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The 7 best student credit cards

A first credit card, used carefully, is one of the most valuable financial head starts there is. Here are the cards built for students, and the handful of habits that decide whether the card helps or hurts.

Last reviewed: · Reviewed by the TheSavvyAmericans editorial team

Important: Student cards carry the same high interest rates as other starter cards, and low credit limits make it easy to push your utilization ratio high with modest spending. Rewards rates, fees and approval requirements change, so verify current terms on the issuer's page. If you are under 21, federal law requires proof of independent ability to repay or a cosigner. Never treat a credit line as income, and clear the statement in full each month.

Key takeaways

  • 1Student cards are designed for people with little or no credit history, so approval standards are lower and the cards typically carry no annual fee. In exchange, credit limits usually start small.
  • 2Our top pick is the Discover it Student Cash Back, which pairs rotating bonus categories with a first-year cash-back match and no annual fee. If you would rather not track categories, the Capital One Quicksilver Student pays a flat rate on everything.
  • 3If you are under 21, the CARD Act requires you to show independent income or have a cosigner. Income from a part-time job, work-study or a regular allowance can count, so read the application question carefully.
  • 4The rewards are not the point. Your first card is a chance to build a spotless payment record, which will save you far more on future loans than any cash back you earn in college.
Advertising disclosure: TheSavvyAmericans may receive compensation when you apply for or open a product through links on this page. This does not influence our editorial evaluations. Products are reviewed using a documented methodology. Learn how we make money.

The 7 best student credit cards

We compared student cards on approval accessibility for thin credit files, the cost of holding the card, what it earns on the categories students actually spend in, and whether it grows with you after graduation. Rates, fees and rewards change, so we describe them structurally; confirm current terms before applying.

Student credit cards compared at a glance
#ServiceBest forRatingRewardsAnnual feeForeign transaction fee
1Discover it Student Cash BackBest overall student card4.7 / 5Rotating categoriesNone (verify current)None (verify current)
2Capital One Savor Student Cash RewardsBest for dining and entertainment4.5 / 5Fixed bonus categoriesNone (verify current)None (verify current)
3Chase Freedom RiseBest for building from zero4.4 / 5Flat-rate cash backNone (verify current)Yes (verify current)
4Discover it Student ChromeBest for gas and restaurants4.3 / 5Gas and restaurantsNone (verify current)None (verify current)
5Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash RewardsBest set-and-forget student card4.2 / 5Flat-rate cash backNone (verify current)None (verify current)
6Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for StudentsBest choose-your-own category4.1 / 5Choose-your-categoryNone (verify current)Yes (verify current)
7Bank of America Travel Rewards for StudentsBest for students traveling overseas4.0 / 5Flat-rate travel pointsNone (verify current)None (verify current)
#1Rank
Editor's ChoiceBest overall student card

Discover it Student Cash Back

4.7 / 5

The strongest all-round student card. It runs rotating quarterly bonus categories up to a spending cap, charges no annual fee, waives foreign transaction fees for study abroad, and matches all the cash back you earn in your first year, which is a meaningful sum on a student budget.

Pros

  • First-year cash-back match on everything you earn
  • No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
  • Free FICO score access
  • Accessible to thin credit files

Cons

  • Categories must be activated each quarter
  • Bonus earning capped per quarter
  • Discover acceptance abroad is narrower than Visa or Mastercard
Rewards
Rotating categories
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Credit needed
Limited or none
Visit Discover

Official site opens in a new tab

#2Rank
Best for diningBest for dining and entertainment

Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards

4.5 / 5

Savor Student concentrates its rewards on restaurants, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores, which describes most of a student budget with uncomfortable accuracy. No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.

Pros

  • Strong rates on dining, entertainment and streaming
  • Grocery-store bonus included
  • No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
  • Automatic credit-line reviews

Cons

  • Weak base rate outside bonus categories
  • Entertainment category can be narrowly defined
  • Starting credit limits are usually low
Rewards
Fixed bonus categories
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Credit needed
Limited or none
Visit Capital One

Official site opens in a new tab

#3Rank
Best first cardBest for building from zero

Chase Freedom Rise

4.4 / 5

Freedom Rise is designed specifically for people new to credit, with no annual fee and a flat cash-back rate on all purchases. Holding a Chase checking account with a balance improves your approval odds, and Chase reviews the account for an upgrade path into its wider rewards family.

Pros

  • Built for applicants with no credit history
  • Flat cash back on all purchases
  • No annual fee
  • Path into the wider Chase rewards family

Cons

  • Approval odds improve with a Chase deposit account
  • Charges a foreign transaction fee
  • Starting limits are typically modest
Rewards
Flat-rate cash back
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
Yes (verify current)
Credit needed
None required
Visit Chase

Official site opens in a new tab

#4Rank
Best simple categoriesBest for gas and restaurants

Discover it Student Chrome

4.3 / 5

The simpler Discover student card: a fixed bonus on gas stations and restaurants up to a quarterly cap, with nothing to activate, plus the same first-year cash-back match and no annual fee.

Pros

  • Fixed categories, no quarterly activation
  • First-year cash-back match
  • No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
  • Free FICO score access

Cons

  • Lower ceiling than the rotating-category version
  • Bonus capped quarterly
  • Narrower international acceptance
Rewards
Gas and restaurants
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Credit needed
Limited or none
Visit Discover

Official site opens in a new tab

#5Rank
Best flat rateBest set-and-forget student card

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards

4.2 / 5

One flat cash-back rate on everything, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and nothing to activate. For a student who would rather not think about their credit card at all, that is exactly the right feature set.

Pros

  • Flat rate on every purchase
  • No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
  • Nothing to track or activate
  • Automatic credit-line reviews

Cons

  • Flat rate trails the best bonus categories
  • No first-year match
  • Low starting limits
Rewards
Flat-rate cash back
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Credit needed
Limited or none
Visit Capital One

Official site opens in a new tab

#6Rank
Best flexibilityBest choose-your-own category

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students

4.1 / 5

The student version of Bank of America's category card lets you pick your top bonus category and change it monthly, with an automatic bonus at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Useful if your spending shifts between semesters.

Pros

  • Choose and change your bonus category
  • Grocery and wholesale club bonus
  • No annual fee
  • Preferred Rewards boost if you bank with BofA

Cons

  • Quarterly cap on bonus earning
  • Charges a foreign transaction fee
  • Best rates require a banking relationship
Rewards
Choose-your-category
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
Yes (verify current)
Credit needed
Limited or none
Visit Bank of America

Official site opens in a new tab

#7Rank
Best for study abroadBest for students traveling overseas

Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students

4.0 / 5

A student travel card with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, earning flat-rate points that can be redeemed as a statement credit against travel purchases. It is the sensible pick if a semester abroad is on the calendar.

Pros

  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No annual fee
  • Flat-rate points on all purchases
  • Points redeem against travel purchases as statement credit

Cons

  • Points cannot transfer to airline or hotel partners
  • Flat rate is modest without a banking relationship
  • Limited perks compared with adult travel cards
Rewards
Flat-rate travel points
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Credit needed
Limited or none
Visit Bank of America

Official site opens in a new tab

Ratings are TheSavvyAmericans editorial scores based on the criteria in the methodology section below, not user reviews or paid placements. Features and pricing change often, so confirm the current details on each provider’s official site before you sign up.

How we picked and scored these cards

We rank independently, and compensation does not set the order. For a first card, we weight accessibility and cost far above rewards, because the point of a student card is to start a credit file cleanly rather than to maximize earnings on a small budget.

  • Accessibility: realistic approval odds for an applicant with little or no credit history.
  • Cost: annual fees, foreign transaction fees and penalty terms, since a student card should cost nothing to hold.
  • Earning on student spending: dining, gas, groceries and streaming rather than airline lounges.
  • Study-abroad usefulness: whether the card charges foreign transaction fees and how widely the network is accepted.
  • Growth: credit-line reviews and a path to a full rewards card after graduation.

Good to know: Ratings are our editorial assessments, not user reviews. Rewards rates, fees and approval criteria vary by applicant and change, so verify current terms on the issuer's application page.

What the CARD Act means if you are under 21

The Credit CARD Act of 2009 changed how issuers can market to and approve young adults, largely in your favor. If you are under 21, an issuer cannot approve you on the strength of a credit line alone: you have to show an independent ability to repay, or apply with a cosigner who accepts responsibility for the debt.

  • Independent income can include wages from a part-time or summer job, work-study earnings, and in many cases regular allowances or scholarship funds you can access. Read the application question and answer it accurately.
  • A cosigner is jointly responsible for the balance, and the account can affect their credit as well as yours. Many major issuers no longer offer cosigning at all.
  • Being an authorized user on a parent's card is a common alternative. The account history can appear on your report, but the primary cardholder remains legally responsible.
  • Credit-limit increases before you turn 21 generally require the same proof of income or cosigner consent.

Good to know: Student loan disbursements are borrowed money, not income. Counting them as income on a credit-card application misrepresents your ability to repay, and it sets you up to borrow against borrowing.

Five habits that make a first card work

  1. 1Put one predictable expense on the card and pay the statement in full every month. Autopay makes this automatic.
  2. 2Keep your balance low against your limit. On a small student limit, a single large purchase can spike your utilization ratio even if you pay it off.
  3. 3Never take a cash advance. There is normally no grace period, and interest starts the day you withdraw.
  4. 4Check your statement monthly for charges you do not recognize. Federal protections on credit cards are strong, but you have to report the problem.
  5. 5Keep the account open after graduation. It is likely to become your oldest account, and age of history is a scoring factor you cannot rebuild later.

Good to know: The single most valuable thing a student card produces is not cash back. It is four years of unbroken on-time payments, which is exactly what a mortgage or auto lender will be looking at a few years from now.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a credit card as a student with no income?
It is difficult if you are under 21, because federal law requires issuers to verify an independent ability to repay or obtain a cosigner. Part-time work, work-study earnings and in many cases regular allowances can count as income on the application. If none of those apply, becoming an authorized user on a parent's card, or opening a secured card, are the usual alternatives.
What credit limit will I get on a student card?
Starting limits on student cards are typically small, which is deliberate: they cap the damage a new cardholder can do. Most issuers review the account after several months of on-time payments and raise the line automatically, and you can usually request an increase after a year of clean history.
What happens to my student card after I graduate?
Nothing automatic, in most cases. Some issuers upgrade student accounts into their standard rewards cards once you are out of school, and others simply leave the account as is. Keep it open regardless, since it will likely be your oldest credit account, and add a stronger card alongside it rather than replacing it.
Is a student card better than a secured card?
If you can qualify for one, yes, because a student card requires no security deposit and usually earns rewards. A secured card is the fallback when you cannot get approved for a student card, or when you have no income to report. Both build credit the same way, through reported on-time payments.

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