5 best student credit cards for studying abroad in 2025

Opening a student credit card while in college can help you build your credit and earn rewards. However, if you’re studying abroad for a semester or attending a university outside of the U.S., you’ll need a card tailored to your unique needs. Notably, you’ll want a card that’s widely accepted internationally and has no foreign transaction fees.

If you’re searching for a credit card for your overseas college experience, CNBC Select has the details on the top options.

Who’s this for? The Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students is a rare travel card designed for students, making it a great fit for a semester abroad.

Standout benefits: The Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students card has one of the most generous intro APR offers available on a student credit card. So it’s a great option for balance transfers or funding your studies.

[ Jump to more details ]

Best for flat-rate rewards

Rewards:

• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Welcome bonus: Earn a $50 bonus after spending $100 in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Notable perks:

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Credit Card has no foreign transaction fees and $0 fraud liability. It also provides access to events and experiences through Capital One Entertainment and travel accident insurance*.

*Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

[ Return to card summary ]

Best for welcome bonus

Rewards:

• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in rotating categories, then 1% cash back (activation required)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus: Discover will match the cash back you’ve earned at the end of the first year.

Annual fee: $0

Notable perks:

The Discover it® Student Cash Back has no foreign transaction fees. It can also help you save on interest with a competitive promotional intro APR.

[ Return to card summary ]

Best for intro APR

Rewards:

• Earn 1.5X points on all purchases.

Welcome bonus: Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you spend at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Notable perks:

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students has a straightforward rewards program that allows you to easily redeem points as a statement credit. Each point is worth one cent toward eligible travel purchases. It also has no foreign transaction fees.

[ Return to card summary ]

Best for cash back

Rewards:

Welcome bonus: New cardholders can earn $50 when they spend $100 in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Notable perks:

You won’t pay foreign transaction fees when you use the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card to make purchases overseas. The card also provides access to events and experiences through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment. Eligible purchases are covered by the card’s *extended warranty protection and travel accident insurance.

*Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

[ Return to card summary ]

You’re likely to have a limited credit history and income as a college student, so it helps to narrow your options to credit cards you’re likely to be approved for, mainly student credit cards or cards designed for anyone with a limited credit history. You’ll also want to pay close attention to a card’s fees, rewards and payment network.

Fees

If you’re considering opening a credit card with an annual fee, you’ll want to be sure the benefits outweigh the cost. In most cases, a student should focus on no-annual-fee credit cards.

Other costs associated with credit cards, such as interest or late fees can be avoided by paying on time and in full. However, if you’re traveling overseas, you’ll want a card with no foreign transaction fees. A foreign transaction fee may apply when you make a purchase in a foreign currency and typically is 3% of the transaction amount. Choosing a card without this fee can save you a lot over your semester.

Rewards

Student credit cards aren’t known for their rewards and benefits, however, many offer some form of basic rewards program. You shouldn’t choose a card based solely on what rewards you might earn, but considering where you’ll spend the most and what card could be the most rewarding for you isn’t a bad idea. The rewards you can earn can help you decide between cards that are otherwise very similar.

Payment network

All major payment networks (American Express, Visa, Mastercard and Discover) are accepted overseas. However, the popularity of each payment network varies dramatically. Typically, you’ll find that Visa and Mastercard are the best options for international travel, especially if you’re studying in Europe.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for studying abroad.

To determine which cards offer the best value when you’re studying overseas, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offer a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back. 

Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

For rates and fees for the Discover it® Student Cash Back, click here.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.