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Looking back on my college experience, being that stereotypically broke student might have been a good thing. After all, it introduced me to the world of credit cards — the financial tools that allowed me to build credit while chasing my travel goals.
If you're in the same boat I was in just a few short years ago, this post is for you. We'll take a look at the best credit card options for college students and share some insight on things to think about as you begin your credit journey.
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How To Build Credit as a College Student
Let's start with the basics. To improve your odds of getting approved for a credit card (as well as loans, mortgages, and other credit in the future), you'll want to have good credit. But what if you don't have any to begin with? You'll need to build it.
For most college students, this is a rather frustrating catch-22. Having a credit card helps you build credit, but having limited credit means it's hard to qualify for most credit cards…that can help you build credit.
If this is your situation, here are a few things you can do to boost your credit — things that'll benefit you in the short-term and set you up for long-term success.
Related: A Beginner's Guide to Building Healthy Credit
The first of three primary ways to build credit involves a parent or guardian adding you as an authorized user.
Authorized users benefit from the primary cardholder's established credit line. In an ideal world, the account you're joining has been open for a long time, has a close-to-flawless payment history, and a low credit utilization rate — the factors that make up a high credit score.
Before you ask nicely to become an authorized user, you'll want to ensure that the credit card issuer reports authorized users to the credit bureaus. If the issuer doesn't report you, your score won't benefit.
Assuming the account remains in good standing, your score will gradually increase over time, making you a much stronger applicant for your own credit card down the line. This is because you'll essentially get all of that positive account history added to your credit report once you become an authorized user. This can establish credit and also boost your score.
Make a deposit and open up a secured credit card
Secured cards are some of the most accessible credit cards, and they provide an excellent opportunity to build a relationship with an issuing bank. Secured cards are made secure by the money you put down as your deposit, which becomes your limit. You'll treat the card like a normal credit card (and build credit along the way), and your deposit covers the issuer if you don't pay your bill. It's a win-win for both you and the card issuer.
Once the issuer sees patterns of good behavior and a positively trending credit score, you may have the opportunity to upgrade your card to a traditional credit card. When this happens, you'll also get your original deposit back.
Secured cards that offer rewards are difficult to come by. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card is one that does — offering 3% cash back in a category of your choice, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% on all other purchases. The 3% and 2% categories share a combined limit of $2,500 in spending each quarter, however.
Compared to a card like the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, which doesn't offer any rewards, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured might be more intriguing if you're looking to build your credit by opening a secured credit card but also want to earn cash back.
Open up a credit card account designed specifically for students
A third credit-building option is opening a student credit card. Student cards are designed for those with limited credit exposure, which is incredibly helpful if you're still working to build your credit.
However, you'll want to be mindful of the details and terms attached to the card. Most student cards feature high interest rates and low credit limits. If you're going to build your credit, you'll need to manage your card carefully — one of the golden rules of card ownership.
Related: What Teenagers Need to Know About Getting Their First Credit Card
There are plenty of rewarding options if you're in the market for a student credit card.
The first is the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. For no annual fee, you can earn 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. For a simple student product, this card is a high-quality option.
- 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.
A second option is the Chase Freedom Rise®. This card offers a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases — a basic, no-frills, $0-annual-fee product.
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase
These two cards aren't the most powerful out there, but they're not ones you'd hold forever. Like secured cards, the credit card issuer may graduate you or offer a product upgrade over time — such as after you graduate. Credit building is a slow process, but it's a necessary one.
It's also worth pointing out that getting a student credit card while you're a student is ideal. After graduation, you lose access to these cards that are geared toward those with little (or no) credit history. Getting approved for a traditional credit card when you're no longer a student can become much more difficult if you lack credit history.
Related: Tips for Managing Your Credit Score
I’ve Got a Credit History. What’s Next?
Once your credit is more established, you'll have a few choices of cards to pursue based on how you want to reward your spending. We'll look at three types of rewards cards:
- Cards that provide cash back
- Cards that offer airline miles and hotel points
- Cards that give flexible rewards
Related: Back to Basics: An Introduction to the Types of Reward Points
The Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for Students
Cards that earn cash back will reward you with money back instead of points or miles. If you prefer a no-frills approach to money management, you'll appreciate the simplicity of getting cash back instead of wrangling other currencies.
Depending on the card and any special bonus categories it features — often for spending on things like gas or groceries — you can earn between 1% and 5% back on virtually every purchase you make. Over time, cash back adds up handsomely, and it's even more handsome if you've got a credit card that rewards your spending habits.
For students, we've looked at some no-annual-fee options with valuable earning rates.
The first is the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, which offers a straightforward 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day, plus a boosted 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- One-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- 5% cash back on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
Although more complicated to keep up with, given its rotating bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is another solid option for earning lucrative cash back. You'll earn 5% back in the quarterly rotating categories (up to $1,500 on spending here), 3% on dining, food delivery services, and at drugstore purchases, plus 1% back on other purchases.
- Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
The Citi Double Cash® Card is another excellent option for those who want to reward themselves with cash back. You'll earn 2% cash back on every purchase, broken down as 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay.
If you're looking to pay down debt or finance a larger purchase, this card also comes with one of the best available introductory APR offers on balance transfers.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- 2% cash back on every purchase - 1% when you buy + 1% when you pay
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the (Variable) APR will be 18.24% - 28.24% based on your creditworthiness
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5)
- No annual fee
- Earn 2% cash back on every purchase—1% when you buy and 1% when you pay. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Citi cash rewards now also convert to ThankYou points at 1:1 ($10 = 100 ThankYou points).
The Best Airline and Hotel Credit Cards for Students
If you've got travel aspirations, you might find more value in a co-branded credit card that rewards your spending with airline miles or hotel points.
The currencies that co-branded credit cards reward can generally only be used with the airline or hotel whose logo is on the card, so you'll want to consider your travel goals and what's feasible before applying.
For example, there's not much sense in applying for a United Airlines credit card if United doesn't fly to your home airport. The miles you earn won't do you any good if you can't use them.
Airline co-branded cards
But let's say you want to reward your spending through airline miles. If so, you'll likely get the most mileage out of cards affiliated with the three biggest airlines in the United States. These airlines have the most expansive route maps and partner redemption opportunities, which means more chances to put your miles to good use.
Here are three no-annual-fee credit card options that award miles from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
First, the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card. This card is a surprisingly versatile earner if you want to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles without paying an annual fee. You'll earn 2X AAdvantage® miles per $1 spent at grocery stores, grocery delivery services, and 2X on eligible American Airlines purchases. For everything else, you'll earn 1X.
- 15,000 AAdvantage® miles after making $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- 2X AAdvantage® miles on eligible American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services
- Save 25% on inflight drinks and snacks when you use your card on American Airlines flights
- $0 annual fee
- 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services
- 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
If Delta SkyMiles are more your speed, you'll find utility with the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. You'll earn 2X SkyMiles per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide, on takeout and delivery in the U.S., and purchases made directly with Delta. You'll earn 1X on other eligible purchases.
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- No Annual Fee.
- Earn 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- Earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases, and 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay with Miles: take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
- Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases
The New United Gateway℠ Card rounds out our list of $0-annual-fee airline credit cards. If you carry this card, you'll earn 2X MileagePlus miles at gas stations, local transit and commuting, and United purchases. For everything else, you'll earn 1X.
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles
- 0% intro APR for the first 12 months from account opening on purchases & no annual fee.
- 2x miles on United® purchases
- 2x miles at gas stations, on local transit and commuting
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Gateway Card
- Earn 2 checked bags after you spend $10,000 in a calendar year
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations, on local transit and commuting
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Hotel co-branded cards
Alternatively, if you've got Spring Break plans or want to spend a night away from the dorm room, plenty of quality credit cards will award hotel points — each with no annual fee.
Starting with Hilton Honors, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is a quality option for those who want to earn points to turn into hotel stays. With this card, you'll earn 7X Hilton Honors points per $1 spent on Hilton purchases, 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and 3X on other eligible purchases. You'll also enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, giving you a fifth night free when you redeem points for hotel stays.
- Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express® Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- No Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 7X Points per dollar on eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
IHG One Rewards offers another great no-annual-fee credit card that earns hotel points. Those holding the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card will earn 17X One Rewards points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel (thanks to using this cards, being a rewards member, and the Silver Elite status offered by this card), 3X on dining, utilities, streaming services, and gas stations, and 2X on all other purchases. The card also confers a fourth night free on points stays.
- Our Highest Points Offer of 2025! Earn 120,000 Bonus Points
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get the 4th Night Free
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 17X points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, utilities, select streaming services, and at gas stations
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 5X points for being a IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Cardmember
- Earn 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this Card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® Rewards Club Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card earns points with Wyndham Rewards. You'll enjoy complimentary Gold status, earn 5X at Wyndham and gas, 2X on dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart), and 1X on other purchases.
- 5X points on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases
- 2X points on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®)
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments)
Last, but not least, Marriott Bonvoy offers a comparable product through the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. With this card, you'll earn 3X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at Marriott hotels, 2X on travel purchases, and 1X on everything else. The card also offers complimentary Silver Elite status plus 5 elite night credits in your account each year to help you reach higher status tiers.
- 3X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains)
- 1X point on all other purchases
The Best Flexible Rewards Credit Cards for Students
Now, we'll pivot and introduce a few credit cards that offer transferable rewards. As the name implies, transferable rewards can be transferred to an airline or hotel loyalty program that partners with the card issuer. These points are incredibly versatile, as you're not under any obligation to redeem them with a specific airline or hotel.
They're your points to move to whichever partner program you want when it's time to make a redemption.
Unfortunately, most cards that offer flexible rewards carry an annual fee. Annual fees may be hard to justify if you're not spending enough on the card to warrant paying for it every year. For example, if you're earning $50 worth of transferable points but paying $95 for an annual fee, you're losing money by carrying the card. At that point, it's no longer a “rewards” card.
We'll mention two cards here that don't have annual fees, plus one that has an annual fee that we think is entirely justified.
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card earns Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to 21 partners, including Delta, Air Canada, British Airways, Marriott, Hilton, and more. With a $0 annual fee, you'll earn 2x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x). Plus, use your card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% extra points on those purchases, less returns and credits.
- 2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x)
- 1x points on other purchases
- Use your Card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card also has no annual fee and offers transfers to hotel and airline programs. Capital One miles transfer to 19 airline and hotel programs, including Wyndham, Turkish Airlines, Choice Hotels, British Airways, Air Canada, and more. Cardholders earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars with Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles on other purchases. Earning 1.25 miles per $1 spent can add up over time, especially on college-related purchases such as textbooks.
- Earn 20,000 Miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening; worth $200 in travel if redeemed for a fixed-value, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 1.25 Miles on every purchase
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5 Miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of our most recommended travel credit cards for beginners. With this card, you'll earn Chase Ultimate Rewards that you can transfer to 14 partners, including Hyatt, United, Marriott, British Airways, and more. When making purchases with the Sapphire Preferred, you'll bank 5X on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (2X on all other travel purchases); 3X on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; and 1X on all other purchases..
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Best All-Around Credit Card for College Students
If there's one card I wish existed when I started college, it would be The Bilt Mastercard®.
The Bilt Mastercard is an innovative product with a $0 annual fee (Rates & Fees) that lets you earn points on rent without the transaction fees. That lovely convenience fee you get to pay just because you pay rent with a credit card? It's waived if you pay through the Bilt app — even if your landlord isn't part of the Bilt Rewards Alliance network. Most times, these fees to earn points on rent aren't worth it, but Bilt Rewards offers 1 point for each $1 spent on rent each month, as long as you make five or more transactions on your Bilt Mastercard during that billing cycle.
On top of that, you can earn transferable Bilt Rewards points at the following rates:
- 1x points on rent payments made through the Bilt App — up to 100,000 points per calendar year.
- 2x points on travel.
- 3x points on dining.
- 1x on other purchases with no cap on earnings.
If you're a student working with a limited budget, are a renter, and want to earn transferable points, there really is no better credit card product.
Related: How Does Bilt Stack Up for Earning Rewards by Paying Rent?
Final Thoughts
If used properly, credit cards are important tools that can help you build credit, earn rewards, and even see the world. And with some cards, you can do all three at once.
From college freshman to college senior, there's a credit card out there that can help you meet your travel and financial goals. Building credit is a critical thing to do, and there's no better time to start than in college. It can boost your credit to help you get approved for an apartment after graduation, and the right credit card can also provide valuable rewards in the meantime.
What was your first credit card? Let us know in the comments.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Gateway℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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