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Our pick for
Cash-back rewards
on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264
on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
15.24% - 24.24% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 6 months
recommended credit score
Our pick for
No credit history and international students
on Deserve's secure website
on Deserve's secure website
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
20.99% Variable
Intro APR
N/A
recommended credit score
Our pick for
Incentives for responsible use
on Capital One's secure website
on Capital One's secure website
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
26.96% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
recommended credit score
Our pick for
Gas and restaurant rewards
on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264
on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
15.24% - 24.24% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 6 months
recommended credit score
Our pick for
Limited credit
on State Farm's secure website
on State Farm's secure website
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
17.24% - 25.24% Variable
Intro APR
N/A
recommended credit score
Our pick for
Secured card
on Capital One's secure website
on Capital One's secure website
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
26.99% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
recommended credit score
Summary of Best College Student Credit Cards of February 2019
Credit Card | Best For | Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discover it® Student Cash Back on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 | Cash-back rewards | 0% on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 15.24% - 24.24% Variable APR | $0 | on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 |
Deserve® Edu Mastercard for Students on Deserve's secure website | No credit history and international students | N/A | 20.99% Variable | $0 | on Deserve's secure website |
Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One® on Capital One's secure website | Incentives for responsible use | N/A | 26.96% Variable APR | $0 | on Capital One's secure website |
Discover it® Student chrome on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 | Gas and restaurant rewards | 0% on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 15.24% - 24.24% Variable APR | $0 | on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 |
State Farm® Student Visa® Credit Card on State Farm's secure website | Limited credit | N/A | 17.24% - 25.24% Variable | $0 | on State Farm's secure website |
Capital One® Secured Mastercard® on Capital One's secure website | Secured card | N/A | 26.99% Variable APR | $0 | on Capital One's secure website |
Credit Card | Best For | Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discover it® Student Cash Back on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 | Cash-back rewards | 0% on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 15.24% - 24.24% Variable APR | $0 | on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 |
Deserve® Edu Mastercard for Students on Deserve's secure website | No credit history and international students | N/A | 20.99% Variable | $0 | on Deserve's secure website |
Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One® on Capital One's secure website | Incentives for responsible use | N/A | 26.96% Variable APR | $0 | on Capital One's secure website |
Discover it® Student chrome on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 | Gas and restaurant rewards | 0% on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 15.24% - 24.24% Variable APR | $0 | on Discover's secure website, or call (800) 347-0264 |
State Farm® Student Visa® Credit Card on State Farm's secure website | Limited credit | N/A | 17.24% - 25.24% Variable | $0 | on State Farm's secure website |
Capital One® Secured Mastercard® on Capital One's secure website | Secured card | N/A | 26.99% Variable APR | $0 | on Capital One's secure website |
Who should apply for a student card
Student credit cards are designed for college students — but simply being enrolled as a college student is not enough to qualify for a student credit card.
Eligibility for student credit cards
- Federal law limits who can get credit cards under age 21. Issuers are prohibited from providing cards to people under 21 unless they have proof of independent income or a co-signer — someone who agrees to be responsible for the debt if the primary cardholder doesn't pay the bill. This can be a roadblock since most major credit card issuers don’t allow co-signers.
- Most issuers, but not all, require you to be a student to apply for a student card. Check the card's terms and conditions on the issuer's website for application eligibility. For example, the Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One® does not have an explicit student requirement, while the rules for the Discover it® Student Cash Back say, "You must be a college student."
Alternatives to student cards (and options for non-students)
- If you're under 21 and can't qualify on your own: Have a parent add you as an authorized user on one of their cards. You'll get a card with your name on it that you can use for purchases. Your parent is legally responsible for the debt. Authorized user status can also help you build a credit history.
- If you're over 21 and still have trouble qualifying: Even with a full-time income, it can be hard to qualify for a traditional credit card if you lack a credit history.
- Some startup companies have begun offering credit cards for people with no credit or limited credit. These issuers use alternative methods to evaluate applications — looking at income, employment status and assets rather than credit history, for example.
- Secured credit cards are another excellent option. They're easier to qualify for because they require a security deposit, which reduces the risk for credit card issuers. Use one to build a credit history, then move up to a better card.
- If you've already established credit and have independent income: Consider bypassing student cards entirely. You might qualify for a credit card that offers better rewards, a generous sign-up bonus or lower interest. If you’re not, these are some of the options you can look forward to as you establish good credit.
How to choose a student credit card
If you can meet the requirements to qualify for a student credit card, consider these factors in your search:
- Annual fee: When a card has no annual fee, it doesn't cost you anything to keep the account open after you move on to better offers. That can have a positive effect on the portion of your credit score tied to the length of your credit history.
- Sign-up bonus and rewards: Rewards and bonuses on student cards, when offered at all, may be smaller than on regular cards, but every little bit helps as a student.
- Reporting to credit bureaus: You want your good payment history to show up on credit reports produced by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. That can happen only if your issuer reports to the bureaus. Our recommended cards report to all three bureaus, with the exception of the Deserve® Edu Mastercard for Students, which says it reports to Experian and TransUnion.
- Foreign transaction fees: If you plan to travel or study abroad, look for a card that doesn’t charge extra fees on purchases made abroad.
- Upgrade opportunities: Check whether the issuer allows student cardholders to upgrade to a "regular" card when ready.
For more, see our guide to choosing a student credit card
How our favorites stack up
Card | Our pick for ... | Key benefits |
---|---|---|
Discover it® Student Cash Back | Cash-back rewards | • 5% cash back in rotating categories that you activate, on up to $1,500 per quarter in spending • 1% cash back on all other purchases • $20 annual statement credit available for good grades |
Deserve® Edu Mastercard for Students | No credit history and international students | • 1% cash back on all purchases |
Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One® | Incentives for responsible use | • 1% cash back on all purchases • 1.25% cash back for any month when you pay on time |
Discover it® Student chrome | Gas and restaurant rewards | • 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations on up to $1,000 in combined purchases per quarter • 1% cash back on all other purchases • $20 annual statement credit available for good grades |
Capital One® Secured Mastercard® | Secured card | • Potential access to a higher credit line without additional deposit after making your first five monthly payments on time. • Reports to all three credit bureaus |
State Farm® Student Visa® Credit Card | Limited credit | • 3 points per $1 spent on insurance premiums • 1 point per $2 spent on other purchases |
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen in multiple categories.
Last updated on January 31, 2019
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best College Student Credit Cards of February 2019
- Discover it® Student Cash Back: Best for Cash-back rewards
- Deserve® Edu Mastercard for Students: Best for No credit history and international students
- Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®: Best for Incentives for responsible use
- Discover it® Student chrome: Best for Gas and restaurant rewards
- State Farm® Student Visa® Credit Card: Best for Limited credit
- Capital One® Secured Mastercard®: Best for Secured card