You can find a student credit card just about anywhere these days, but the trick is to pick the card with the best offer. We have put together a list of 5 student credit cards that we believe are some of the best. We have developed our list by comparing interest rates, 0% offers, bonus offer, rewards programs and annual fees. In no particular order, here are our top credit card offers for college students!
Discover® Student Card with $25 Bonus
The Discover® Student Card with $25 Bonus has a nice little bonus offer of $25 after you make your first purchase. That’s basically just a free 25 bucks! This cards offers 0% for the first 6 months on purchases. After that, the APR will be 12.99-18.99% (Variable)* based on your creditworthiness. Discover cards are known for their 5% cash back offer and the Discover® Student Card is no different. You can earn 5% Cashback bonus on shopping categories as well as 5% Cashback bonus on seasonal spending categories that change each yearly quarter. You enroll in each spending category as the calendar date arrives, giving you even more chances to accrue Cashback bonuses every quarter. You can earn up to 1% Cashback bonus on all other purchases. There is no annual fee.
| Discover® Student Card |
|
- Experience Discover's great rewards program. Earn $20 Cashback Bonus®* when you make your 1st purchase within 3 months of approval
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 12.99% - 18.99%*
- 5% Cashback Bonus®* in categories that change like gas, groceries, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
- Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on everything else you buy
- $0 Fraud Liability- you will not be responsible for unauthorized charges
- No Annual Fee
- Text and Email Alerts
|
| Intro APR |
Intro APR Period |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Balance Transfer |
Credit Needed |
| 0.00%* |
6 months on purchases* |
12.99-18.99% (Variable)* |
$0.00* |
No |
Fair Credit* |
|
Citi Forward® Card for College Students
The CCiti Forward® Card for College Students makes our list because you get rewarded for being a good cardholder. The card offers a special introductory rate of 0% for the first 7 months on purchases. After the introductory period, the APR you receive will be between 13.99%-22.99%* (Variable), based on your creditworthiness. If you are a responsible cardholders you can get your APR reduced up to 2% when payments are made on time. Cardmembers will earn 5 Reward Points for every $1 spent on books, movies, music and at restaurants and 1 point on other purchases. You will receive up to 1,200 Rewards Points a year for paying on time and staying within your line and 2,500 Bonus Points when you sign up for paperless statements.
| Citi Forward® Card for College Students |
|
- Earn a $75 statement credit after you spend $150 on back-to-school purchases at apparel, book or electronics stores within the first 3 months of opening your account*
- No Cosigner required
- APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely
- 100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit limit
- Earn 1,000 points after you sign up for paperless statements within the first 3 months of account opening
|
| Intro APR |
Intro APR Period |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Balance Transfer |
Credit Needed |
| 0.00 |
0% Intro APR for 7 months on purchases* |
13.99%-22.99%* (Variable) |
0.00 |
No |
Good Credit* |
|
Discover® Student Open Road Card
The Discover® Student Open Road Card is an ideal choice for students because it offers 0% on purchases for the first 9 months and the card gives a Double Cashback Bonus on gas and restaurant purchases. After the intro period, APR will be 12.99-18.99% (Variable)* based on your creditworthiness. With this card you earn Double Cashback Bonus automatically on your first $250 in purchases at any gas station and any restaurant each month. You also earn up to 1% on all your purchases. In addition, you can earn 5% to 20% cash back when you shop at the exclusive online mall. When it comes to redeeming your rewards you can choose from Partner gift cards, merchandise, Discover gift cards, Charity, or Cash.
| Discover® Open RoadSM Card for Students |
|
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 12.99% - 18.99%*
- Double Cashback Bonus®* at gas stations and restaurants
- Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on everything else you buy
- $0 Fraud Liability- you will not be responsible for unauthorized charges
- No Annual Fee
- Text and Email alerts
|
| Intro APR |
Intro APR Period |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Balance Transfer |
Credit Needed |
| 0.00%* |
9 months on purchases* |
12.99-18.99% (Variable)* |
$0.00* |
No |
Fair Credit* |
|
Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Student
The Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Student is a cool offer because being a cardmember gives you special access to exclusive mtvU experiences like free concert tickets, tickets to the mtvU Woodie Awards or VIP status at mtvU’s Spring Break. More importantly, this card gives bonus points for getting good grades! Now for the serious stuff, the card also offers an introductory rate of 0% for the first 7 months on purchases. After that, the APR will be 13.99-21.99% (Fixed)* based on your creditworthiness. You will earn five ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at book stores, record stores, restaurants, including fast food restaurants, motion picture theaters, and video entertainment rental stores . You will also earn one ThankYou Point for every dollar you spend on all your other purchases. You will earn 25 bonus ThankYou Points at the end of every billing cycle during which you make your Minimum Payment or more on time, and at the end of which you are not over your credit limit.
| Citi® mtvUTM Platinum Select® Visa® Card |
|
- No Cosigner Required
- Earn 5 ThankYou Points® for every dollar you spend at restaurants, bookstores, record stores, movie theaters and video rental stores
- Earn 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar you spend on all other purchases
- Earn up to 2000 ThankYou Points twice a year for having a good GPA
|
| Intro APR |
Intro APR Period |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Balance Transfer |
Credit Needed |
| 0.00% |
7 months* |
13.99-21.99% (Fixed)* |
$0.00* |
No |
Good |
|
Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students
The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students has a limited time offer for students that gives them $50 cash back after making $150 in purchases within the first 3 months. This is a nice way to put some cash back in your pocket. Like the other Citi cards, this card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 7 months. After the introductory rate, the APR you receive will be between 13.99-21.99% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness. On all purchases you will earn 1% and you will earn 1% on cash advances and cash convenience check amounts billed at the standard cash advance rate. You can earn at least 2% cash back on popular, rotating categories each quarter as long as you enroll. Plus, earn an average of 5% additional cash back when you shop at over 400 leading retailers through the Citi Bonus Cash Center.
| Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students |
|
- No Cosigner Required
- Earn 5% Cash Back on eligible purchases at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, convenience stores & utilities (including cable) for 6 months, and 1% thereafter*
- Earn at least 2% cash back in popular rotating categories like restaurants, apparel, hotel and more. Enrollment required*
- Earn a full 1% cash back on all other purchases*
|
| Intro APR |
Intro APR Period |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Balance Transfer |
Credit Needed |
| 0.00%* |
7 months on purchases* |
13.99-21.99% (Variable)* |
$0.00* |
No |
Good |
|
About Michal
Michal is a personal finance blogger who writes for several top personal finance blogs, such as Dough Roller and Go Banking Rates. She enjoys writing about money management, getting out of debt and planning for retirement. Her practical approach encourages folks to get serious about their relationship with their money.
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