A student credit card gets you started building credit while you’re in school, which will help you later on with renting an apartment, getting a job, and getting insurance. Student cards can also be easier to get than other unsecured cards (though every issuer has its own criteria). We’ve picked out some cards that are great for students to build credit because they also have:
No annual fee
Perks and rewards
Find a card you like and apply today.
Show summary
Discover it® Student Cash Back: Best for Cash Rewards for Students and Credit Newbies
Discover it® Student Chrome: Best for Rewards for Students
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Bonus Cash Back Categories
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Intro APR | Regular APR | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discover it® Student Cash Back Apply Now on Discover's website, on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 | Excellent for Cash Rewards for Students and Credit Newbies | $0 | 0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 18.24%-27.24% Variable APR | Apply Now on Discover's website, on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
Discover it® Student Chrome Apply Now on Discover's website, on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 | Excellent for Rewards for Students | $0 | 0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 18.24%-27.24% Variable APR | Apply Now on Discover's website, on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card Apply Now on Capital One's website on Capital One's website | Excellent for Bonus Cash Back Categories | $0 | N/A | 19.99%-29.99% Variable APR | Apply Now on Capital One's website on Capital One's website |
Excellent for Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred® | $0 | 0% intro APR on purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months | 20.49%-29.24% Variable APR | Apply Now on Chase's website on Chase's website |
Excellent for: Cash Rewards for Students and Credit Newbies
Excellent for: Rewards for Students
Excellent for: Bonus Cash Back Categories
Excellent for: Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Building good credit might not seem like a priority when you're still in school, but you'll need it down the road if you want to finance a car, buy a house or qualify for the best credit card offers. Your credit can even affect your job prospects and your ability to rent an apartment.Be aware that simply being a college student may not be enough to qualify you for a “student” card. You’ll generally need access to income, and if you have shaky credit or no credit history at all, you may find it hard to get approved. In that case, consider a secured credit card. These cards require you to put down a cash deposit as collateral. The deposit protects the issuer in case you fail to pay your bill, which reduces the risk of approving you for a card. If you’re in the market for a new card, here are some of our favorite offers for student credit cards.