5 Excellent Student Credit Cards of 2023
If you’re in college and want to start building credit, check out these student credit cards, some of which are from our partners. Starting early can pay off in a big way down the road.
If you’re in college and want to start building credit, check out these student credit cards, some of which are from our partners. Starting early can pay off in a big way down the road.
Excellent Student Credit Cards From Our Partners
Recently Updated January 3, 2023
Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Intro APR | Regular APR | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website | Excellent for Bonus Cash Back Categories | $0 | N/A | 19.24%- | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Discover it® Student Cash Back Apply now 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 | 17.24%- | Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
Discover it® Student chrome Apply now 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 | 17.24%- | Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
Chase Freedom® Student credit card Apply now on Chase's website | Excellent for Simple rewards + Easy-to-Earn Bonuses | $0 | N/A | 19.24% Variable APR | Apply now on Chase's website |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply now on Chase's website | Excellent for Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred® | $0 | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers | 19.24%- | Apply now on Chase's website |
Excellent for
Bonus Cash Back Categories
on Capital One's website
on Capital One's website
$0
N/A
19.24%-29.24% Variable APR
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), with 1% on all other purchases
Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
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
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
on Capital One's website
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), with 1% on all other purchases
Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
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
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
on Capital One's website
Pros
No annual fee
Bonus categories
No rewards caps
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Cons
High APR
Excellent for
Cash Rewards for Students and Credit Newbies
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
$0
0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months
17.24%-26.24% Variable APR
INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
No credit score required to apply.
Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. 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.
Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
No credit score required to apply.
Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. 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.
Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
Pros
No annual fee
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Bonus categories
Intro APR period
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Cons
Complicated rewards
Excellent for
Rewards for Students
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
$0
0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months
17.24%-26.24% Variable APR
INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
No credit score required to apply.
Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. 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.
Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
No credit score required to apply.
Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. 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.
Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
Pros
No annual fee
Intro APR period
Qualify with average credit
Bonus categories
Cons
Complicated rewards
Excellent for
Simple rewards + Easy-to-Earn Bonuses
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
$0
N/A
19.24% Variable APR
$50 Bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases
No annual Fee
$20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years
Earn a credit limit increase after making 5 monthly payments on time within 10 months from account opening when meeting credit criteria
No minimum to redeem for cash back. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
Free credit score with Chase Credit Journey
on Chase's website
$50 Bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases
No annual Fee
$20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years
Earn a credit limit increase after making 5 monthly payments on time within 10 months from account opening when meeting credit criteria
No minimum to redeem for cash back. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
Free credit score with Chase Credit Journey
on Chase's website
Pros
No annual fee
Earns rewards
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
No bonus categories
Excellent for
Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
$0
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
19.24%-27.99% Variable APR
INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 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.
No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.24% - 27.99%.
No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
on Chase's website
INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 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.
No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.24% - 27.99%.
No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
on Chase's website
Pros
No annual fee
Intro APR period
High rewards rate
No minimum redemption amount
Cons
Requires good/excellent credit
A student credit card is a great first step in establishing a good credit history
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.