10 Best Student Checking Accounts

Student checking accounts come with a number of features and perks that make it easier for college students to manage their money and build a banking history. These accounts typically have built-in automation tools that help you develop better saving habits, pay bills on time, and avoid overdrafts. You’ll also get access to a debit card that’s linked to your account and can be used to purchase anything in person or online without using cash.

Several established banks offer student checking accounts. Each one has its own distinct features and benefits that may be different from others. Some may have a minimum age requirement. Others may limit the number of years you can be in school, after which you’ll lose your eligibility.

What To Look For In A Student Bank Account

The best student bank accounts will have these features:

Fee-free banking
Low or no opening banking requirement
No balance requirements
No monthly maintenance fees
Flexible account access
Online and mobile banking options
An extensive ATM network
No ATM fees
An ability to continue or convert the account after leaving school

Not all of these features are absolutely essential for a student checking account. However, they do add to the convenience and could be the deciding factor for you depending on your circumstances.

We’ve put together the 10 best student checking accounts of 2023, based on their features, benefits, interest rates and fees,

10 Best Student Bank Accounts

1. CITIZENS STUDENT CHECKING ACCOUNT

The Citizens Student Checking account¹ offers a lot of advantages for students between the ages of 17 to 25 who are ready to take their first step toward financial independence. With a commitment to simplicity and affordability, this account offers no overdraft fees², zero monthly maintenance fees, and easy access to online and mobile banking. It also provides peace of mind because of its Zero Liability Coverage³ and 24/7 Fraud Monitoring that ensures the security of students’ finances.

On top of that, the account integrates seamlessly with the Citizens 24/7 mobile app⁴, enabling tasks like depositing checks and spending tracking with Citizens Insights. It also offers diverse payment options including exclusively designed checks, a contactless debit card, and compatibility with popular Digital Wallets like Apple Pay®, Samsung Pay™, Google Pay™, and more. Additionally, the account facilitates swift and secure payments through Zelle®, ensuring seamless transactions for sending and receiving funds.

There’s also the benefit of Citizens Paid Early™—a feature that gives students early access to their funds⁵. Overall, this Bank On Certified account is tailored to meet the specific needs of students, making their financial journey a seamless and worry-free experience.

2. CHASE COLLEGE CHECKING ACCOUNT

Chase College Checking Account comes with a wide range of tools and resources that make it easy for college students to manage their money independently. Students pay $0 annual fee and $0 monthly service fee for up to 5 years. There’s no minimum deposit requirement, which means you can open a college checking account at Chase with $0.

The Chase Mobile app takes banking convenience and security to the next level with features such as budget planning, keeping track of your money, an auto-saving option, and instant locking if your card is lost. The app also allows you to monitor your credit score.

Students between 18 and 24 years can open a Chase college checking account online after submitting proof of student status. 17-year-old students and students without a Social Security Number have to go to the branch personally with proof of student status to open an account.

Account holders can pay and get paid quickly with Zelle. No waiting for days and no fees to receive or send money to anyone, any time.

3. CHIME CHECKING ACCOUNT

Chime makes it easy for students to open a checking account online without an opening deposit and no credit check requirement. These two factors effectively remove any barriers that students typically face when opening a checking account. No matter how tight your budget or how thin your credit history, you can open a Chime checking account provided that you can submit proof of your student status.

Other student-friendly features include no minimum balance requirement, no monthly service fees, no manual fee, and $0 overdraft up to $200 on Chime debit card purchases. You can also get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit and can deposit checks from anywhere by just snapping a photograph of the check.

Chime’s award-winning mobile banking app features a variety of tools that make it easier than ever for you to manage your money 24/7. You can get real-time transaction alerts, personalize your security settings, disable transactions if you lose your debit card, and protect against unauthorized charges – all within the mobile app itself. The automatic savings feature encourages you to set money aside to meet your savings goals.

4. DISCOVER CASHBACK DEBIT ACCOUNT

One of the most notable features of the Discover Cashback Debit account is the ability to earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in purchases every month. This is on top of the $0 monthly service fee, $0 annual fee, and $0 minimum balance requirements. With the Discover Cashback Debit account, you’ll also get fee-free overdraft with overdraft protection.

As an account holder, you’ll get access to a digital wallet and Zelle for person-to-person payments. You can also get paid up to two days earlier by simply setting up direct deposit for your online checking account

The Discover App allows you to complete all banking transactions from your mobile phone. It has built-in tools for fraud protection, auto savings, and easy access to cash from your checking account at any ATM.

5. BANK OF AMERICA ADVANTAGE SAFEBALANCE BANKING ACCOUNT

The Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking checking account is a smart choice for you if you meet these two requirements:

You must be below 25 years of age.
You must also be enrolled in a 4-year school or a vocational or educational program.

Enrolled students who are younger than 25 years pay $0 maintenance fee to hold a checking account in this bank. In addition, student account holders pay $0 annual fee, have $0 minimum balance requirements and $0 overdraft.

The Mobile Banking app, together with Zelle, allows you to send money to almost anyone anywhere within minutes, even if the recipient is not a Bank of America customer.

6. TRUIST STUDENT CHECKING ACCOUNT

Truist is one of the best student checking accounts for students who are 25 years old or younger. There are no annual fees, no overdraft fees, no monthly maintenance fees and no transfer fees. There are also no minimum deposit or minimum balance requirements. In addition, the personal check and ATM fees may be waived for account holders who submit documents supporting their student status.

The Truist app offers the ultimate in banking convenience with the ability to transfer funds, deposit checks, and add your debit card to your smartphone’s digital wallet. Setting up text alerts helps you set up autopay and stay up to date on authorized as well as unauthorized transactions.

7. U.S. BANK STUDENT CHECKING ACCOUNT

The U.S. Bank Student Checking Account offers students a smart financial solution with several innovative features. Students 18 years and above can open an individual account within minutes with a minimum deposit of $25. Students who are below the age of 18 will have to open a joint account with a parent or other adult. All account holders below 18 years old receive these benefits:

$0 monthly maintenance fee
$0 overdraft fees when overdrawn $50 or less
$0 overdraft protection transfers made from eligible linked U.S. Bank deposit account
$0 ATM fees for transactions done at U.S. Bank ATMs and first four 4 transactions done at non-U.S. Bank ATMs

As soon as your account is opened, you should enroll in the U.S. Bank Smart Rewards program. This is a generous rewards program that enables you to earn greater rewards as your total balances grow.

8. ALLY BANK INTEREST CHECKING ACCOUNT

Ally Bank was launched with the idea of rewarding account holders for banking with them, not the other way around. While the Ally Bank Interest Checking Account is not specifically designed for students, it offers several terms, conditions, and features that make it student-friendly.

Ally Bank Interest Checking Account has no monthly maintenance fees, no annual fees, and no overdraft fees. You won’t pay any fee on withdrawals made through any one of 43,000+ no-fee Allpoint ATMs. If you have a direct deposit facility, you can get paid up to 2 days earlier. Spending buckets, which are a popular feature of this student checking account, help you to stay ahead of your expenses.

You don’t need an additional banking app to send or receive money from family and friends. You can use Zelle to do this quickly, easily, and safely without any extra apps. To deposit checks using your cell phone, all you need to do is take a photograph of the check.

9. CAPITAL ONE MONEY TEEN CHECKING ACCOUNT

When you’re looking for the best student checking accounts, check out Capital One MONEY Teen Checking Account. This is a fee-free bank account that’s specially designed for teens.

Teenagers are exempt from paying any fees to open an account, keep money in their account, or use money from their account. There are no monthly or annual fees and no minimum balance requirements. Teens also pay $0 to transfer money from internal or external accounts or for foreign transactions. In addition to saving money in fees, teenage account holders also earn interest on their checking account balances.

Other benefits of this student checking account include transaction alerts, a free debit card that can be used at 70,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, and security features such as FDIC insurance and fraud coverage.

This kid-centric checking account also gives parents visibility and control through two separate app logins. While it’s called the Teen Checking Account, kids eight and over are eligible. Parents can also link to external accounts if they don’t currently bank with Capital One.

10. AXOS ESSENTIALS CHECKING ACCOUNT

Axos Essentials Checking Account stays true to its motto of ‘All of the perks, none of the fees’. Students enjoy a number of useful benefits such as $0 monthly maintenance fees, unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements, $0 minimum monthly balance requirements, and $0 overdraft or non-sufficient funds fees.

Axos Essentials Checking Account makes it easy to stay up-to-date on your transactions with real-time updates sent via email, text or push notifications. You can choose your preferred mode. It’s just as easy to activate, deactivate or reactivate your debit card, get a replacement card, and send money to friends, all from your banking dashboard. Account holders can also get paid up to two days early via Direct Deposit Express at no extra charge.

Which Is The Best Student Checking Account For Me?

There is no single type of account that’s best for everyone. All student checking accounts have a range of features that can help you manage your money efficiently without unnecessary fees. The key to identifying the best student checking account for you is to compare the features, benefits, and fees of the different accounts and pick one that best meets your specific needs.

Are you looking for student loans? Use College Raptor’s free Student Loan Finder tool to quickly and easily find and compare loans from reputed lenders.

Disclosures

¹At least one account holder must be under 25 years old. Account will switch to One Deposit Checking from Citizens™ when all account owners are age 25 or older.

²Our Student Checking account does not come with standard overdraft coverage. So, if you don’t have sufficient available funds in your account to cover a transaction, it will be declined and, in the case of checks, bill payments and ACH transactions, the item will be returned unpaid. Overdraft fees do not apply to Student Checking accounts. While Student Checking is designed to prevent overdrafts, there may be times when your account could have a negative balance. This could happen if a purchase you make is approved for one amount, but the final charge is more than your available balance. If a transaction results in a negative balance on your account, we will not charge you an Overdraft Fee. $5 Overdraft Pass® does not apply and student checking accounts are not eligible for Debit Card Overdraft Coverage enrollment. Citizens offers two overdraft plans- Savings Overdraft Transfer Plan and Overdraft Line of Credit. There is no fee for Savings Overdraft Transfer Plan. The transfer fee per day and the annual fee on an Overdraft Line of Credit is waived for Student Checking customers. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for an Overdraft Line of Credit is 21% on all outstanding loan balances. Credit approval is required.

³Citizens Zero Liability policy covers U.S.-issued cards only. Does not apply to ATM transactions, PIN transactions not processed by Visa or Mastercard, or certain commercial card transactions. Individual provisional credit amounts are provided on a provisional basis and may be withheld, delayed, limited, or rescinded by your issuer based on factors such as gross negligence or fraud, delay in reporting authorized use, investigation and verification of claim and account standing and history. Cardholder must notify Citizens immediately of any unauthorized use. Transaction at issue must be posted to your account before provisional credit may be issued. For additional information, please visit our Citizens Zero Liability page.

⁴Wireless carrier, text and/or data charges may apply.

⁵ If you are a Citizens Personal Checking, Savings or Money Market account customer that has set up a direct deposit with a payor, you may be able to get that direct deposit up to two days early with Citizens Paid Early™. Whether a direct deposit is eligible for Paid Early is at our discretion and we cannot guarantee that you will always receive the Paid Early service.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPad, and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc.

Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association.

Samsung Pay is a trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.