The Best Credit Cards For College Students

Credit cards for college students has always been a hot button topic.  Some advocate that credit cards are evil and providing them to college students is an unethical practice.  Others would argue that offering credit cards to young adults allows for the management of finances at a young age, thus preparing them better for when they’re off on their own.

Regardless of what side of the fence you sit, educating students about credit cards is extremely important.  If you are a student and need a credit card to make your everyday purchases, we have a great list of credit cards for you to consider below.  Each credit card has its advantages, but there’s one that really sticks out as the best.

Citi Forward® Card for College Students – The Citi Forward® Card for College Students is the only student credit card on the market today that rewards students for their good payment behavior.  If you can keep your balance under the credit limit and always pay your bills on time, you can earn up to a 2% reduction in your APR.  In addition to the reduced APR, students can also earn 100 bonus Thank You points for payments they make on time each month.  The best student intro offer can also be found on the Citi Forward® Card for College Students with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months and purchases for seven months.

In terms of rewards, it’s tough to beat the Citi Forward® Card for College Students.  First, you’ll earn 8,500 bonus Thank You points when you make your first $250 in purchases and sign-up for paperless statements.  You’ll also earn 5x Thank You points for every dollar you spend on restaurants, books, movies and music and one point on all other purchases.  The Citi Forward® Card for College Students carries no annual fee and an APR of 12.99% – 20.99%.  Finally, because it is a Citi credit card, no cosigner is required!

For a limited time, earn a $50 statement credit on the Citi Forward® Card for College Students.

Discover® Student Mix Tape Card – If you find yourself spending a lot of money, then the Discover® Student Mix Tape Card might be the card for you.  Students will earn 0.25% cash back on their first $3,000 in purchases, then full 1% cash back after that.  Discover also offers the chance to earn 5% cash back on rotating categories throughout the year and carries no annual fee. Discover® Student Mix Tape cardholders receive an intro APR of 0% for six months on purchases and as you can see from the picture, it’s the coolest looking card in the bunch (although that should NOT affect your decision).

Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students – A close runner up to the  Citi Forward® Card for College Students, the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students is the best cash back credit card on our list.  Cardholders earn 5% cash back on purchases made at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations convenience stores and utilities (including cable) for the first six months (1% thereafter).  All other purchases will earn 1% cash back and there is an opportunity to earn 2% cash back on rotating categories throughout the year.  The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students provides and intro offer of 0% APR on purchases for seven months, carries no annual fee and has a regular purchase APR of 12.99% – 21.99%.

For a limited time, earn a $50 statement credit on the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students.

Capital One® Student Rewards Card – The Capital One® Student Rewards Card comes with an excellent cash back offer.  Students can earn a full 2% cash back on all restaurant, cell phone and textbook purchases (including cell phone monthly bills) and a solid 1% cash back on everything else.  If you’re considering the Capital One® Student Rewards Card the one downside is the purchase APR of 24.9% but the card comes free of charge (no annual fee).  A limited credit history is all that’s needed to be approved for this card.

Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard – Not a typical student credit card, the Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard is designed for those will very poor credit.  Sometimes, college students rack up a good amount of student loans, which can hurt their credit score.  If you’re in need of rebuilding your credit, then this is the card for you.  You won’t find any rewards program, there is an annual fee (varies from $0 – $79) to obtain the Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard and there is a very high APR but if you cannot obtain credit elsewhere, this card just might be your only option.  Make sure you always pay your balance in full and the fees will be limited to just one per year.

Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa Card for College Students – Last but not least, the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa Card for College Students makes our list of the best college student credit cards because it rewards good grades!  Students can earn up to 2,000 annual Thank You points for maintaining a good GPA.  Five Thank You Points are earned on all purchases at restaurants, bookstores, record stores, movie theaters and video rental stores with one Thank You point given for all other purchases.  The Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa Card for College Students comes with a 0% intro APR offer on purchases for seven months and does not have an annual fee.

For a limited time, earn a $50 statement credit on the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa Card for College Students.