Earnest vs Sallie Mae:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sallie Mae had more branded searches than Earnest among student loan lenders in the United States. Sallie Mae had about 246,000 branded searches, while Earnest had 6,600. Sallie Mae made up 74.5% of all student loan lender searches we track, and Earnest accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about student loan lenders, Earnest appeared in four of the five answers and Sallie Mae in two. Earnest was mentioned before Sallie Mae in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Sallie Mae, about 37 searches for every 1 for Earnest
Who does AI mention more?
Earnest, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Sallie Mae in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Earnest, named ahead of Sallie Mae in every answer
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Top student loan lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Earnest was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sallie Mae was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Earnest was listed before Sallie Mae in every answer.
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.
Is Earnest or Sallie Mae more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Earnest and Sallie Mae by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six student loan lenders we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Sallie Mae, Earnest. 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% |
How has the Earnest and Sallie Mae comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sallie Mae was ahead of Earnest in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Earnest’s share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States moved from 1.3% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 6.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sallie Mae’s share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States moved from 75.3% to 74.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 246K.
How did search popularity change for United States student loan lenders in September 2026?
3 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, Earnest lost share of searches among student loan lenders in the United States, from 2.8% to 2%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Earnest’s and Sallie Mae’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Earnest
1 branded search term
- earnest student loans
Sallie Mae
1 branded search term
- sallie mae
Other head-to-heads among student loan lenders
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