Best College Student Credit Cards

What’s the best credit card for college students? Some would argue that there isn’t one and that college students should avoid credit cards at all costs. On the other hand, the argument can be made that wise student credit card use could lead to many benefits down the road.  I can only speak from my experience with student credit cards. For me a credit card in college was the quickest way to access credit and to start building my credit. Even though I messed up (a few times), I was still able to build my credit and buy my first investment property in my early-20s. You can also start to build you credit in college.

But I’m not here to preach.  Below you’ll find a quick review of five credit cards designed for students which are all good to own.  If you decide to apply, make sure to stay within your credit limit and ALWAYS pay your bill on time.

Martin’s Pick For The Best Credit Card For Students

Citi Forward Card for College Students – My favorite student card is most definitely the Citi Forward Card for College Students.  This card gives students a 0% intro APR on purchases for 7 months and when that expires the APR becomes 13.99% – 22.99% variable.   The card has no annual fee and requires no cosigner … which is rare for student credit cards these days.

The Citi Forward Card for College Students also has a great rewards program, offering students five ThankYou points for every $1 spent on books and music and at restaurants and movie theaters.  One ThankYou point is given for every $1 spent on all other purchases and this card offers up to a 2% APR reduction if you make your payments on time and stay within your credit limit.  1,000 ThankYou points are earned when you sign up for paperless statements and up to 1,200 bonus are awarded for being a responsible student.

Discover More Card – The Discover More Card comes in a close second with a 0% intro APR that’s slightly longer than the card above; 9 months.  The standard APR will become 13.99% – 20.99% variable and every cardholder will earn up to 5% cash back on purchases.  0.25% cash back is earned on the first $3,000 spent annually and then 1% on all purchases beyond the $3,000 mark.  5% cash back is earned on select purchases every quarter and the Discover Student Card does not charge an annual fee.

Citi Platinum Select Card for College Students – Students that own the Citi Platinum Select Card for College Students will receive a 0% intro APR on purchases for seven months.  They’ll also receive 5% cash back at gas stations, supermarkets, drug stores and utilities for the first six months and 2% cash back in rotating categories each month.  1% cash back is earned on all other purchases and an average of 5% cash back is earned when shopping online through the Citi Bonus Cash Center.  The Citi Platinum Select Card from College Students has a standard APR of 13.99% – 21.99% variable and charges no annual fee.

Journey Student Rewards from Capital One – Another credit card with no annual fee, Journey Student Rewards from Capital One gives students 1% cash back on all purchases, without any hoops or spending requirements to meet.  Unfortunately, there is no introductory APR or other big benefits to mention and the standard purchase APR is 19.8% variable.  The draw on this card is that it’s designed for students with less than perfect credit (average credit to be precise) so obtaining approval is a tad bit easier than other cards above it on this list.

Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard – I’ve decided to add the Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard to the list, even though it’s not a student credit card and the offer isn’t that good.  Cardholders receive an APR of 7.9% – 19.9% variable depending on credit history and will be charged an annual fee of between $35 and $59.  No rewards program is offered but the Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard is designed for people with bad credit.  Finding a credit card with a sub-600 FICO score is next to impossible and even though this has an annual fee, it’s a great way to build credit (if you NEED to).

Deciding what’s the best credit card for students strongly depends on what your goals are and what your current credit status is. Finding the best college student credit card is also very important for those of you that want to use credit cards and not get used by them.  If I missed any credit cards for students that you would like to put on this list, then please let us know.