If you are a college student, you likely don’t have much credit yet. A student credit card can be a great way to build up your credit, as long as you borrow responsibly. You can usually get a student credit card with no or very little credit history.
To build up your credit using a credit card, be sure to make your monthly payments in full and on time. The less credit card debt you carry, the better. Ideally, you will pay off your balance in full each month to build credit the fastest.
The Best Credit Cards for Students to Build Credit
Student credit cards that report timely payments to the three major credit bureaus regularly offer the best chances to build your credit the fastest. Of course, you have to ensure that you are making your monthly payments on time for this to work in your favor.
Here are some of the best student cards for building your credit, as well as their incentives and details:
Journey Student Rewards – Capital One
- No annual fees
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1% cash back on purchases
- Ability for a total of 1.25% cash back when you make your monthly payments on time
- Access to a higher credit line when you make your first five payments on time
- Unlimited access to your credit score through Capital One’s CreditWise
- 25.99% variable APR interest rate
Capital One Secured Mastercard
- Easy to get approved with no credit
- Start out with a refundable deposit of $49, $99, or $200
- Access a credit line of $200 with minimum deposit
- Access to a higher credit line after making your first five payments on time
- Reports regularly to the three major credit bureaus
- Choose your monthly payment date and method of payment
- 26.99% variable APR interest rate
- No annual fee
Discover it Student Cash Back
- 0% APR on your purchases for the first six months
- No annual fees
- Matching cash back on all purchases in your first year
- Earn up to 5% cash back at gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, and Amazon, up to the quarterly maximum, and 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No late fee on your first late payment or change in your APR interest rate
- Reward of a $20 credit every academic year for good grades (a GPA of 3.0 or higher)
- Free FICO credit score report
- Fraud protection
- 14.49% to 23.49% variable APR interest rate after six months
Discover it Chrome for Students
- 0% APR on your purchases for the first six months
- No annual fees
- Matching cash back on all purchases in your first year
- Earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, and then 1% cash back automatically on everything else
- No late fee on your first late payment or change in your APR interest rate
- Reward of a $20 credit every academic year for good grades (a GPA of 3.0 or higher)
- Free FICO credit score report
- Fraud protection
- 14.49% to 23.49% variable APR interest rate
Deserve EDU
- 3% cash back on travel and entertainment, 2% cash back on restaurants, and 1% cash back on all other purchases, offered as rewards in $25 increments
- No annual fees
- Free 12-month Amazon Prime Student subscription included
Petal Visa Credit Card
- No fees of any kind
- 1% cash back on purchases
- Get up to 1.25% cash back after paying on time for six months in a row; earn 1.5% cash back on purchases after 12 on-time monthly payments
- 14.49% to 25.49% variable APR interest rate
Citi Rewards+ Student Card
- 0% APR for the first seven months
- Earn two “ThankYou Points” for every dollar you spend at gas stations and grocery stores and one point for every other purchase; ThankYou points are rounded up to the nearest 10 and then can be redeemed for gift cards, concert tickets, and travel
- No annual fees
- Earn a bonus 2,500 points if you spend $500 in your first three months
- 15.99% to 25.99% variable APR interest rate
Wells Fargo Cash Back College Card
- 0% APR for the first six months
- No annual fees
- Regular reporting to the major credit bureaus to help you build credit faster
- Earn 3% cash back on grocery store, gas station, and drugstore purchases up to $2,500 in the first six months and then 1% cash back on all purchases
- 12.65% to 22.65% variable APR interest rate
State Farm Student Visa
- Earn three State Farm Loyalty Reward Points on insurance premium payments and one point for every $2 spent on other purchases up to $4,000 per year, which can be redeemed for gift cards, travel, State Farm products, and merchandise
- No annual fees
- Access to Visa student discounts
- Visa fraud protection included
- 16.74% to 24.74% variable APR interest rate
A student credit card can help you build your credit so you can be eligible to buy a car or home, or rent an apartment with ease. Borrow responsibly, make your payments on time, and carry as little debt as possible for the best results.
