How popular isCollege Ave?
In September 2026, people searched for College Ave by name about 60,500 times in the United States, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 18.3% of all United States student loan lender searches, placing College Ave second out of six lenders. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about student loan lenders, College Ave appeared in two of the five answers and was the third most recommended of the six.
College Ave is the second most searched of 6 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.
Sallie MaeShare of searches 74.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
College AveShare of searches 18.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
SoFiShare of searches 3%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
EarnestShare of searches 2%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
AscentShare of searches 1.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
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Top student loan lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, College Ave was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. College Ave is the third most recommended of the six.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Earnest1st
- SoFi2nd
- College Ave3rd
- Sallie Mae4th
- Ascent5th
Citizens6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Earnest4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SoFi3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sallie Mae2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- College Ave2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Ascent2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Citizens1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about student loan lenders
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which private student loan lender should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best private student loan lenders in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best lender in the US to refinance my student loans?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“private student loans”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“student loan refinance”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Which student loan lenders compete with College Ave?
Share of searches by month for Sallie Mae, College Ave, SoFi. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sallie Mae | College Ave | SoFi | Earnest | Ascent | Citizens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 75.3% | 18.5% | 3% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.73% |
| Nov 2025 | 74.4% | 18.3% | 3.7% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.89% |
| Dec 2025 | 73.5% | 18.1% | 4.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 74% | 18.2% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 74% | 18.2% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 76.8% | 15.4% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.92% |
| Apr 2026 | 77% | 15.5% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.92% |
| May 2026 | 73.7% | 18.1% | 4.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.87% |
| Jun 2026 | 72.7% | 17.9% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 68.4% | 20.6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 70.3% | 21% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 74.5% | 18.3% | 3% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.88% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 74.5% | 246K | -33.2% | +4.2 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 18.3% | 60.5K | -45% | -2.7 points | |
| 3, moved from 5th to 3rd | 3% | 9.9K | -18.2% | +0.7 pointsmoved from 5th to 3rd | |
| 4, moved from 3rd to 4th | 2% | 6.6K | -55.4% | -0.8 pointsmoved from 3rd to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 4th to 5th | 1.3% | 4.4K | -63.6% | -1 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.88% | 2.9K | -56.1% | -0.4 points |
74.5%
Held 1st. 246K estimated branded searches, -33.2% vs prior month. Share +4.2 points.
18.3%
Held 2nd. 60.5K estimated branded searches, -45% vs prior month. Share -2.7 points.
3.
SoFi3%
Moved from 5th to 3rd. 9.9K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.
4.
Earnest2%
Moved from 3rd to 4th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, -55.4% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.
5.
Ascent1.3%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, -63.6% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
6.
Citizens0.88%
Held 6th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, -56.1% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
Compare popularity between College Ave and its closest rivals
Every comparison with College Ave
5 comparisons
How has branded search demand for College Ave changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
2 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for College Ave in the United States held steady at 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, College Ave’s share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States peaked at 21% in August 2026 and was lowest at 15.4% in March 2026.
How did search popularity change for United States student loan lenders in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, SoFi overtook Earnest and Ascent to rank 3rd among student loan lenders in the United States, with 3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Sallie Mae gained share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States, from 70.3% to 74.5%.
In September 2026, College Ave lost share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States, from 21% to 18.3%.
In September 2026, Ascent lost share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States, from 2.3% to 1.3%.
In September 2026, Earnest lost share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States, from 2.8% to 2%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Citizens in the United States rose 20.8% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 2.9K in September 2026.
How are College Ave’s branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using College Ave’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- college ave
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