A student credit card is a great first step to building a good credit score. Building good credit may not seem like a priority when you are in school, but when you want to get financed to buy a car, buy a home or qualify for the best credit card offers, So you need a good credit score for all this. Your credit can also affect your job prospects and your ability to rent a home.
You need to keep in mind that simply being a college student may not be enough to get you an offer for a “Student” card. You will generally need access to income, and if you have unstable credit or no credit history, you may have a hard time getting approved. In that case, consider a secured credit card. These cards require you to deposit cash as collateral. If you fail to pay your bill, the deposit protects the issuer, reducing the risk of you being approved for the card.
Some of our picks for the best college student credit cards can be applied through NerdWallet, and some cannot. Below, you’ll find credit card application links from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by our full list of picks.
Best College Student Credit Cards
1. Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1%-8%
Cashback
INTRO OFFER
$100
RECOMMENDED CREDIT CARD SCORE
630689Average
Particularly among student cards, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card provides a combination of features that is difficult to match: triple rewards in several well-liked categories with no annual fee.
PROS & CONS
PROS – On Capital One Entertainment purchases, you’ll receive 8% cash back; on dining, entertainment, eligible streaming services, and grocery store purchases, you’ll receive 3% cash back; and on all other purchases, you’ll receive 1% cash back. You simply won’t find those great ongoing rates on many other credit cards in this category.
CONS – Keeping track of numerous bonus categories can be difficult for credit newcomers. It would be simpler to manage a rewards card with a flat rate.
CARD DETAILS
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases and an unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery shopping (but not at superstores like Walmart® and Target®).
- Earn $100 when you spend $100 in the first three months with this limited-time offer.
- Having $0 Fraud Liability gives you peace of mind because you won’t be held accountable for unauthorised charges.
- No annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or additional costs are allowed.
- If your card is lost, stolen, or misplaced, lock it in the Capital One Mobile app.
- Referring friends and family who are approved for a Capital One credit card can earn you up to $500 annually.
- When making reservations through the Capital One Entertainment portal, you can receive 8% cash back on entertainment purchases.
- Choose a monthly payment deadline that works for you.
- Utilize cards responsibly to increase your credit.
- This card may be an option for you if you attend a community college, 4-year university, or another higher education facility.
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2. Discover it® Student chrome
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1%-2%
Cashback
INTRO OFFER
Cashback Match™
RECOMMENDED CREDIT CARD SCORE
630689Average
For college students, Discover offers two excellent cards. With its low-maintenance rewards system and student-friendly bonus categories, the Discover it® Student chrome shines. Additional benefits include low fees, a free FICO score, and forgiveness for your first late payment. Additionally, Discover claims that this card does not require a FICO history.
PROS & CONS
PROS – For up to $1,000 in combined purchases per quarter at restaurants and gas stations, you can earn 2% cash back there and 1% cash back everywhere else. (You don’t need to “activate” your bonus rewards, in contrast to Discover’s other student card.) There is no yearly charge. Additionally, Discover offers its renowned bonus to new cardholders.
CONS – Discover is not as widely accepted abroad as other cards, despite the fact that there is no foreign transaction fee. If you intend to travel abroad, be sure to have a backup strategy.
CARD DETAILS
- Offer: Only from Discover, get unlimited cashback matching. At the end of your first year, Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned! Therefore, you could exchange $50 in cash for $100. or increase $100 to $200. There is no minimum or maximum reward amount. Just a match dollar for dollar.
- On combined purchases of up to $1,000 at gas stations and restaurants each quarter, earn 2% cash back. Additionally, automatically receive unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No credit history is necessary to apply.
- NEW! Your personal information can be deleted by Discover from some people-search websites. Free activation through a mobile app.
- With responsible use and no annual fee, you can improve your credit.
- 6 months of 0% intro APR on purchases are followed by a 15.99%–24.99% variable purchase APR as standard.
3. Discover it® Student Cash Back
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1%-5%
Cashback
INTRO OFFER
Cashback Match™
RECOMMENDED CREDIT CARD SCORE
630 To 689 Average
The Discover it® Student Cash Back card requires more effort than the average student card but offers generous rewards in quarterly bonus categories.
PROS & CONS
PROS – This card offers 5% cash back on spending up to $1,500 per quarter in rotating categories that you activate; all other purchases earn 1% cash back. Both the annual fee and the first late payment penalty are waived. Discover claims that there is no FICO history requirement for this card either.
CONS – When you first start using credit, having to activate bonus categories every three months can be a hassle, and some of the categories might not be appropriate for a student’s spending. If you’re studying abroad, keep in mind that Discover isn’t as widely accepted abroad but there isn’t a foreign transaction fee.
CARD DETAILS
- Offer: Only from Discover, get unlimited cashback matching. At the end of your first year, Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned! Therefore, you could exchange $50 in cash for $100. or increase $100 to $200. There is no minimum or maximum reward amount. Just a match dollar for dollar.
- Earn up to the quarterly maximum when you activate and earn 5% cash back on regular purchases at various locations every quarter, including Amazon.com, supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, and when you pay with PayPal. Additionally, automatically receive unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No credit history is necessary to apply.
- NEW! Your personal information can be deleted by Discover from some people-search websites. Free activation through a mobile app.
- With responsible use and no annual fee, you can improve your credit.
- 6 months of 0% intro APR on purchases are followed by a 15.99%–24.99% variable purchase APR as standard.
4. Chase Freedom® Student credit card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1%
Cashback
INTRO OFFER
$50
RECOMMENDED CREDIT CARD SCORE
690850Good – Excellent
The Chase Freedom® Student credit card provides a compelling combination of advantages to students looking for their first card, including rewards and bonuses, a relatively low APR, and upgrade options.
PROS & CONS
PROS – In addition to receiving bonus opportunities, you’ll receive 1% cash back on all purchases, a $50 bonus after your first purchase made within the first three months of account opening, and a $20 “good standing” bonus every year for up to five years. With a history of on-time payments, you can increase your credit limit (see terms). Chase also offers excellent cards that you could possibly upgrade to after you graduate. You can apply without having a credit history. The ongoing APR for credit newcomers is 17.99% Variable APR, which is lower than on many other cards.
CONS – There are other cards that offer richer rewards in certain categories or pay a higher cash-back rate on all purchases. This card is a bad option for studying abroad because it has a foreign transaction fee.
CARD DETAILS
- First purchase made within the first three months of account opening will receive a $50 bonus.
- Get 1% of all purchases back in cash
- No yearly fee
- $20 in Good Standing Rewards after every five-year anniversary of the account.
- When you meet the credit requirements and make 5 timely monthly payments within the first 10 months of account opening, your credit limit will be increased.
- No minimum is required to redeem cash back. As long as your account is active, cash back rewards never expire.
- Chase Credit Journey offers a free credit score.
5. Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1.5%-5%
Cashback
INTRO OFFER
$100
RECOMMENDED CREDIT CARD SCORE
630689 Average
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is easy to use, rewarding, and requires no additional steps.
PROS & CONS
PROS – The card has no annual fee and offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
CONS – You can find student cards that earn more than 1.5% back in well-liked bonus categories if you’re willing to put in more effort.
CARD DETAILS
- Earn a daily, unlimited 1.5% cashback on all purchases.
- Earn $100 when you spend $100 in the first three months with this limited-time offer.
- Having $0 Fraud Liability gives you peace of mind because you won’t be held accountable for unauthorised charges.
- No annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or additional costs are allowed.
- If your card is lost, stolen, or misplaced, lock it in the Capital One Mobile app.
- Referring friends and family who are approved for a Capital One credit card can earn you up to $500 annually.
- When making reservations through the Capital One Entertainment portal, you can receive 8% cash back on entertainment purchases.
- Choose a monthly payment deadline that works for you.
- Utilize cards responsibly to increase your credit.
- This card may be an option for you if you attend a community college, 4-year university, or another higher education facility.