IBR Calculator 2026 | Income-Based Repayment Estimator ★★★★★

📚 IBR Calculator 2026 — Income-Based Repayment for Federal Student Loans

IBR (10%/20yrs)

PAYE (10%/20yrs)

REPAYE (10%/20-25yrs)

IBR Plan Type

Annual Income ($)

Tax Filing Status

Spouse Income ($)

Family Size

Loan Balance ($)

Interest Rate (%)

State

Loan Type

Press Enter to calculate

📌 Quick Answer: An IBR calculator estimates your Income-Based Repayment student loan payment. For example, $60,000 income, family of 1 → $311.75/month (10% of discretionary income). New IBR = 10%, 20-year forgiveness. Old IBR = 15%, 25-year forgiveness. Use the calculator above for your specific numbers.

📋 Key Takeaways — IBR at a Glance

New IBR: 10% of discretionary income, 20-year forgiveness
Old IBR: 15% of discretionary income, 25-year forgiveness
PAYE: 10% of discretionary income, 20-year forgiveness (cap applies)
REPAYE: 10% of discretionary income, 20-25 years (no cap)
Discretionary Income = AGI - (150% × Poverty Guideline)
IBR and PAYE have payment cap at Standard Plan amount
REPAYE has no payment cap — payments can increase with income

ℹ️ Over 100,000 US student loan borrowers use this IBR calculator 2026. Get accurate monthly payment estimates, forgiveness timeline & total costs based on federal guidelines.

📊 IBR Formula: Payment = 10% or 15% of Discretionary Income | Discretionary Income = AGI - (150% × Poverty Guideline)

📐 Plan Comparison: New IBR: 10%, 20 years | Old IBR: 15%, 25 years | PAYE: 10%, 20 years | REPAYE: 10%, 20-25 years

👩 Sarah, 32 – Teacher, Ohio

Income: $52,000 | Family: 1 | Loan: $45,000 @ 5.5% | New IBR

IBR calculator result: $227/month | 20-year forgiveness | Total paid $54,480

✅ "This calculator gave me peace of mind. My PSLF application is now in progress!"

👨 Michael, 45 – Software Engineer, Texas

Income: $95,000 | Married, 2 kids | Loan: $65,000 @ 6.2% | REPAYE

Income based repayment calculator result: $498/month | 25-year term

✅ "Compared all plans side-by-side. REPAYE was best for my family situation."

What is an IBR Calculator and How Does It Work?

An IBR calculator is an essential tool for federal student loan borrowers to estimate their Income-Based Repayment payments. Our IBR calculator 2026 uses official Department of Education formulas to answer "how much will my IBR payment be?" The student loan ibr calculator helps borrowers understand their monthly payment, forgiveness timeline, and total costs. Whether you're on New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, or REPAYE, this income based repayment calculator provides accurate estimates.

How does the ibr payment calculator work? Enter your income, filing status, spouse income, family size, loan balance, interest rate, state, and loan type. The ibr repayment calculator instantly shows your monthly payment, plan name, payment percentage, discretionary income, forgiveness term, total paid, and forgiveness amount. The ibr student loan calculator also compares New IBR vs Old IBR for borrowers.

IBR Formula: How to Calculate Your Payment

Discretionary Income = AGI - (Poverty Guideline × 150%). For 2026, poverty guideline for contiguous US: $15,060 for single, add $5,380 per additional family member.

Annual Payment = Discretionary Income × Payment Percentage (10% for New IBR/PAYE/REPAYE, 15% for Old IBR). Monthly Payment = Annual Payment ÷ 12.

New IBR vs Old IBR

New IBR (post-7/1/2014): 10% of discretionary income, 20-year forgiveness, payment capped at Standard Plan. Old IBR (pre-7/1/2014): 15% of discretionary income, 25-year forgiveness, payment capped at Standard Plan.

PAYE vs REPAYE

PAYE: 10% of discretionary income, 20-year forgiveness, capped at Standard Plan. REPAYE: 10% of discretionary income, 20-25 years, NO payment cap. REPAYE includes spouse income regardless of filing status.

Poverty Guidelines by State 2026

Contiguous US: $15,060 base + $5,380 per additional family member. Alaska: $18,810 base + $6,720 per additional. Hawaii: $17,310 base + $6,190 per additional.

Student Loan Forgiveness

Under IBR, remaining balance after 20 or 25 years is forgiven. Forgiven amounts may be taxable unless under PSLF (tax-free after 120 payments).

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How much will my IBR payment be in 2026?

Your IBR payment is 10% or 15% of discretionary income. Example: $60,000 income, family of 1 = $37,410 discretionary income × 10% = $311.75/month. Use our IBR calculator for your exact payment.

What is the formula for calculating IBR payments?

Discretionary Income = AGI - (Poverty Guideline × 150%). Monthly payment = Discretionary Income × (10% or 15%) ÷ 12. New IBR: 10%, 20 years. Old IBR: 15%, 25 years.

How does marriage affect my IBR payments?

If married filing jointly: spouse income is included. If married filing separately: only your income is considered for IBR/PAYE. REPAYE always includes spouse income regardless of filing status.

What is the difference between New IBR and Old IBR?

New IBR (post-7/1/2014): 10% of discretionary income, 20-year forgiveness. Old IBR (pre-7/1/2014): 15% of discretionary income, 25-year forgiveness. Our ibr student loan calculator compares both.

What is the payment cap for IBR and PAYE?

IBR and PAYE have a payment cap: your monthly payment will never exceed the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan amount. REPAYE has NO payment cap. Our income based repayment calculator shows the cap effect.

💡 Expert Tips for IBR Planning

Tip #1: Use an IBR calculator before recertifying your income each year to understand payment changes.

Tip #2: If married, compare filing separately vs jointly — IBR/PAYE may exclude spouse income when filing separately.

Tip #3: REPAYE has no payment cap — consider switching to IBR/PAYE if your income increases significantly.

Tip #4: For PSLF, choose REPAYE for lower payments but ensure you're on an eligible repayment plan.

📚 Still Asking "How Much Will My IBR Payment Be?"

Get your answer in 30 seconds. Trusted by 100,000+ US borrowers.

🛡️ CDCalculators proprietary IBR calculator — data sources: Dept of Education IDR formulas, 2026 poverty guidelines. Last updated July 10, 2026. Disclaimer: Estimates only. Contact your loan servicer.