Student accountNo monthly fee
Monthly fee
$0
FDIC insured
Fees, access & the fine printHide details
5,375 U.S. branches
- No monthly maintenance fee
- 5,375 branches nationwide
Figures verified 2026-08-02 · source
Student & youth banking · 2026
Smart banking for the next generation.
Built for anyone starting out or still in college. Compare student checking accounts, first credit cards and private student loans — with the fee, the rate and the catch on every one of them.
6 checking accounts, 4 credit cards and 2 private lenders, every figure read on the provider's own site.
Start here
The FAFSA, at the sourceEverything you need to file before you borrow a dollar privately. This one goes straight to the official federal site, not to a summary of it — the FAFSA is the one form where you want the government's own words.studentaid.govBuilding credit from zeroWhat a credit score is actually made of, in the CFPB's own terms, and why the one ingredient you cannot rush is the one that rewards starting early.Read the guide
Bank Compass is not a bank, is not FDIC-insured, does not provide financial advice, and is not affiliated with the entities compared unless otherwise noted. Rates and terms change — always verify on the bank's official website.
Student checking accounts
The account is the boring one and the one that costs you money quietly. What matters is the monthly fee and what makes it disappear — most of these waive it while you are enrolled, which means it comes back the month you graduate. See the same accounts ranked.
Student accountNo monthly fee
Monthly fee
$0
FDIC insured
Fees, access & the fine printHide details
3,824 U.S. branches
- No monthly maintenance fee
- 3,824 branches nationwide
Figures verified 2026-08-02 · source
Student accountNo monthly fee
Monthly fee
$0
FDIC insured
Fees, access & the fine printHide details
2,418 U.S. branches
- No monthly maintenance fee
- 2,418 branches nationwide
Figures verified 2026-08-02 · source
Student accountNo monthly fee
Monthly fee
$0
FDIC insured
Fees, access & the fine printHide details
1,052 U.S. branches
- No monthly maintenance fee
- 1,052 branches nationwide
Figures verified 2026-08-02 · source
Student account
Monthly fee
$5
FDIC insured
Fees, access & the fine printHide details
4,186 U.S. branches
- Fee waived: $1,500 minimum daily balance, or 10+ debit card purchases…
- 4,186 branches nationwide
- $5/mo unless you meet the waiver
Figures verified 2026-08-02 · source
Student account
Student / Young Adult Checking
4.2Category avg
FDIC insured
Fees, access & the fine printHide details
2,099 U.S. branches
- Fee waived: Automatic waiver of the $12 fee for account holders aged…
- 2,099 branches nationwide
Figures verified 2026-08-02 · source
Student credit cards
A first card is a credit-history machine that happens to buy things. All 4 here charge a $0 annual fee, verified at the issuer, and every rate on this page was read on the issuer's own site on the date printed under it.
Bank of America
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards for Students
Student cardBank of America
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards for Students
3.6
Welcome bonus
0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases, and on balance transfers made in the first 60 days.
See & share this offerRewards, APR & the fine printHide details
6% cash back in a category you choose for the first year, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, 1% on everything else. The 6% and 2% apply to the first $2,500 of combined purchases each quarter.
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.49%–27.49%
- No annual fee
- 6% cash back in a category you choose for the first year, 2% at grocery…
Figures verified 2026-08-09 · source
Bank of America
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards for Students
Student cardBank of America
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards for Students
3.6
Welcome bonus
0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases, and on balance transfers made in the first 60 days.
See & share this offerRewards, APR & the fine printHide details
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, with no cap.
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.49%–27.49%
- No annual fee
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, with no cap
Figures verified 2026-08-09 · source
Capital One
Capital One Quicksilver Student
Student cardCapital One
Capital One Quicksilver Student
Not rated yet
Welcome bonus
$100 cash bonus after spending $300 on purchases in the first 3 months.
See & share this offerRewards, APR & the fine printHide details
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day.
Annual fee
$0
- No annual fee
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
Figures verified 2026-08-09 · source
Capital One
Capital One Savor Student
Student cardCapital One
Capital One Savor Student
Not rated yet
Welcome bonus
$100 cash bonus after spending $300 on purchases in the first 3 months.
See & share this offerRewards, APR & the fine printHide details
Unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 1% on everything else.
Annual fee
$0
- No annual fee
- Unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment…
Figures verified 2026-08-09 · source
Private student loans
For the gap federal aid does not cover — and only for that. Each card shows the fixed and the variable rate at the same size, because the variable one is the cheaper-looking half that can move against you for the next ten years.
Use up your federal options first — always.
File the FAFSA and take what you are offered federally before applying for a private student loan. Federal loans carry protections none of the loans below has: income-driven repayment, deferment if things go wrong, and forgiveness programmes for some careers. A private loan is a commercial contract, and once you sign it those options are gone. Start at studentaid.gov.
Private student loanNo origination fee
Sallie Mae
Sallie Mae Bank
- Fixed APR
- 2.09% – 17.49%
- Variable APR
- 3.62% – 16.83%
The lowest rates include a 0.25 percentage point discount for paying by auto debit, and go to the most creditworthy applicants who also choose to pay interest while studying. Graduate rates run separately, from 2.89% fixed.
Rates, terms & the fine printHide details
Study level
Undergraduate and graduate
Origination fee
No origination fees, and no fee to pay the loan off early.
In school
3 repayment options
- Pay interest in school — monthly interest payments while enrolled and through the grace period
- Pay some in school — $25 every month while enrolled and through the grace period
- Pay after school — nothing due until after the grace period
Terms verified 2026-08-09 · source
Private student loanNo origination fee
College Ave
College Ave Student Loans
- Fixed APR
- 2.09% – 17.99%
- Variable APR
- 3.89% – 17.99%
Rates, terms & the fine printHide details
Study level
Undergraduate
Origination fee
No origination fees.
In school
1 repayment option
- Choose how much to pay while in school, if anything, to keep long-term interest down
Terms verified 2026-08-09 · source
Related reading
Credit from zero, which loan to take first, and what these banks actually offer a student this year.
- How to Build Credit From Zero While You're Still in CollegeA credit score is built from things that take time, and one of them cannot be hurried at all. Here is what actually goes into it, in the CFPB's own terms, and why starting at nineteen beats starting at twenty-six.Guide · 5 min read
- Federal vs. Private Student Loans: Take the Federal One FirstA federal student loan carries protections a private one does not — income-driven repayment, deferment, and forgiveness programmes for some careers. A private loan is a commercial contract. Once you sign it, those options are gone.Guide · 4 min read
- Student Banking in 2026: What These Banks Actually OfferFive of the ten banks we track have a dedicated student or young-adult checking account. Age windows range from as young as 13 to as old as 25, and only one waives its fee indefinitely.News · 3 min read
- The 50/30/20 Rule: A Budget You Can Actually KeepHalf your take-home pay to needs, thirty per cent to wants, twenty per cent to saving and debt. It survives because it has three categories instead of forty — and because it tells you what to do when the numbers do not fit.Guide · 4 min read
Run the numbers
The four numbers most worth knowing before the first paycheck lands — and before the first loan payment does.
- Student Loan RAP CalculatorEstimate your monthly payment under the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), and compare it to a standard 10-year repayment.
- 50/30/20 Budget CalculatorSplit your income into needs, wants, and savings using the 50/30/20 rule.
- Salary to Hourly CalculatorConvert an annual salary to an hourly rate, or an hourly rate to an annual salary.
- Credit Card Payoff CalculatorSee how long paying only the minimum really takes, and how much an extra $50 or $100 a month saves.
Free and no sign-up, on financeinyourpocket.com — our sister site.
Before you apply
We are an independent platform. Card and loan approval is subject to creditworthiness and income. If you are under 21, you may need an independent income or a co-signer to be approved for a credit card.
One thing worth knowing before anyone offers to refinance your loans: moving federal debt to a private lender gives up every federal protection on it — income-driven repayment, deferment and forgiveness — permanently, and there is no way back. Federal consolidation, explained by the source.
Rates and terms were read on each provider's own site on the date printed next to them and change without notice; a lender's lowest advertised rate is not an offer until it is approved for you. None of the issuers here publishes a "no credit history required" promise, so we do not make one on their behalf. How we rank and verify everything. The same banks, and their non-student accounts, are in our account comparison.