How popular isSoFi?
In September 2026, people searched for SoFi by name about 88,300 times in the United States, a 41.7% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 3% of all United States student loan lender searches, placing SoFi third out of six lenders. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about student loan lenders, SoFi appeared in three of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the six.
SoFi is the third most searched of 6 competitors and the second 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, SoFi was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. SoFi is the second 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 SoFi?
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 SoFi and its closest rivals
Every comparison with SoFi
36 comparisons
- Avant vs SoFi
- Happen Bank vs SoFi
- LendingClub vs SoFi
- LightStream vs SoFi
- National Debt Relief vs SoFi
- SoFi vs Upstart
- Bluevine vs SoFi
- Freedom Debt Relief vs SoFi
- Prosper vs SoFi
- OnDeck vs SoFi
- Money Management International vs SoFi
- GreenPath Financial Wellness vs SoFi
- SoFi vs Wells Fargo
- Achieve vs SoFi
- College Ave vs SoFi
- Sallie Mae vs SoFi
- Lendio vs SoFi
- Credible vs SoFi
- Earnest vs SoFi
- Discover vs SoFi
- SoFi vs U.S. Bank
- Ascent vs SoFi
- Bank of America vs SoFi
- Better vs SoFi
- Chase vs SoFi
- loanDepot vs SoFi
- Mr. Cooper vs SoFi
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs SoFi
- Pennymac vs SoFi
- Rate vs SoFi
- Rocket Mortgage vs SoFi
- SoFi vs Truist
- SoFi vs UWM
- SoFi vs Veterans United
- Citizens vs SoFi
- Kabbage vs SoFi
How has branded search demand for SoFi changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
2 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for SoFi in the United States rose from 62.3K to 88.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SoFi’s share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States peaked at 4.4% in May 2026 and was lowest at 2.3% in August 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 SoFi’s branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using SoFi’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- sofi loans
- sofi mortgage
- sofi student loan refinance
Do you work for SoFi? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Where does SoFi compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage lenders | 13th of 13 | 0.19% | Show ranking |
| Personal loan platforms | 6th of 9 | 10.9% | Show ranking |
| Debt consolidation services | 3rd of 8 | 17.9% | Show ranking |
| Lending platforms | 3rd of 7 | 21.7% | Show ranking |
| Student loan lenders | 3rd of 6 | 3% | Shown above |
Is SoFi your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.