4 Excellent Student Credit Cards of 2023
Nerdy Tip: Start strong on your credit-building journey by using your new credit card carefully. Keep your balance below 30% of your total credit limit, and pay your bill in full each month to avoid interest. Apply today and you could have a card in hand by the time you start school.
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.
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NerdWallet's Excellent Student Credit Cards of 2023
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Bonus Cash Back Categories
Discover it® Student Cash Back: Best for Cash Rewards for Students and Credit Newbies
Discover it® Student Chrome: Best for Rewards for Students
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Excellent Student Credit Cards From Our Partners
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 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 |
 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 |
| 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: Bonus Cash Back Categories
- 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
- 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
- View Rates & Fees
Excellent for: Cash Rewards for Students and Credit Newbies
- 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! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back 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 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—automatically.
- 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. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- 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 18.24% - 27.24% applies.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- View Rates & Fees
Excellent for: Rewards for Students
- 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! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back 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, automatically. 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. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- 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 18.24% - 27.24% applies.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- View Rates & Fees
Excellent for: Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
- 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 Travel, 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 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.
- 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 20.49% - 29.24%.
- 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, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
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.
