How to pay off $150K in student loan debt: 9 strategies that work in 2026

Student loan debt has exploded, with graduate degree holders owing up to $102,790 Borrowers can explore options like refinancing, consolidating, or adding a cosigner to manage payments The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act created “legacy” and “new” borrowers with different repayment options The cost of getting an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree has exploded since the turn of the century. According to EducationData.org, the average graduate degree holder owes up to $102,790 in cumulative federal student loan debt, and for students in some professions who attend private schools, that number can be three or four times higher. Paying off $150,000 in student loan debt can feel like a substantial undertaking, even for borrowers who are making above-average salaries. But it can be done