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If you've just graduated from college, congratulations on your achievement! As you enter the next phase of your life, you'll want to make sure you have a good credit card or two to help you build your credit history and take advantage of the perks credit cards can offer.
Of course, responsible credit usage is key. That means paying your credit accounts on time every month—and avoid carrying a balance. Check out these top credit cards for college grads from our partners.
3 Partner Offers
Best Rewards Card for Limited Credit
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
on Capital One's website
Recommended FICO® Score*
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
APR
29.99% (Variable)
Intro APR
Rewards
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day, 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
1.5% Cash Back on All Purchases
Annual Fee
$39
Card Details
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
This Card Is Right for You If:
If you don't have perfect credit but still want to earn rewards, you're in luck. You may be approved for this card even with fair credit. There is an annual fee, but at $39 it's relatively low. You'll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply), and there are no limits. That means if you spend more than $2,600 on the card each year, you'll offset that annual fee—making the card worth it. You'll also be considered for a higher credit limit in as little as six months.
Read full reviewBest Premium Rewards Card for Good Credit
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
APR
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Intro APR
Rewards
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
3x Points on Dining
2x Points on Other Travel
1x Points on All Other Purchases
Intro Bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Annual Fee
$95
Card Details
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
This Card Is Right for You If:
If you're willing to pay a $95 annual fee, this is a great premium card to start with. You earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3 points per $1 spent on dining purchases worldwide (including eligible delivery services and takeout), 2 points per $1 spent on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases. After you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, you'll get $60,000 bonus points—worth $750 toward travel when you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal®. You can also transfer points on a 1-to-1 basis to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty program partners.
Best Card for Limited Credit History
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
on Capital One's website
Recommended FICO® Score*
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
APR
29.99% (Variable)
Intro APR
Rewards
None
Annual Fee
$0
Card Details
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
- Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
- Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
This Card Is Right for You If:
If you don't have great credit and need a card to help you build or improve your credit standing, consider the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. There's $0 annual fee, and you'll be considered for a higher credit line after in as little as six months. You won't find a lot of frills here, and the APR is relatively high. But it's an unsecured card that will help you improve your credit if you use it responsibly—which will let you graduate on to better cards in the future.