As a student, you can start to build credit by getting a student credit card. The best student credit cards to build credit are not only designed to help you start building good credit habits but also allow you to earn some great perks and rewards along the way.
Whether you're looking for a credit card that rewards you for good grades, a credit card with the most cash rewards, a credit card that can get you the most travel points, or one that's easy to use as an international student, there's a credit card in this list that's the best one for you.
Best Student Credit Cards to Build Credit
- Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®
- Discover it® Student Cash Back
- Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Students
- Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students’ Rewards
- Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®
Best for First Credit Card
Pros
- No Annual Fee
- Good for building credit with limited or no prior credit history
- Can Qualify with low credit score
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Cons
- Higher APR
- More rewards on other cards
- No Introductory bonus
Rewards Rate
Earn 1% cash back on net purchases
Earn extra 0.25% cash back for on-time payment
Intro APR
N/A
Standard APR
26.99% Variable APR
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Needed
580-740
Highlights
- Earn 1% cashback on net purchases, and rewards never expire
- Make payment early and earn an extra 0.25% (total 1.25%) cashback on purchases that month
- No foreign transaction fees, so feel free to make international purchases
- No annual fees and no deposit required
- Higher credit card line review in 6 months
- $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen
- View your balance, recent transactions, and pay your credit card bill on the go with Eno, the Capital one assistant
- Get free unlimited access to monitor your credit profile with Creditwise
- Coverage for damage due to collision or theft on eligible auto rentals that are purchased with your credit card
- Get free extended warranty protection at no charge on eligible items that are purchased with your credit card
- Set up Autopay to automatically pay your monthly credit card bill
- You can pick a monthly due date of your choice
Discover it® Student Cash Back
Best Student Credit Card for Good Grades
Pros
- No Annual Fee
- 0% intro APR for the first year
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Free FICO credit score
- No Penalty fee on the first late payment
Cons
- Discover is not accepted widely internationally.
- You have to remember to activate cashback categories to earn rewards
Rewards Rate
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases each quarter
Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 1st year
Standard APR
12.99% to 21.99% Variable APR
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Needed
630-689
Highlights
- Get $20 statement credit each school year if your GPA is 3.0 or higher for up to the next five years.
- Earn 5% cashback on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
- Earn unlimited 1% cashback on all other purchases automatically.
- Get automatic cashback match on cash back earned at the end of the year.
- There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
- Redeem rewards for cash at any time and also use rewards at amazon at anytime
- Get fraud alerts on suspicious credit activity.
- Freeze card when lost or stolen.
- 0$ fraud liability when your card is lost or stolen
Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Students
Best Student Credit Card for Cash Bonus
Pros
- No Annual Fee
- Intro Cash Bonus
- Intro Bonus APR
Cons
- There's a 3% balance transfer fee.
- Quarterly limit on the 3% and 3% cashback reward categories
Rewards Rate
Earn 3% and 2% cash back on select category each quarter
Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 1st year
Standard APR
13.99% – 23.99% Variable APR
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Needed
620-659
Highlights
- Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
- Enjoy 3% and 2% cashback on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter
- Earn 1% cashback on all other purchases
- You can change the choice category for future purchases once each calendar month or make no changes, and it stays the same.
- Monitor your credit with free unlimited access to your FICO Score
- Redeem your cash rewards for any amount, anytime for statement credits, deposits made directly into a Bank of America® checking or savings account, or for credit to an eligible account with Merrill.
- Get overdraft protection by linking a checking account. Terms may apply
Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students' Rewards
Best Credit Card for International Students
Pros
- No Annual Fee
- No International transaction fees
Cons
- No balance transfer allowed
- There are higher rewards form other cards
Rewards Rate
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases
Intro APR
N/A
Standard APR
18.74% Variable APR
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Needed
601-850
Highlights
- Get free Amazon Prime Student for a year after you make purchases of up to $500 in the first 3 months
- Earn 1% cashback on all purchases
- There's no charge for international transaction fees
- International students can apply without having a social security number
- Enjoy cellular protection coverage of up to $600 if your phone gets stolen or damaged
- Stay Protected with the Mastercard ID Theft Prevention™ and Master Rental® programs by Mastercard
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
Best Student Credit Card for Travel Points
Pros
- No Annual Fee
- No International transaction fees
- Up to $250 bonus for travel purchases
- No blackout dates
Cons
- No Auto Rental damage coverage
- No travel accident insurance
Rewards Rate
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases
Intro APR
0% for the first year
Standard APR
14.99% – 22.99% Variable APR
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Needed
601-850
Highlights
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases, which can be applied toward any flight or hotel.
- No foreign transaction fees, so feel free to travel with your card.
- Enjoy 25,000 online bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days, which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
- Zero Fraud Liability – You're not liable if your credit card gets lost or stolen.
- Stay Protected with Contactless Chip Technology
- Free FICO® Score access to monitor and build your credit
- Stay up to date with your account with mobile banking and text alerts
My little brother would be resuming for college sooner and I am considering him getting a credit card noe since I cannot be affording to send him money that often again since the pandemic had made me lose my job. However, I still think that a better portion of all these could make the difference for me. Thank you for sharing here. Thanks
You’re very welcome DarmiMaddie. I’m sorry about your job.
It’s gonna be very interesting to use this article ass guide cos it is very detailed and it’ll be of help to a lot of people. As students, you should know how to save money for yourself, it’ll help you do things by yourself. These credit cards are so good and fit for students, the offers here are very
Hello Mosun, I’ve never really thought about getting a particular credit card for the benefits that come with it but this is really one very clever article that I appreciate the understanding in it. I like the Journey Student Rewards from Capital One for the fact that there are no charges for some things and that is cool
Great topic!
Many students get into loans without really weighing the pros and cons. They do not know that from the first time you get a credit card, you start building your credit score. So, you need to make sure that your first credit card gives you all that you can afford to build a great credit score.
Thanks for sharing!
My son will soon get into college and for a while now he has been all over me to get him his own credit card but I have delayed it for the fact that I don’t know which student credit card would be best for us to go with. Here I have some really good options and the Journey Student Rewards from Capital One would be a nice option.
I’m sure he’ll like it Lawson. That’s a great “first” credit card to have