As a student, your money matters. The right credit card could help you stretch your budget further — whether it's earning cash back on everyday purchases, managing expenses with a low intro APR, or collecting travel rewards for trips home or adventures with friends. Check out these featured offers from our partners below, and apply for your next credit card today.
| Credit Card | Financebuzz Rating | Welcome Bonus | Rewards Rate | Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Discover it® Student Cash Back |
Excellent for high-rate cash back categories
4.75
|
Cashback Match™
|
1% - 5%
Cash back
|
Purchases:
0%, 6 months
Balance Transfer:
10.99%, 6 months
|
17.24% - 26.24% Variable
|
$0
|
2025 award winner Best Student Credit Card For Living Off Campus /images/2024/12/18/capital_one_savor_student_card_art.png)
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
5.0
|
$50
Cash Bonus
|
1% - 8%
Cash Back
|
Purchases:
N/A, N/A
Balance Transfer:
N/A, N/A
|
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
|
$0
|
|
2025 award winner Best for Dining Out /images/2025/01/22/chase-freedom-unlimited-1.22.2025.png)
Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
Excellent for cash back on traveling and dining
4.7
|
$250
Bonus
|
1.5% - 5%
Cash Back
|
Purchases:
0%, 15 months
Balance Transfer:
0%, 15 months
|
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
|
$0
|
/images/2024/12/16/bofa-customized-student.png)
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students
Apply Now
on Bank of America's secure website
|
Excellent for top-notch rewards for students
4.75
|
$200
|
1% - 3%
Cash back
|
Purchases:
0%, 15 billing cycles
Balance Transfer:
0%, 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
|
18.24% - 28.24% Variable
|
$0
|
|
2025 award winner Best Student Credit Card for Building Credit /images/2024/12/13/discover_it_student_chrome_card_art_-_12-13-24.png)
Discover it® Student Chrome |
Excellent for cash back on gas + restaurants
4.55
|
Cashback Match™
|
1% - 2%
Cash back
|
Purchases:
0%, 6 months
Balance Transfer:
10.99%, 6 months
|
17.24% - 26.24% Variable
|
$0
|
|
2025 award winner Best Student Credit Card /images/2025/02/18/capital_one_quicksilver_card_art_-_2-18-25.png)
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
4.75
|
$50
Cash Bonus
|
1.5% - 5%
Cash Back
|
Purchases:
N/A, N/A
Balance Transfer:
N/A, N/A
|
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
|
$0
|
/images/2024/12/16/bofa-travel-rewards-students.png)
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students
Apply Now
on Bank of America's secure website
|
Excellent for straightforward travel rewards for students
4.8
|
25,000
Points
|
1.5X - 3X
Points
|
Purchases:
0%, 15 billing cycles
Balance Transfer:
0%, 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
|
18.24% - 28.24% Variable
|
$0
|
Today's Top Credit Cards for Students
Discover it® Student Cash Back
If you're looking for a student credit card, the Discover it® Student Cash Back(Rates and fees) is a solid choice. This card lets you enjoy astounding cash back — up to 5%! Even better: Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. That's double the cash back on purchases your first year!
Earn a powerful 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases automatically. And, the annual fee is $0!
You can also take advantage of a 0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases, then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR. This is a great way to finance purchases as needed for schooling, housing, and food while at school.
Click here to apply for the Discover it® Student Cash Back now.
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
2025 award winner Best Student Credit Card For Living Off Campus
If you're a student, you could rack up solid cash back on dining and groceries with this card — up to 8% on certain categories! — with the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card(Rates and fees). Plus, earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months!
Earning categories are powerful across the board. Earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal; unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores (excluding superstores such as Walmart® and Target®); and 1% on all other purchases.
This card is truly a fantastic choice if you want to maximize your earnings for entertainment, grocery, and travel, all while maintaining a solid earning rate for all other purchases. Plus, the annual fee is $0. Foreign transaction fee: None!
Click here to apply for the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card now
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
LIMITED-TIME OFFER
🚨 LIMITED-TIME OFFER: The Chase Freedom Unlimited®(Rates and fees) lets you earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Don't wait to apply — this rare offer won't be around forever!
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card could be perfect for you if you're a student and want to earn hefty cash back. You can earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Even better: Enjoy a 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After the intro period, the APR is 18.99% - 28.49% Variable. That means you can pay 0% interest during the intro period on large purchases or if you transfer your existing credit card balance!
Annual fee: $0
Click here to apply for Chase Freedom Unlimited® now.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students
Whether you need to make purchases for school materials, housing, food, or travel, you can maximize your cashback rewards with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students. Plus, earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening!
With this powerful rewards card, you can 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 choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and 1% cash back on all other purchases — all with an annual fee of $0. For the top rate, categories include: dining, drugstores, gas/EV charging, home furnishings, online shopping, or travel.
You can also save big on interest with a generous 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and qualifying balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable).
Click here to apply for the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students now.
Discover it® Student Chrome
2025 award winner Best Student Credit Card for Building Credit
The Discover it® Student Chrome(Rates and fees) is the perfect card if you're in college and you want a simple rewards rate for earning cash back — an easy up to 2% cash back! Plus, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. That's double the cash back on purchases your first year!
Our editors also love this card for its simplicity: Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The annual fee is $0, and you'll also get a great intro APR on purchases. Enjoy a 0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases, then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR. Finance purchases as needed for schooling, housing, and food!
Click here to apply for the Discover it® Student Chrome now.
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
2025 award winner Best Student Credit Card
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card(Rates and fees) is a fantastic choice it you're a student who wants a card with straightforward earning potential. You could net yourself plenty of cash back — up to 5% on certain purchases! Even better: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months!
This card is great for everyday earnings, and also a powerful choice if you like to travel. You can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The annual fee is $0. And the foreign transaction fee? None! You can also enjoy extended warranty protection on eligible purchases.1 <p class="">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.<br></p>
Click here to apply for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card now
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students
Planning a trip this year or thinking about studying abroad? Then you need to know about this card. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students has a $0 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and you can earn 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
You can earn additional points just by using this card for your everyday purchases — unlimited 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center and 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. Imagine being able to use your 25,000 bonus points to cover all or a portion of flights this year!
Even better: This card lets you enjoy a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable. If you're a student — and you love to travel — the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students can help you get where you want to go.
Click here to apply for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students now.
Bottom Line
If you're a student, the Discover it® Student Cash Back(Rates and fees) is a great choice. You can benefit from a generous welcome offer, earn up to 5% cash back, and enjoy an introductory no-interest period on purchases — all without an annual fee!
- Cash Back Rewards: Earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Amazing Welcome Offer: Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
No Caps on Welcome Bonus Rewards: There is no minimum spending threshold and no maximum to the amount of cash back rewards you can earn with the first-year welcome bonus.
- Low Intro APR: Enjoy a 0% introductory APR for 6 months on purchases. After the intro period, the APR is 17.24% - 26.24% Variable.
- $0 Annual Fee: On top of no annual fees, there are no foreign transaction fees.
Benefits Card Details Intro Offer
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Annual Fee $0 Why we like it
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Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about student credit cards? We've answered the most common ones below to help you choose the right card.
Many college students have limited or no credit history. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get approved for a student credit card. The best card for you depends on many factors, like the categories you spend the most money on, your current credit history, and how much effort you want to spend maximizing categories. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there is a great student credit card for nearly everyone.
Yes! It is possible to get a credit card without a job — with some stipulations. Generally, you must be at least 18 years of age to apply for a credit card and if you’re under 21 you’ll need to provide proof of your financial assets or income. Otherwise, you’ll need to have a parent, guardian, or another trusted adult co-sign on the credit card for you.
You'll also most likely need to provide your Social Security number. If you are an international student and you don't have a Social Security number, you may still have options when it comes to applying for a student credit card. Be sure to call the credit card issuer and find out what their requirements are.
The FICO score is the most commonly used metric to rate credit. According to the FICO scale, a “good” credit rating is between 670-739 for anyone, including students.
Usually not. Each credit card issuer requires proof that you’re enrolled in school, but each also has different definitions. For some cards you must provide proof you’re attending a 2- or 4-year college, while others only check to make sure you meet the income and credit minimums. If you already have a student card when you graduate, some issuers will allow you to keep your student card, but others require that you change to a different card or upgrade your card once you’re no longer a student.
Just as with a regular personal credit card, the credit limit or credit line available to you as a student will vary based on your creditworthiness. Typically, though, student credit cards have lower credit limits compared to regular personal credit cards. Sometimes you will be automatically considered for a higher credit line after you make a number of on-time monthly payments.
They’re worth it because they could help you build your credit history while you’re in school. That could lead to better financial opportunities after graduation, such as qualifying for a car loan or mortgage. It also helps that student credit cards are typically easy to qualify for since they have less strict requirements.
How we chose these cards
FinanceBuzz evaluated a selection of cards from our partners, looking at various criteria including length of intro APR period, fees, and bonus offers. We did not review all cards in the category and compensation was considered when evaluating and ordering the cards.