Best Credit Card for 21 year old college student to graduate in May 2026
Our son will be 21 in July 2025.
He will be a Senior at Purdue this Fall.
He was added to our Chase VISA for use since age 16.
His rental housing lease has been in his name for 3 years, but we cover rent. He has used the credit card responsibly since added.
He is sole Owner/ Employee of a company he started as a Junior in HS. Annual income past years less than 10K. Plans to expand business and be a full time entrepreneur when graduates in May 2026.
Looking to acquire his own credit card to be establishing his own credit record as if BD July 8.
What type of credit card is best for his for him to building good credit history AND what should apply to? We (Parents) have been with BMO, Fidelity and BMO for 30 years.
Would appreciate your guidance on this ASAP. Huge fans of you and listen to you on WGN religiously. Thank you.
Terry Says
Thanks for being such long-time fans. Did he check his credit report — and score — at AnnualCreditReport.com?
By this time he might have enough credit history to apply for any card of choice — including one that offers points for spending or for travel.
But if his use of your cards hasn’t built a credit report of his own, then he should start with a “secured card” — where you/he deposits money in a bank savings account and that becomes his line of credit on the card. (Paying rent using this card wont help, since most landlords don’t report payments to credit bureaus.) But he should use the new credit card regularly, and pay in full and on time, and that will give him his own credit history and score.
Find a secured card here: https://www.creditcards.com/student/
