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September 30, 2021
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This article was last updated September 30, 2021 . Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
As if college exams and the post-graduation job hunt aren’t enough to think about while you’re a college student, there’s another thing that should be on your radar — building a great credit score.
A good credit score can help you get approved for your first apartment lease or the best interest rates on a car loan. The easiest way to build credit during college is to open a student credit card, although you must be at least 18 years old and have a source of income to qualify.
We’ve chosen the best student credit cards through a review of cards available on LendingTree and from major issuers. We highlight the pros and cons of each card, and will also answer some common questions about student cards.
| Best Student Credit Cards of October 2021 | |
| Best cashback student card | Discover it® Student Cash Back |
| Best student card for selecting a cashback rewards category based on your spending | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students |
| Best student card for flat-rate cashback rewards | Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
| Best card for international students | Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students |
| Best student card for an easy-to-earn sign-up bonus | Chase Freedom® Student credit card |
| Best student card for travel | Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students |
| Best student card for dining, entertainment, and groceries | Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
As long as you remember to activate the quarterly categories, this card offers one of the highest cashback rates you can earn with a student card.
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate, 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
There’s also a unique sign-up bonus for new cardmembers. Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. For example, the maximum cashback potential if you max out the $1,500 cap in the 5% categories each quarter will net you a total of $600 in cash back the first year thanks to the match.
There’s a spending limit on the 5% cashback rate. Once you spend $1,500 in the current quarter’s category, your earning rate drops to 1% until the next quarter.
Also, you must activate the 5% categories each quarter, otherwise you’ll earn just 1% cash back.
The Discover it® Student Cash Back is designed for students looking to establish and build their credit through responsible card usage, and they can monitor their progress with Discover’s free Credit Scorecard tool. With Credit Scorecard, scores are refreshed every month, and it sends alerts for any unusual activity.
As long as you remember to activate the quarterly categories, this card offers one of the highest cashback rates you can earn with a student card.
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate, 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
There’s also a unique sign-up bonus for new cardmembers. Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. For example, the maximum cashback potential if you max out the $1,500 cap in the 5% categories each quarter will net you a total of $600 in cash back the first year thanks to the match.
There’s a spending limit on the 5% cashback rate. Once you spend $1,500 in the current quarter’s category, your earning rate drops to 1% until the next quarter.
Also, you must activate the 5% categories each quarter, otherwise you’ll earn just 1% cash back.
The Discover it® Student Cash Back is designed for students looking to establish and build their credit through responsible card usage, and they can monitor their progress with Discover’s free Credit Scorecard tool. With Credit Scorecard, scores are refreshed every month, and it sends alerts for any unusual activity.
This is a flexible card with a generous cashback rate that allows you to select a cashback category based on your spending. Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, up to $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter, and 1% back on all other purchases.
For your 3% category, you can select from gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings. Cash back can be redeemed in several ways:
Automatic redemption is available only for deposits to an eligible Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® or Merrill Edge® account and start at $25. However, if you manually redeem rewards into these accounts, there’s no minimum redemption amount. New cardmembers can also earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
When in college, it’s a good idea to get a head start on building a positive credit history. A $0 annual fee student card, such as the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students, can help you do that while earning rewards. It is geared to those with good credit. Plus, new cardholders are eligible for an intro APR on purchases of 0% introductory APR for the first 12 statement closing dates following the opening of your account. After, a variable APR of 13.99% to 23.99% will apply.
Finally, there’s also an intro APR on balance transfers: 0% Introductory APR for the first 12 Statement Closing Dates following the opening of your account for transactions made within 60 days of opening your account. After, a 13.99% to 23.99%, variable APR will apply. The balance transfer fee is 3% of each transaction (minimum $10).
This is a flexible card with a generous cashback rate that allows you to select a cashback category based on your spending. Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, up to $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter, and 1% back on all other purchases.
For your 3% category, you can select from gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings. Cash back can be redeemed in several ways:
Automatic redemption is available only for deposits to an eligible Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® or Merrill Edge® account and start at $25. However, if you manually redeem rewards into these accounts, there’s no minimum redemption amount. New cardmembers can also earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
When in college, it’s a good idea to get a head start on building a positive credit history. A $0 annual fee student card, such as the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students, can help you do that while earning rewards. It is geared to those with good credit. Plus, new cardholders are eligible for an intro APR on purchases of 0% introductory APR for the first 12 statement closing dates following the opening of your account. After, a variable APR of 13.99% to 23.99% will apply.
Finally, there’s also an intro APR on balance transfers: 0% Introductory APR for the first 12 Statement Closing Dates following the opening of your account for transactions made within 60 days of opening your account. After, a 13.99% to 23.99%, variable APR will apply. The balance transfer fee is 3% of each transaction (minimum $10).
There’s no fuss with different cashback rates for different purchase categories with this card. Earn a flat cash back rate on everything — 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. This is a competitive flat rate and is better than the 1% rate you may see on some other cards.
There are four ways to redeem your cash back: as a statement credit, a check, as credits towards previous purchases or gift cards.
You can also set up automatic redemptions, either at a set time each calendar year or whenever your rewards reach a certain threshold ($25, $50, $100, $200, $500 or $1,500).
Rewards don’t expire (though if your account is closed, you’ll lose rewards you haven’t redeemed) and there’s no limit to how much you can earn on purchases.
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good credit card for students who want to build credit, take advantage of a simple cashback program and carry a card with a $0 annual fee. But make sure you can pay off the card in full every month, because the 26.99% (variable) APR is quite high, meaning that you could incur expensive interest charges by rolling over a balance.
There’s no fuss with different cashback rates for different purchase categories with this card. Earn a flat cash back rate on everything — 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. This is a competitive flat rate and is better than the 1% rate you may see on some other cards.
There are four ways to redeem your cash back: as a statement credit, a check, as credits towards previous purchases or gift cards.
You can also set up automatic redemptions, either at a set time each calendar year or whenever your rewards reach a certain threshold ($25, $50, $100, $200, $500 or $1,500).
Rewards don’t expire (though if your account is closed, you’ll lose rewards you haven’t redeemed) and there’s no limit to how much you can earn on purchases.
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good credit card for students who want to build credit, take advantage of a simple cashback program and carry a card with a $0 annual fee. But make sure you can pay off the card in full every month, because the 26.99% (variable) APR is quite high, meaning that you could incur expensive interest charges by rolling over a balance.
Whether you’re an American student with no credit history or a foreign student studying at a U.S. college, the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students is aimed at applicants with good/fair/limited credit, and doesn’t require an SSN number for international students to apply — though you won’t build credit until you link one.
You’ll also earn 1% unlimited cash back on ALL purchases.
College students looking for a simple cashback card and the ability to try Amazon Prime Student can benefit from the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students. The cashback program is straightforward — no rotating categories or activation required, simply earn 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases.
Plus, this card has a great Amazon Prime Student subscription offer that will pay for your membership for a year. And finally, it’s a great choice for international students studying in the United States, because it doesn’t require a Social Security number (SSN) to apply and it has a foreign transaction fee of none. However, it won’t build credit history without an SSN linked to the account.
Whether you’re an American student with no credit history or a foreign student studying at a U.S. college, the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students is aimed at applicants with good/fair/limited credit, and doesn’t require an SSN number for international students to apply — though you won’t build credit until you link one.
You’ll also earn 1% unlimited cash back on ALL purchases.
College students looking for a simple cashback card and the ability to try Amazon Prime Student can benefit from the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students. The cashback program is straightforward — no rotating categories or activation required, simply earn 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases.
Plus, this card has a great Amazon Prime Student subscription offer that will pay for your membership for a year. And finally, it’s a great choice for international students studying in the United States, because it doesn’t require a Social Security number (SSN) to apply and it has a foreign transaction fee of none. However, it won’t build credit history without an SSN linked to the account.
Earn a $50 bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening.
For ongoing rewards, earn 1% cash back on all purchases plus $20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years.
The annual fee is $0 and the APR is a reasonable 14.99% variable.
While many credit cards require you to spend a certain amount on purchases within a specific time frame to earn a sign-up bonus, the Chase Freedom® Student credit card keeps things simple. Since this card just requires that you make a purchase within three months of opening the account, and doesn’t have a spending target you have to hit, it’s a great choice for students who are on a budget and are trying to limit their risk of overspending.
Plus, the interest rate is lower than you might find on some other student cards. We always recommend paying your card off in full every month to avoid incurring interest — but if for some reason you have to roll over a balance once in a while, the Chase Freedom® Student credit card‘s 14.99% variable APR is lower than many other student cards.
Be aware of the foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars, however. If you’re planning to study abroad, this might not be the card to take with you.
Earn a $50 bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening.
For ongoing rewards, earn 1% cash back on all purchases plus $20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years.
The annual fee is $0 and the APR is a reasonable 14.99% variable.
While many credit cards require you to spend a certain amount on purchases within a specific time frame to earn a sign-up bonus, the Chase Freedom® Student credit card keeps things simple. Since this card just requires that you make a purchase within three months of opening the account, and doesn’t have a spending target you have to hit, it’s a great choice for students who are on a budget and are trying to limit their risk of overspending.
Plus, the interest rate is lower than you might find on some other student cards. We always recommend paying your card off in full every month to avoid incurring interest — but if for some reason you have to roll over a balance once in a while, the Chase Freedom® Student credit card‘s 14.99% variable APR is lower than many other student cards.
Be aware of the foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars, however. If you’re planning to study abroad, this might not be the card to take with you.
For students who want a travel card with decent flat-rate rewards, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a good choice. Earn 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases.
The sign-up bonus lets you earn 25,000 online bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening. This can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel and dining purchases, and is a great value for a student card.
It’s never too early to build credit, and starting during college is a great way to establish a good credit score. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a $0 annual fee student card that can help you build credit and earn rewards on every purchase. And since the foreign transaction fee is 0%, this card is a good one to take if you’re planning to study abroad at some point in your educational journey.
This is a flat-rate rewards card, so there are no rotating bonus categories to select every quarter for a higher cashback rewards rate. This can be a good fit for students who may be forgetful or don’t want to deal with changing rewards. Plus, the card offers an intro APR on purchases of 0% for first 12 months. After, a 13.99%-23.99% variable APR applies.
For students who want a travel card with decent flat-rate rewards, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a good choice. Earn 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases.
The sign-up bonus lets you earn 25,000 online bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening. This can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel and dining purchases, and is a great value for a student card.
It’s never too early to build credit, and starting during college is a great way to establish a good credit score. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a $0 annual fee student card that can help you build credit and earn rewards on every purchase. And since the foreign transaction fee is 0%, this card is a good one to take if you’re planning to study abroad at some point in your educational journey.
This is a flat-rate rewards card, so there are no rotating bonus categories to select every quarter for a higher cashback rewards rate. This can be a good fit for students who may be forgetful or don’t want to deal with changing rewards. Plus, the card offers an intro APR on purchases of 0% for first 12 months. After, a 13.99%-23.99% variable APR applies.
Earn 3% Cash Back on dining and entertainment; 3% Cash Back on popular streaming services; 3% Cash Back at grocery stores; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023.
For a card with a $0 annual fee, those cashback rates are hard to beat. Beware that the APR is high at 26.99% (variable).
Whether you like to dine out at restaurants or cook at home, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card will reward you for that while also helping you build credit. Plus, if you enjoy going out for entertainment, you’ll appreciate that this card’s entertainment rewards category includes the following:
Earn 3% Cash Back on dining and entertainment; 3% Cash Back on popular streaming services; 3% Cash Back at grocery stores; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023.
For a card with a $0 annual fee, those cashback rates are hard to beat. Beware that the APR is high at 26.99% (variable).
Whether you like to dine out at restaurants or cook at home, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card will reward you for that while also helping you build credit. Plus, if you enjoy going out for entertainment, you’ll appreciate that this card’s entertainment rewards category includes the following:
Legally, you must be 18 years old and have a source of income to be able to qualify for a credit card. For college students who meet these requirements, a credit card can be a useful tool to build credit — which will be important after graduation for renting an apartment, getting a car loan and even for some job applications.
Get a credit card and follow these best practices:
To make sure your credit is on the right track, it’s good to keep an eye on your credit score. There are a variety of ways to check your credit score for free.
If you aren’t ready for the responsibilities of having your own credit card, another way to build credit is to ask a family member to add you as an authorized user on one of their cards. However, make sure it’s a card with a good payment history and without a lot of debt.
Student cards are different from regular credit cards in that they are typically issued with lower credit limits and have easier approval odds than credit cards marketed to people with more extensive credit histories.
Since students generally have less experience managing credit products, card issuers tend to compensate for that risk by keeping credit limits low. Once you prove yourself more creditworthy over time — by paying on time every time and keeping your balance under control — you can ask your issuer to upgrade you to another card, request a credit limit increase on your existing card or apply for a new card altogether.
Student cards are unsecured cards geared toward applicants who are college students. Secured cards are available to any applicant, college student or otherwise and require you submit a security deposit to the credit card issuer, protecting them in case you don’t pay back what you charge to the card. Typically, the amount of your security deposit will become your credit limit.
Many student cards may indeed earn cash back or points. However, with a student card, it’s better to focus on building credit than earning rewards. You don’t want the temptation of rewards to encourage overspending and lead to debt.
While the credit cards with the best benefits and rewards typically require good or excellent credit history, there are cards for people with no credit.
Cards designed for college students, like the cards listed in this article, are a good place to start.
Many of the cards listed in this article are fine choices for your first credit card. For more options, see our list of best credit cards for beginners.
Be aware that no card offers a guaranteed approval. When you apply, the issuer will consider a variety of factors, including your income, how much debt you’re carrying and your credit score.
Credit scores for young adults tend to be low, and a short credit history means potential creditors and lenders don’t have much information on timely payments. LendingTree researchers looked at the anonymized credit reports of more than 250,000 cardholders between the ages of 18 and 22 and found that having an active credit card or being an authorized user on someone else’s credit card can make a substantial difference in their credit scores.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
