Best Student Credit Cards March 2023

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Capital One Quicksilver Rewards
Capital One SavorOne
Discover It

last updated 1 March 2023

Rates checked as of March 1, 2023.

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Student credit cards often provide high rewards in common spending categories for college students, such as dining out or gas. Or student cards may pay a healthy flat rate of cash back on every purchase. College students who are on the hunt for a rewards credit card will find that many issuers have designed cards aimed toward their age group.

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See Kiplinger's Best Rewards Credit Cards

Using a credit card wisely can be a great way for a college student to build a credit history. But opening and managing a credit card is new territory for most college students, so it’s especially important to make sure that you understand how to avoid paying interest and how you can boost your credit score. To protect your credit and steer clear of late fees, make sure to pay your bill on time each month. And to sidestep hefty interest charges, pay your bill in full rather than making only the minimum payment.

To help you select a student card, we’ve listed some great options here. For each one, we’ve calculated a typical annual reward that assumes $3,000 charged to the card annually. If you plan to study abroad, these cards are good choices–they don’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Once you have selected a card, make sure that you are well-positioned to get approved for credit. Opening a new credit card account will temporarily lower your credit score, so you want to be sure you can get approved for the credit card you want. One way to avoid this ding to your credit score is to get pre-approved first. We have noted in each card description if pre-approval is an option.

If you’re instead looking for a card that provides strong cash-back rewards for users of all ages, see The Best Cash Back Credit Cards. And if you’d like to open a card that offers points or miles for travelers, see The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.

For each card below, we’ve calculated typical annual rewards that assume $3,000 is charged to the card annually. Interest rates, fees, rewards, and other terms listed in this article are subject to change. Before you apply for a credit card, check its current terms and conditions with the issuer.

Capital One Quicksilver Rewards for Students

Interest rate: 19.24% to 29.24% variable
Annual fee: None
Pre-approval available: Yes
Top rewards rate: Get 5% back on hotel and rental-car bookings through Capital One Travel; through November 14, 2024, you also get 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases
Other benefits: All other spending earns 1.5% cash back. Through November 14, 2024, cardholders get a complimentary membership to Uber One, which provides discounts on Uber Eats orders and Uber rides
Redemption: Redeem cash back in any amount as a check or statement credit, or use rewards to book travel through Capital One
Sign-up bonus: $50 back if you spend $100 in the first three months

Capital One SavorOne Rewards for Students Mastercard

Interest rate: 19.24% to 29.24% variable
Annual fee: None
Pre-approval available: Yes
Top rewards rate: 3% cash back on restaurant, entertainment, streaming and grocery purchases. Plus, get 8% back on purchases through the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform and 5% back on hotel and rental-car bookings through Capital One Travel; through November 14, 2024, you also get 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases
Other benefits: All other spending earns 1% back. Through November 14, 2024, cardholders enjoy a complimentary membership to Uber One, which provides discounts on Uber Eats orders and Uber rides
Redemption: Redeem cash back in any amount as a check or statement credit, or use rewards to book travel through Capital One
Sign-up bonus: $50 back if you spend $100 in the first three months

Discover It Student Chrome

Interest rate: 0% for six months, then 17.49% to 26.49%
Annual fee: None
Pre-approval available: Yes
Top rewards rate: 2% back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined quarterly spending) and 1% on other purchases
Other benefits: The card is forgiving to young folks who are getting the hang of managing a credit card: It never charges a penalty interest rate after a late payment, and it waives the late fee for the first missed payment; you get one strike – not three – but it’s better than zero
Redemption: Cash back is redeemable in any amount as an account credit, bank-account deposit or charitable gift; you can also apply cash back to make purchases with select merchants, such as Amazon, or to buy gift cards
Sign-up bonus: A match of cash back earned after one year, doubling your rewards; most other cards require you to spend a certain amount within the first few months to capture a bonus, which may be a steep hill to climb (and also encourage less-prudent spending)

As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view of the best deals and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.

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Lisa has spent more than15 years with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and heads up the magazine’s annual rankings of the best banks, best rewards credit cards, and financial-services firms with the best customer service. She reports on a variety of other topics, too, from retirement to health care to money concerns for millennials. She has shared her expertise as a guest on the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR, Cheddar and many other media outlets around the nation. Lisa graduated from Ball State University and received the school’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014. A military spouse, she has moved around the U.S. and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons.