I do think the snowball method also makes sense mathematically, depending on the loan terms and what you're optimizing for. If your loans have a minimum paymen

I do think the snowball method also makes sense mathematically, depending on the loan terms and what you're optimizing for. If your loans have a minimum payment and a penalty for missing a payment above and beyond interest (which seems to be common for loans in the US), the snowball method gives you more flexibility. Paying off a loan completely eliminates that part of your monthly minimum payment. If in 2 or 5 years your income decreases unexpectedly (layoff, etc.), but by that point you've completely eliminated 1 or more loans, you're more likely to be able to continue making minimum payments.