Student credit cards are designed for college students who don’t yet have a full-time income or established credit history. These cards give applicants without a credit history a better chance of approval than mainstream credit cards while still offering perks like 0% intro APRs and rewards programs. In most cases, you can upgrade student credit cards to a regular credit card after a year or two of responsible use.
Discover it® for Students
Great For: Helping students build good credit history.
Credit Needed: Fair
Average Approved Score: 674
Lowest Approved Score: 633
- The new Discover it card is out to change the way people think about credit cards.
- Fair...No annual fee. No overlimit fee. No foreign transaction fee & no pay-by-phone fee. No late fee on your first late payment. And we won’t increase your APR for paying late.*
- Generous...5% cash back in categories that change throughout the year like gas, restaurant, movies, and more up to $1,500 in purchases with free and easy sign-up. And 1% cash back on all other purchases.*
- Plus a Cashback Concierge℠ who guides a free, personalized online tour to help you get the most rewards for how you use your card.
- Flexible...Choose your own due date and pay up to midnight ET online or by phone.
- Human...talk to a real person any time with 100% U.S.-based service.
- Safe...Because you’ll never pay for unauthorized purchases with our $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee.
- 0% intro APR* on purchases for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 12.99% - 18.99% *Click apply for Terms & Conditions.
| Intro APRPurchases | Intro TermPurchases | Intro APRBalance Transfers | Intro TermBalance Transfers | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
| 0% | 6 Months | See Terms | See Terms | 12.99% – 18.99%* Variable | $0 |
Journey℠ Student Rewards from Capital One®
Great For: Helping students build good credit history.
Credit Needed: Fair
Average Approved Score: 624
Lowest Approved Score: 558
- Designed to help students build good credit with responsible use
- Access to your monthly credit score, plus an interactive tracking tool to help monitor your credit
- Customizable text and e-mail alerts to help keep you on track
- Get 1% cash back on all purchases, plus a 25% bonus each month you pay your bill on time
- No annual fee
- $0 Fraud Liability if your card is lost or stolen
| Intro APRPurchases | Intro TermPurchases | Intro APRBalance Transfers | Intro TermBalance Transfers | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 19.8%* Variable | $0 |
Citi Forward® Card for College Students
Great For: Earning rewards while building credit.
Credit Needed: Fair
Average Approved Score: 679
Lowest Approved Score: 613
- No Cosigner required
- 5 ThankYou® Points for every $1 you spend at restaurants and on entertainment; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely
- 100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit line
| Intro APRPurchases | Intro TermPurchases | Intro APRBalance Transfers | Intro TermBalance Transfers | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
| 0% | 7 Months | N/A | N/A | 13.99% – 23.99%* Variable | $0* |
Citi® Dividend® Card for College Students
Great For: Earning cash back while building credit.
Credit Needed: Fair
Average Approved Score: 699
Lowest Approved Score: 579
- Earn bonus cash back each quarter on new must-have categories– like department stores, travel and more, with enrollment
- Earn a full 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Free enrollment each quarter for new categories that earn additional cash back.
- Manage your account online, on your tablet or on your Smartphone
- No Annual Fee
| Intro APRPurchases | Intro TermPurchases | Intro APRBalance Transfers | Intro TermBalance Transfers | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
| 0% | 7 months | N/A | N/A | 13.99% – 23.99%* Variable | $0* |
About Student Credit Cards
Student credit cards offer a low-risk way for young people to establish a credit history before entering the “real world”. Building up your credit history may seem unimportant when you have things like finals or finding a summer internship to think about, but starting early and building up your credit history is one of the best things you can do for your future self. Without a credit history, you will find it impossible to get approved for a large loan (like a mortgage or auto loan) because your credit history is a critical factor in determining your overall credit score.
Opening a credit card account is the best way to build credit history, and opening a student credit card while you’re still young offers the additional chance to make responsible credit card habits second nature. Even if you don’t need (or want!) a credit card, you should use it monthly to buy some groceries or a tank of gas, making sure that you pay it off in full every month before your monthly statement.
