If you're a student without established credit, there are plenty of credit cards designed for people like you.
Once you boost your credit score by responsibly using one of the best student credit cards for some time, you may be able to upgrade to one of the best credit cards that earn lucrative rewards.
Best Student Credit Cards
- Best overall: Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Best flat-rate cash back: Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Best flat-rate cash back with 0% intro APR: Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students
- Best for travel: Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
- Best for extended 0% intro APR: BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students
- Best for 5% cash back categories: Discover it® Student Cash Back
- Best for gas and dining: Discover it® Student Chrome
- Best for building credit: Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card
- Best for students without SSNs: Firstcard® Credit Builder Card with Cashback for College Students
Featured Student Credit Cards
$0
N/A
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Earn a $50 cash bonus
Average, Fair, Limited
- Good welcome bonus with an easy spending requirement
- Strong 3% cash back earning in popular everyday spending categories for students like dining, entertainment, eligible streaming services, and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Only available to college students
The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great pick for students who spend a lot on food and going out, because it earns 3% cash back on dining, groceries (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), streaming, and entertainment.
Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
- Earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal
- Build your credit with responsible card use
- Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
$0
N/A
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Earn a $50 cash bonus
Average, Fair, Limited
- Good welcome bonus with an easy spending requirement
- Solid cash back earning on all purchases with no bonus categories to track
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Only available to college students
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good choice for students who prefer a cash-back credit card but don't want to keep track of multiple bonus categories.
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- Lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it's misplaced, lost or stolen
- Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
- Build your credit with responsible card use
- Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
$0
0% intro APR for six months on purchases
17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match®
Fair/New to Credit
- From January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%
- Discover matches your cash back after the first year
- Not the most rewarding cash-back card for non-bonus purchases
The Discover it® Student Cash Back is a great choice if you're a student with limited credit history and want to earn a strong rate of cash back on your everyday spending without paying an annual fee.
Discover it Student Cash Back- Intro 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.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- No credit score required to apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 17.24% - 26.24% applies.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best Overall
The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great pick for students who spend a lot on dining, groceries, entertainment, and eligible streaming services.
You'll earn 3% cash back in all of these categories with no limits, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
You can earn a $50 cash bonus once you spend $100 on purchases within three months of account opening. That's a low minimum spending requirement that most students can easily reach.
The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card also offers very good benefits for a student card, including price protection, extended warranty, car rental coverage, roadside dispatch, travel accident insurance, and complimentary concierge services.
Read more in our Capital One Savor Card review.
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back
If you're a student with no time to keep track of bonus categories and prefer straightforward cash back on all your purchases, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good choice.
The welcome offer is $50 cash bonus once you spend $100 on purchases within three months of account opening.
With this card, you can earn a lot of cash back quickly — all eligible purchases earn 1.5% back, with no caps. It also comes with benefits you don't often find on student credit cards including price protection, extended warranty, car rental coverage, roadside dispatch, travel accident insurance, or complimentary concierge services.
Read more in our Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards credit card review.
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students: Best Flat-Rate Cash Back Card With a 0% Intro APR
For those who prefer the simplicity of not having to keep track of bonus categories, the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students is a strong choice.
Along with a welcome bonus offer of $200 cash rewards bonus after making $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days from account opening, this card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no caps.
New cardholders can also take advantage of an excellent 0% intro APR for your first 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account, followed by a 16.99% - 26.99% Variable APR.
Whether you need to pay off your school supplies over time or are looking to splurge on a spring break trip, having a period of 0% interest can save you money.
If you want to transfer a balance and pay it down before interest kicks in, check out our picks for the best balance transfer credit cards for more options.
There's no annual fee. But be aware the card adds foreign transaction fees, so it's not a good choice for international travel.
Read more in our Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards for Students review.
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students: Best for Travel
Students who love to travel — especially overseas — should have a look at the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students.
Just like the non-student version, this card comes with a welcome bonus of 25,000 online bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days from account opening (redeemed as a $250 statement credit toward travel and dining purchases).
Each point is worth 1 cent when you redeem for statement credits toward travel purchases, including airfare, hotels, rental cars, campgrounds, and even certain tourist attractions.
This is a good card if you don't want to mess with complicated award charts or blackout dates, and its earning structure is simple: 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases, with no categories to keep track of.
You'll also get a 0% intro APR for your first 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account (then a 17.99% - 27.99% Variable APR) and no foreign transaction fees when you use the card on your adventures abroad.
Read more in our Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students review.
BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students: Best for Extended 0% Intro APR
With one of the longest zero-interest credit card offers around (even among non-student credit cards), the BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students could be exactly what you need if you're carrying high-interest credit card debt or have large purchases coming up — like school expenses — you can't pay off all at once.
New cardholders receive a 0% intro APR for the first 21 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening (then a 15.74% - 25.74% Variable APR).
However, the BankAmericard® for Students doesn't come with a welcome bonus or earn rewards for spending, so it's not a good choice unless you're specifically looking for an ultra-long intro APR.
Read more in our BankAmericard for Students review.
Discover it® Student Cash Back: Best for 5% Cash Back Categories
The Discover it® Student Cash Back can put a lot of cash in your pocket — if you're willing to do a little work for it.
When you activate the promotion every three months, you can earn 5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined spending (then 1%), and 1% back on everything else.
Discover's 5% cash-back categories often include popular merchants or types of purchases like grocery stores, restaurants, and Amazon (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).
While the card doesn't offer a welcome bonus, Discover matches all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. You'll also receive a $50 statement credit if you refer a friend and they're approved.
With the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you'll get a 0% intro APR for six months on purchases (then a 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR), and if you accidentally slip up and make a late payment, there's no fee the first time it happens (afterward, it's up to $41).
Read more in our Discover it Cash Back card review.
Discover it® Student Chrome: Best for Gas and Dining
The Discover it® Student Chrome is almost identical to the Discover it® Student Cash Back, with one key difference.
Instead of offering 5% rotating quarterly cash-back categories, Discover it® Student Chrome cardholders earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined spending each quarter (then 1%). All other purchases earn a flat 1% cash back.
The Discover it® Student Chrome's spending cap on 2% categories is quite low: $1,000 per quarter, or about $333 a month. But if you can maximize this bonus, it's worth an extra $20 per quarter.
Students who don't spend a lot in these categories or who want better rewards overall will likely do better with a different card.
Read more in our Discover it Student Chrome card review.
Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card: Best for Building Credit
While it's not technically a student credit card, the Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card (card issued by WebBank) is a good option for young adults with very limited or no credit history.
The issuer doesn't just rely on traditional credit scores for approval; it also considers other factors such as banking history, income, and savings. What's more, activity on this card is reported to all three major credit bureaus, which can give your credit score a boost over the long term if you pay off your balance on a consistent basis.
This is another card that gives cardholders an incentive to pay on time. Starting out, you'll earn 1% cash back on eligible purchases, but after making six on-time payments, you'll earn 1.25% back. After 12 months of paying on time, you'll get a bump up to 1.5% back. You'll also have the opportunity to earn bonus cash back (up to 10%) at select merchants.
Another bonus: The Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card doesn't charge any fees, including for foreign transactions or late payments. However, the card doesn't offer balance transfers or cash advances like most others do.
Read more in our Petal 2 Visa credit card review.
Firstcard® Credit Builder Card with Cashback for College Students: Best for Students Without SSNs
Students who don't have a Social Security Number or other federal identification often struggle to enter the U.S. banking system and begin building credit and other foundations for financial success.
The Firstcard® Credit Builder Card with Cashback for College Students is designed to sidestep that obstacle. Firstcard offers a joint bank account and secured credit card product that doesn't require a credit pull for approval.
Your credit "limit" on the Firstcard is equal to the amount of money you've deposited into your Firstcard bank account, which is used as security against your charges. Firstcard reports payment activity to major credit bureaus every month, which helps cardholders begin building credit.
Firstcard members earn interest on the money kept in the bank account. Base-tier members earn 1.25% annual percentage yield (APY), and members who pay $2.99 per month for Firstcard+ membership earn 4.25% APY.
Members also earn up to 10% cash back on every purchase, with additional bonuses available from select retail partners.
The Firstcard® Credit Builder Card with Cashback for College Students does not charge any of the usual card fees (unless you choose Firstcard+): No account management fees, annual fees, no interest, no late fees, no overdraft fees, no setup fees, and no foreign transaction fees.
Student Credit Card Customer Insights
In addition to working with credit card experts to compile this guide, Business Insider's personal finance team reviewed current cardholder posts on popular social forums such as Reddit to see what they had to say.
Discover is Friendly to New Credit Applicants
Several commenters say that they were able to apply for Discover credit cards and receive instant approval, even with no prior credit history. Many Discover cardholders said they liked the Discover it® Student Cash Back for easy rewards.
The primary difference between this card and the non-student Discover it® Cash Back is the amount of credit typically extended to the applicant, as well as the APR. But both of these factors vary from person to person. Discover cardholders can keep their student cards as-is after graduation, or upgrade to a standard card if they choose.
Capital One Bonus Categories: Perfect for Student Budgets
The top Reddit recommendation aligns with our own in this guide: The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is perfect as a first card for students.
Several commenters highlighted the card's lack of annual fees and foreign transaction fees, making it simple for a young adult to maintain. They also pointed out that the card's bonus categories align well with a typical student's budget, earning 3x on dining, groceries, streaming subscriptions, and entertainment such as live shows, sports games, and concerts.
Once the cardholder has built sufficient credit history to qualify for a travel rewards card such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, they can pool rewards earned from the student card with the premium card to book travel through the Capital One portal or by transferring miles to Capital One transfer partners.
Student Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, student credit cards can be used for both educational and non-educational expenses. They are versatile financial tools that can help manage everyday expenses and build credit simultaneously.
College students should consider opening a student credit card as a great first step in building a solid credit history that will help them in years to come. As long as you use it responsibly, avoid carrying a balance, and make your payments on time, having a student credit card can help improve your credit score and make it easier to qualify for other types of credit, like loans and mortgages, in the future.
The best student credit card for you depends on your spending habits and the types of rewards you like to earn. The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is great for groceries, dining, and entertainment expenses. Alternatively, a flat-rate rewards card such as the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card or Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students could be a better pick.
Yes, you can get a student credit card in high school if you're at least 18 years old. If you're underage, you could still become an authorized user on a parent or guardian's credit card until you're old enough to apply for your own.
After you graduate, your student credit card may get converted by your bank into an equivalent, regular credit card. For instance, Discover it® Student Cash Back cardholders will have the Discover it® Cash Back card instead, but still earn the same rewards. You might also have the opportunity to upgrade your student card to a regular version that earns better rewards, depending on your issuer and credit profile.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Student Credit Cards
We looked at several factors when evaluating the top student credit cards that are currently available to new applicants:
- Simplicity — Does the card make it easy to redeem rewards, if any, and have a straightforward program? Are there lots of complicated terms and conditions?
- Earning potential — Does the card earn rewards, and do the bonus categories line up with typical student spending habits?
- Welcome bonus — Student cards that offer a welcome bonus or other incentives are appealing, especially for those on a tight budget who could use a rewards boost.
- Options for different types of students — We included cards that appeal to all kinds of users, from products with a 0% APR offer to travel points and cash-back credit cards.
Learn more about how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.
