Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best student credit card with bad credit.
Credit cards for students with bad credit make it possible to build positive credit history at a low cost. Very few student credit cards accept applicants with bad credit scores, usually requiring limited credit or better for approval. But there are other credit cards for students with bad credit to use instead – most notably, secured credit cards. Secured cards tend to have low fees, and the refundable security deposit you must place doubles as your credit limit, ensuring you won’t get in over your head (some cards are from WalletHub partners). Unsecured cards for bad credit tend to be far more expensive in the long run.
Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit:
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
- OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Milestone® Mastercard®
- Fingerhut Credit Account
- First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card... show more
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COMPARE STUDENT CREDIT CARDS WITH BAD CREDIT
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- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- $89 one-time program fee
- $75 annual fee for the first year
- $147 in fees starting year two
- High APR
- Reasonable $35 annual fee
- As low as $200 minimum deposit
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 1% cash back on eligible purchases
- Available to people with bad credit
- Automatic credit-line increase reviews
- Annual fee of $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after
- High APR
- Low credit limit
- Low regular APR
- Qualify with bad credit
- Membership fees
- Foreign fee
- Requires security deposit
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
WalletHub's Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit
You don’t have to be a student to get the Discover it Secured Credit Card. But “student” credit cards do not accept applicants with poor credit. So you have to consider other options. With that in mind, WalletHub’s editors compared 1,000+ credit card offers in search of the best cards for students with bad credit, and you can find their selections below.
Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit Comparison
Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Minimum Deposit |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Best Overall | $0 | $200 |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | No Credit Check | $35 | $200 |
Fingerhut Credit Account | Store Card | $0 | None |
Milestone® Mastercard® | No Deposit | $175 1st yr; $49 after | None |
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card (see Rates & Fees) | International Travel | $0 | $200 |
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | No Security Deposit | $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after | None |
If you happen to have bad credit as a student because of mistakes made with a credit card you were an authorized user on, things actually aren’t so bad. Authorized users aren’t responsible for making payments, so they can’t really be punished for mistakes made by the main accountholder. As a result, you can simply ask the major credit bureaus to remove any authorized-user accounts that have negative information associated with them. Doing so could immediately improve your credit standing and expand your credit-card options.
Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit FAQ
Comparing student credit cards with bad credit can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered. WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.show more
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Expert Opinions
Ask the Experts: Credit Card Tips for Students with Bad Credit
• What advice do you have for students who find themselves with a bad credit score?
• What should students with bad credit look for in a credit card, and how should they use it?
• Would you recommend that a student with poor credit open a secured credit card account?
• Is there any benefit to having bad credit as a student versus later in life?
Important Disclosures
We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. Actual terms may vary. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.
† Approval Odds are WalletHub estimates intended to gauge your likelihood of approval for a particular product. Approval Odds are based on WalletHub data and are not provided or endorsed by the lender. Approval Odds are not meant to imply or guarantee that you will be approved by the lender or that credit will be extended. WalletHub may share your information with third-parties in order to show personalized offers, as well as enable you to interact more easily with pre-fill forms or applications. You can opt-out of sharing your personal info here.
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