Student credit cards can be a great way for college students to start building a credit history. These cards are fairly easy to get approved for, and offer some great travel and rewards benefits. Student cards are primarily geared towards those with little to no credit history, making it very important to find the right card.Some cards targeting those with limited credit have pitfalls and hidden fine print. We are constantly sorting through hundreds of these offers, and hand select the best cards which are then included below. The student cards we try to include on this page have good rewards programs, low fees for credit cards targeted at those with limited credit, and no traps or hidden fees. Regardless, it’s always important to read the fine print before applying!
The lack of fees is really what sets this card apart however, there are no over-the-limit fees, and you will not be charged a fee the first time you pay late (although we highly recommend that you ALWAYS pay on time, with any credit card). Also, your APR will not be increased for paying late. On top of all of that, this card also has no annual fee, which is a big plus.
You can also choose to receive text and email alerts from Discover. This makes it easy to remember when a payment is due so you never miss a payment and will help you to build a good credit history.
Discover Student it Rewards:
- Get 5% cash back at restaurants and movies right now through March on up to $1,500 in purchases with free and easy sign-up. Enjoy more quarterly 5% programs in categories like gas, online shopping and more throughout the year up to the quarterly cap when you sign up for each program.
- And get unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases at over 8 million merchants nationwide (Nielson Report, Feb 2012).
Overall this is a fantastic card for students. The rewards program and features are identical to the standard Discover it card which is only available to people with Excellent Credit – making this our top choice for student credit cards.
Citi Forward Rewards:
- 5 ThankYou® Points for every $1 you spend at restaurants and on entertainment; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- 100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit line.
One big advantage of Citi Forward is that a co-signer isn’t required. Finding a co-signer can be a pain and can often put a strain on relationships if things go bad. It’s still important to always pay on time and hold yourself accountable, however the fact that you don’t have to hunt down a co-signer can relieve some of the pressure.
The APR with this card is reasonable for a student card (which are geared towards those with limited credit, so the interest rates are higher across the board). You also are able to reduce your APR by up to 2% when you stay under you credit limit and pay on time for 3 billing periods in a row.
Citi Forward Rewards:
- Enroll to earn 5% cash back from Citi on eligible purchases at Zappos.com, fitness clubs and drugstores from January 1, 2013 through March 31, 2013.
- Earn a full 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Free enrollment each quarter for new categories that earn additional cash back.
This is another card that does not require a co-signer, making it a solid option for those who have trouble finding someone to cosign for them, or who don’t want to put someone else in that position.
The APR on Citi Dividend is also in a reasonable range, considering that this is a student card. One thing that this card lacks is the ability to lower your APR by making on time payments. If you are looking for a student card with the lowest APR, we recommend going with the Citi Forward (mentioned above) instead because of that feature.
Kevin Fleming founded CreditShout in 2008 to help people manage their credit and finances. Kevin wants to make it easy for anyone, regardless of their level of financial knowledge to understand credit cards and what may seem like the complex world of personal finance. | 
