Best Credit Cards for College Students

Applying for a credit card requires the applicant to have a credit history and stable income. College students are ineligible for most standard credit cards since they having no consistent job and no credit story. A credit card can help students to pay for things like a concert ticket or an electronic equipment by installment. More importantly, using cards responsibly during school is a big step toward establishing a good credit score. To satisfy students' needs and build brand loyalty, many credit networks launch cards with cash back, rewards and other perks tailored to appeal to college students.

Like other regular credit cards, student credit cards also come with different features like 0% introductory offers, no annual fees, high rewards and more. To help students pick the best card, here we've rounded up some of the best cards in the student card category with detailed evaluations.

Table of Contents

No.1 Discover it® for Students

discover-it-for-students
4.8
on Capital One's secure website
Card Details
Purchases Intro APR 0% for 6 months
Balance TRansfers Intro APR 10.99% for 6 months
Regular APR 13.74% - 22.74% Variable
Annual Fee $0
Credit Needed No Credit
Benifits
  • Cash back match all you’ve earned the first year
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for six months
  • 5% cash back each quarter in particular categories
  • No annual fee
  • No penalty interest rate
Pros

You can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 purchases every quarter in specific categories. It also pays 1% cash back on all the other spending. There’s no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and no penalty fee for paying late once. Late payments will not increase your annual percentage rate. Additionally, if you get at least 3.0 GPA for a school year, you will get an extra $20 cash back from Discover.

Cons

If you want the 5% cash back, you need to activate the bonus categories every quarter by logging in to your account online or calling Discover, or you will just earn 1% cash back in the qualifying categories.

Summary

The Discover it for Students credit card offers great cash back rewards for college students who have no credit history. With no annual fee and no late payment penalty interest, the card is an excellent choice.

More about the card
Full Card review

No.2 Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®

journey-student-rewards-from-capital-one
4.7
on Capital One's secure website
Card Details
Purchases Intro APR N/A
Balance TRansfers Intro APR N/A
Regular APR 20.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee $0
Credit Needed No Credit
Benifits
  • Bonus cash back for on-time payments
  • Higher credit lines after on-time payments
  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
Pros

Normally, users can earn 1% cash back on all purchases they make, and Capital One will reward users with a 25% bonus on earned cash back each month they make payments on time. Plus, the card charges no annual fee or foreign transaction fees. Your card is under fraud coverage in case it's lost or stolen.

Cons

The interest rate is fixed at 20.99%, which is almost twice as high as other student credit cards. Also, you may also be given a credit limit as low as $300 based on your credit profile.

Summary

With its 25% cash back bonus, it's a great card for students who pay on time. However, if you cannot make your payment on time, the high-interest rate will cost you a lot of money.

More about the card
Full Card review

No.3 Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card for College Students

citi-thankyou-preferred-card-for-college-students
4.9
on Capital One's secure website
Card Details
Purchases Intro APR 0%* for 7 months on Purchases*
Balance TRansfers Intro APR N/A
Regular APR 14.99% - 24.99%* (Variable)
Annual Fee $0*
Credit Needed Good
Benifits
  • Great rewards &extra perks in many forms
  • Redeem points for travel, cash and more
  • 0% APR on new purchases for seven months
  • No annual fee
Pros

With 1 point for every dollar spent on general purchases and 2 points for every dollar on restaurants and entertainment, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card for College Students is a great choice for students who like to go out for fun after school. If you spend $500 within the first three months, you can earn 2,500 bonus points. All the points you earn can be redeemed for cash, gift cards, travel, and more.There’s also no annual fee, and no expiration date to the points users can earn. The card also has some extra perks including travel insurance and purchase protection.

Cons

With a regular APR of 14.99-24.99%, the card will cost much money on interest for people carrying a large balance. Even worse, the card has a strict penalty rule which will raise your APR to 29.99 percent if miss a payment or pay late.

Summary

The Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card for College Students is a good choice for college students who enjoy eating out and looking for fun during off-school days. People who carry a large balance or make late payments should consider other cards.

More about the card
Full Card review

No.4 Discover it® chrome for Students

discover-it-chrome-for-students
4.8
on Capital One's secure website
Card Details
Purchases Intro APR 0% for 6 months
Balance TRansfers Intro APR 10.99% for 6 months
Regular APR 13.74% - 22.74% Variable
Annual Fee $0
Credit Needed Average
Benifits
  • Good grades cash back rewards
  • 2% cash back on gas and restaurants
  • Cash back match the first year
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for six months
  • No annual fee
Pros

Discover it® chrome for Students has similar features with Discover it® for Students like cash back for good grades, a dollar-for-dollar match and other features. The difference is that Discover it® chrome for Students give you 2% cash back on gas and restaurants spend up to $1,000 each quarter.

Cons

If you have no car or eat at home, you may benefit less from this card than the Discover it® for Students card which will earn you 5% cash back in rotating categories. You can redeem the rewards you get for a gift card, but you need to have at least $20 in your account.

Summary

It depends on your daily spending habit to decide which card is best for you, Discover it® chrome for Students or Discover it® for Students. If you often drive to school and eat out a lot, this card can earn you great rewards.

More about the card
Full Card review

No.5 Wells Fargo Cash Back CollegeSM Card

wells-fargo-cash-back-college-card
4.8
on Capital One's secure website
Card Details
Purchases Intro APR 0% for 6 months
Balance TRansfers Intro APR 0% for 6 months
Regular APR 12.15% - 22.15% Variable
Annual Fee $0
Credit Needed Average
Benifits
  • 0% APR for 6 months
  • Generous intro cash back rewards
  • Flexible rewards redemption options
  • No annual fee
Pros

The Wells Fargo Cash Back College℠ Card offers 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, and then a variable ongoing rate from 12.15% to 22.15% based on your creditworthiness. You can earn 1% cash back rewards on all of your purchases. Moreover, for the first six months, you can earn 3% cash back reward on gas, grocery, drugstore. All the cash rewards are redeemed in $25 increments, and you can choose to have them deposited into your Wells Fargo account or apply the rewards as a credit to Wells Fargo products.

Cons

If you want to apply online, you need to open a checking account first with a minimum deposit of $25.

Summary

With a great 3% cash back bonus for the first six months and a comparatively low ongoing APR, the Wells Fargo Cash Back College℠ Card is highly recommended for university students especially those who carry large balances.

More about the card
Full Card review

No.6 BankAmericard Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students

bankamericard-cash-rewardsr-credit-card-for-students
4.7
on Capital One's secure website
Card Details
Purchases Intro APR 0% for 12 billing cycles
Balance TRansfers Intro APR 3% of each transaction (minimum $10)
Regular APR 13.99% - 23.99%
Annual Fee $0
Credit Needed Average
Benifits
  • 1% cash back on all purchases
  • 3% cash back on gas
  • Bonus rewards in first 3 months
  • No annual fee
  • Long 0% APR period
Pros

Cardholders of BankAmericard Cash Rewards Card for Students can earn 3% cash back on gas and 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 spent per quarter, plus 1% cash back on the other purchases. Moreover, if you make $500 or more purchases in the first 90 days, you will be given $150 online cash rewards bonus. Every time you redeem cash back into your Bank of America® checking or savings account, you will get a 10% customer bonus. There's no annual fee and no expiration on rewards.

Cons

It charges a 29.99 percent penalty APR and a $37 late payment fee whenever cardholders miss a payment. Also, the 13.99% - 23.99% APR range is relatively high compared to other cards.

Summary

For cash-strapped students, this BankAmericard Cash Rewards card will definitely be a lifesaver with its large percent cash back rewards. But it's not a good choice for people carrying a big balance.

More about the card
Full Card review