% p.a. to 10.65% p.a. 

SBI Skill Loan 

10.15%

  1. Processing fee: For studies on foreign shores, up to Rs. 10,000. For all loans above Rs. 20 lakh, similar charges are applicable. Loan schemes for scholars, skill upgradation, and takeover of education loans from other banks will not be charged any processing fees. 
  2. Security: On loans above Rs. 7.5 lakh, tangible collateral security is required. 
  3. Co-borrower: Parents or guardians can be co-borrowers. 
  4. Collateral: This applies only to takeover of education loans. 
  5. Concession: Girl applicants get up to 0.50% concession on their return on investment. 

ICICI Bank Student Loan Interest Rate

Individuals aged between 18 and 35 are eligible for ICICI Bank's education loans, subject to their academic progress, GPA score, and confirmation of admission to recognized institutions in India or overseas.

A parent or guardian serves as the co-applicant and is required to provide tangible collateral as security, with specifics dependent on the course, loan amount, and source of income. These loans typically feature competitive and low-interest rates. 

Education Loan Scheme 

Interest (%) 

Education Loan 

10.25% p.a. onwards

  1. Processing fee: Up to 2%. 
  2. Security: Fixed deposit, property value, and up on existing loans. 
  3. Co-borrowers: Parents or guardians can be co-borrowers 
  4. Margin: Nil for premier institutes, and up to INR 20 lakh for others. Accepted in the form of FD, and scholarship or initial fee paid to the institute. 
  5. Concession: I-smart education loans for studies in Canada come with lower rates. 

Central Bank of India Education Loan Rate

Central Bank of India provides education loans to students to study in India and abroad with interest rates starting from 8.30%. The bank also offers concession rates for female students. Students can get generous loan amounts that help them cover all the expenses related to the courses.

Education Loan Schemes

Interest Rates (p.a.)

Cent Vidyarthi

8.30% to 11.50%

Cent Vidyarthi for Executive MBA

8.80%

Cent Skill Loan

11.15% to 11.20%

Cent Vidyarthi IIMs and other reputed management institutes

8.30%

Cent Education Loan 

8.30% to 11.25% 

Bank of India Education Loan Interest Rate

Bank of India offers a wide range of education loan schemes to students who wish to pursue higher studies in India and abroad. The loans will be provided on the basis of the earning potential of students after completing the courses.

Education loan scheme 

Interest Rate (%) 

Star Education Loan – India 

8.35% p.a. to 11.05% p.a.

Star Education Loan – Abroad 

9.95% to 11.60% 

Star Vidya Loan 

9.25% p.a. onwards

Star Progressive Education Loan 

9.95% 

  1. Processing fee: Nil. 
  2. Security: NA 
  3. Co-borrowers: Parents or guardians. 
  4. Margin: Nil on loans to INR 4 lakh 
  5. Concession: Up to 1% concession on RoI to female borrowers, and all students pursuing professional courses.Bank of India 

PNB Education Loan Interest Rate Review

Punjab National Bank (PNB) provides several types of education loans to students with attractive interest rates and repayment tenures of up to 15 years. The students who are planning to pursue their higher education in India, abroad, or at premier institutions are eligible to apply for education loans from Punjab National Bank.

Education Loan Schemes 

Interest (%) 

PNB Saraswati – India and Abroad 

11.00% p.a. to 12.75% p.a.

PNB Kaushal 

10.25% p.a. to 12.25% p.a.

PNB Pratibha 

8.20% p.a. to 11.90% p.a.

PNB Udaan – Abroad 

9.25% p.a. to 12.75% p.a.

PNB Honhaar 

11.25% p.a. to 12.75% p.a.

  1. Processing fee: For studies at foreign institutions, the processing fee will be up to 1%. 
  2. Security: In the case of loans applied for overseas studies, tangible collateral security is required. 
  3. Co-borrower: Parents or guardians can be co-borrowers. 
  4. Concession: Girl applicants get up to 0.50% concession on their return on investment. Students with disabilities are also eligible for concessions.  

Education Loan Eligibility

Students should have a look at the following eligibility criteria before applying for education loans:

Courses Covered Under Low‑Interest Education Loans

Students can apply for education loans for the following courses:

  1. Professional certification courses
  2. Vocational training
  3. Undergraduate courses
  4. Postgraduate courses
  5. PhDs and Doctorate courses
  6. Job-oriented courses

Nationality

Students who are planning to apply for education loans should be

  1. Indian citizens
  2. Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)
  3. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
  4. Overseas Citizens of India (OCI)

Institutes Eligible for Low Interest Loans

Banks provide education loans to the following:

  1. Government colleges
  2. Recognized Universities
  3. Private institutions
  4. International universities and colleges

Documents Required

Students have to submit scanned copies of the following documents to get education loans from banks:

  1. Admission letter from the college or university
  2. Marksheets of Std.10, Std.12, and graduation
  3. Permanent Account Number (PAN) card
  4. Aadhar card
  5. Passport
  6. Voter ID card
  7. Bank passbook
  8. Salary slips of the co-applicant
  9. Income Tax Returns for the last two years of the co-applicant
  10. Two passport size photographs

Points to consider before applying for an education loan 

Do note the below listed points before applying for an education loan: 

  • Government initiatives such as CGFSEL, the Dr. Ambedkar Central Scheme on Education Loans, and the Padho Pardesh Scheme provide interest rate subsidies on the sanctioned loan amount. 
  • Individuals applying for education loans have the opportunity to benefit from tax exemptions under Section 80E. 
  • Some banks may also charge additional interest (0.05%) as a risk premium (if the lender does not have credit life insurance) to ensure that debts are paid out after insurers pass away. 

Students can apply for education loans from banks either online or offline. In online mode, the applicants should fill out the online application form with all the necessary details and attach scanned copies of the required documents and submit it.

On the other hand, in the case of offline mode, the applicants have to visit the nearest branch of the bank and fill out the physical application form, enclose the required documents and submit it to the bank representative.

FAQs on Lowest Interest Rate on Education Loan

  • Can I get an interest free education loan?

    No. You cannot get an education loan with zero interest rate because banks have the highest percentage of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).

  • What does an education loan include?

    An education loan covers tuition fees, exam fees, hostel fees, travel expenses, purchasing books and other project-related expenses.

  • What happens if a student discontinues the course and gets a job within the grace period?

    In that case, a student has to start repaying the education loan amount after getting an appropriate job.

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