How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.The Discover it® Student Cash Back is one of the best student credit cards because of its generous cash back rewards, valuable welcome offer and $0 annual fee. With beginner-friendly features like free FICO Score access and high-quality customer service, this card can be a great way to kickstart your credit history.
It offers a high cash back rate on specific categories (such as grocery stores and restaurants) that change every quarter and require activation. Another appeal is the card’s unique welcome offer that matches your cash back at the end of your first year.
If you’re willing to activate categories quarterly, this card could be right for you. But if you don’t want to deal with rotating categories, you may want to try the Discover it® Student Chrome or Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. And if you’re uninterested in categories at all and would prefer a simpler flat-rate student credit card, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students might be a better fit. (We’ll discuss these alternatives in detail below.)
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discover it® Student Cash Back
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on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
$0 | Unlimited Cashback Match
Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
| 1% - 5% cash back
|
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Discover it® Student Chrome
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
$0 | Unlimited Cashback Match
Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
| 1% - 2% cash back
|
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
|
$0 | $50 Cash Back
Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months
| 1% - 8% cash back
| ||
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students*
|
$0 | 25,000 points
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
| 1.5X points
Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases. |
Generous rewards rate on rotating categories
Cardholders earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
This is a high percentage that other student credit cards typically don’t offer. And although it only applies to the first $1,500 you spend on those categories, it’s still an easy way to earn an extra $300.
Here are the 2025 Discover it® Student Cash Back categories:
| Quarter | Discover bonus categories |
|---|---|
| Q1: January through March | Restaurants, home improvement stores and select streaming services |
| Q2: April through June | Grocery stores and wholesale clubs |
| Q3: July through September | TBA June 1 |
| Q4: October through December | TBA Sept. 1 |
First-year cash back match for new cardholders
This card offers a unique new cardmember offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
This is a particularly special feature, as there’s no minimum spending threshold to unlock the offer and no cap on how much you can earn. Many cash back cards — for students and even for others — require you to spend a large amount of money in a short period to get a welcome offer. Further, most offers have a cap on them of about $200. But with the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you can potentially earn more than that depending on how much you spend in your first year.
Intro offer on purchases and balance transfers
Most student cards don’t come with introductory offers on interest rates, so this one’s good if you need a bit more time to pay off your books or a new laptop, or you have some existing debt you want to refinance.
If you need to finance a large purchase over a few months, there’s a 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases from the date of account opening, followed by a 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR. You’ll also get a 10.99% Intro APR for 6 months on balance transfers, followed by a 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR.
However, if you need more time, consider the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students and its much longer intro period. That card has a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, then 18.24% to 28.24% Variable APR.
You can continue to use the credit card after you graduate
Once you graduate, you can still use your Discover it® Student Cash Back. You’ll get the same rewards rate, interest rate and terms and conditions. This is a great perk — it’ll save you from having to apply for another credit card and taking a ding to your credit score. Plus, keeping this card helps with the length of your credit history, an important factor in being able to qualify for auto and home loans in the future.
Bonus categories require activation
The Discover it® Student Cash Back’s highest bonus categories must be activated online each quarter, and this could be a hassle for some students who don’t want to bother or would prefer a card offering a flat-rate rewards program.
Spending cap on higher-rate purchases
The elevated cash back reward is limited to a maximum of $1,500 on purchases each quarter. But while a spending cap isn’t ideal, this is a generous one considering you can earn $300 each year if you max it out.
Low rewards rate on everything else
The rewards earnings rate for purchases that aren’t included in the bonus category, as well as purchases over the quarterly cap, is subpar. If you don’t spend a lot on the card’s bonus category during a particular quarter, this could mean lower cash back earnings for three months.
Not all of the bonus categories are in areas where college students spend money, so you may find that most purchases give you just 1%. You may be better off with a cash back credit card that offers a flat rate of rewards, like the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. It offers 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply).
Limited acceptance outside the U.S.
Discover boasts a 99% acceptance rate nationwide, but you may run into acceptance issues outside of the United States. This is an important factor if you plan to study or travel abroad during college. Discover has partnered with foreign payment processing networks in some countries, but you may find that its coverage is spotty even in those places.
On a positive note, Discover doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which typically cost 3% per transaction. While this may not seem like much, fees add up quickly especially if you’re using your credit card for purchases while traveling.
→ Find the best credit cards for international travel.
You can earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. This is a more modest rate than the Discover it® Student Cash Back, but you won’t have to enroll in any categories to earn the higher cash back rate. Plus, just like the Discover it® Student Cash Back, the Discover it® Student Chrome will match any cash back that you earn at the end of your first year.
The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card does have a potentially weaker sign-up bonus: Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months. With the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you can earn an equal — or higher — welcome offer by spending at least $5,000 throughout the year, assuming you’re only earning the 1% cash back rate (this comes out to $417 per month). The offer is much easier to obtain, and you can earn it sooner — but if you’re likely to use your card frequently and don’t mind waiting a year for your bonus, the Discover it® Student Cash Back‘s offer may be a better choice.
Unlike the two Discover student credit cards mentioned, the introductory APR for purchases is much longer. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students has a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, then 18.24% to 28.24% Variable APR.
If you’re willing to keep track of bonus categories to maximize your cash back with the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you can earn a solid amount of cash back while also building credit through responsible credit practices.
But if remembering to opt into the categories quarterly is too much of a hassle, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students may be a better fit since you get a higher flat-rate of rewards on every purchase. If your spending primarily falls into the dining, travel and entertainment categories, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card may be a better choice, since it offers elevated rewards. And finally, the Discover it® Student Chrome stands out if your biggest expenses are fuel and restaurants.
Whichever student credit card you choose, paying on time and keeping balances low will get you on your way to building an excellent credit score.
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For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
