Banking Bank Reviews

Best Checking Accounts for Students [2025]: Smart Choices for College Budgets

Discover the best checking accounts for students that combine low fees, convenient banking tools, and perks designed to make managing your money easier while in school.

Updated Aug. 27, 2025
Fact check checkmark icon Fact checked

Opening your first checking account is an important step toward financial independence. The right checking account can make everyday banking easier, save you on paying unnecessary fees, and maybe even put a little extra money in your pocket.

We've reviewed several student bank accounts to come up with our choices for the best checking accounts for students that offer benefits like low fees, free ATM access, overdraft protection, and convenient mobile tools. Some even pay you interest or cashback for your everyday purchases.

What makes a checking account great for students

Many people open their first checking account between the ages of 17 and 24, typically while enrolled in college or classes at a vocational, trade, or technical school. Checking accounts that are great for students offer features that fit their lifestyle and budget. Some of the key factors that make a checking account great for students include:

  • No monthly fees
  • No minimum balance requirements
  • Free ATM access
  • Mobile banking tools
  • Overdraft protection

Best checking accounts for students compared

Bank Best for … Monthly fees/ATMs/other important features
Chime®

Chime®1

Building credit
  • No monthly fees2
  • 50,000 fee-free ATMs3
SoFi Checking and Savings

SoFi Checking and Savings

Earning interest
  • No monthly fees
  • Checking earns 0.50% (as of 01/24/25) APY4
  • 55,000 fee-free ATMs5
U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking

Overdraft protection
  • No monthly fees for students aged 17-24
  • Requires $25 opening deposit
  • 15,000 fee-free ATMs
Chase Bank

Chase College Checking
Brick-and-mortar locations
  • No monthly service fees while enrolled (up to 5 years)
  • 5,000 branch locations
Discover® Cashback Debit Earning cash back
  • No monthly fees
  • Over 60,000 fee-free ATMs
Capital One 360 Checking

Capital One 360
Overall banking
  • No monthly or overdraft fees
  • Over 70,000 fee-free ATMs

Chime®

Excellent for building credit
Chime®
4.6
info
Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best for Bad or No Credit

  • No minimum balance, no monthly service fees2
  • Get your paycheck up to 2 days earlier with direct deposit6
  • Eligible Members can access fee-free overdraft up to $2007
  • 50K+ fee-free ATMs nationwide3
  • Automatic savings helps you grow your money faster8
Learn More
on Chime's secure website
Product details

  • Fully online banking
  • No monthly fees or minimum balance fees
  • Offers tools to help build credit

Chime isn't a traditional bank.1 It's a fintech company that offers online banking services. For students, that means no monthly fees, no overdraft fees7, and no minimum balance requirements. It also provides access to over 50,000 fee-free ATMs.3

Everything with Chime is digital, so you can manage your checking account online or with Chime's easy-to-use mobile app. If you need to deposit cash,9 you can do it for free at any U.S. Walgreens location. You can also deposit cash for a small fee at retailers like Walmart, CVS, and 7-Eleven.

Students will also appreciate Chime's SpotMe overdraft protection,7 which covers up to $200 in overdraft transactions without fees. However, to take advantage of this protection, you will need to have direct deposits of at least $200 monthly.

Pros
  • No monthly service fees or minimum balance requirements
  • Fee-free overdraft coverage up to $200
  • Access to 50,000 fee-free ATMs
Cons
  • Overdraft protection requires at least $200 in monthly direct deposits
  • Cash deposits made at locations other than Walgreens may incur a fee
  • Checking account doesn't earn interest

Visit Chime | Learn more in our Chime review

SoFi Checking and Savings

Excellent for earning interest
SoFi Checking and Savings
5.0
info
Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

  • Earn up to a $300 bonus and up to 4.50% APY10 on your money
  • Limited-Time Offer: +0.70% Boost on Savings APY for 6 months on new accounts with eligible Direct Deposit. Terms Apply.11
  • No account, overdraft, or monthly fees12
  • Get your paycheck up to two days early13
  • Access additional FDIC insurance up to $3 million14
Learn More
on SoFi's secure website
Product details

  • Checking account earns 0.50% (as of 01/24/25) APY with direct deposit
  • No monthly, overdraft, or minimum balance fees12
  • You automatically get a savings account when you open a checking account

If you're a student looking to make the most of your money, SoFi® offers a checking and savings combo that's hard to beat. When you open a checking account with SoFi, you automatically get a linked high-yield savings account. Both accounts earn interest. SoFi's checking account earns 0.50% (as of 01/24/25),4 and the savings account earns up to 3.80% (with direct deposit).

SoFi is a great fit for students who prefer to handle their banking digitally and don't deal with cash often. While you can deposit cash into your SoFi account through various retailers, you may be charged a $4.95 fee.

With a SoFi checking account, there are no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no overdraft charges. SoFi does offer overdraft protection, but it is limited compared to other financial institutions, and you must have direct deposits of at least $1,000 monthly to qualify. 15

Member FDIC.14

Pros
  • Checking and savings accounts earn interest
  • No monthly, overdraft, or minimum balance fees
  • Offers a cash bonus when you set up direct deposit10
Cons
  • Many benefits require direct deposit
  • Cash deposits may cost up to a $4.95 fee
  • Overdraft protection is limited15

Visit SoFi | Learn more in our SoFi review

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking

Excellent for overdraft protection
U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking
4.3
info
Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best for Bonuses

  • Earn up to $450 when you open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account and complete qualifying activities
  • Subject to certain terms and limitations. Offer valid through September 16, 2025. Member FDIC
  • No Overdraft Protection Transfer fee, $50 overdrawn Available Balance safety threshold and Overdraft Fee Forgiven program
  • Complimentary access to Greenlight to raise financially smart kids
  • Offer may not be available if you are an existing U.S. Bank customer or live outside of the U.S. Bank footprint
Learn More
on U.S. Bank's secure website
Product details

  • Provides several options for overdraft protection
  • The monthly maintenance fee is waived for ages 18-24 16
  • U.S. Bank Smart Rewards® program offers perks like fee waivers and discounts

U.S. Bank's Smartly Checking account17 is a good option for students who want an account with strong overdraft protection. While the bank charges an overdraft fee of $36 on transactions over $5.01 that it covers on your behalf, it does offer several options to help you avoid this fee. For example, there is no fee if your account balance is overdrawn by $50 or less.

You also won't be charged a fee if you set up overdrafts to be covered from an automatic transfer from your savings, money market, or secondary checking account. You can link up to three accounts to cover your overdrafts.

With many financial institutions offering accounts with no monthly maintenance fees, U.S. Bank's $12 monthly fee may make you pause. However, this fee is waived for young adults aged 18 to 24.

U.S. Bank's Smart Rewards program also offers many perks that students may appreciate. Those perks include a waiver of your first two non-U.S. Bank ATM transaction fees per statement cycle and access to digital financial tools to help you manage your money.

Pros
  • The monthly maintenance fee is waived for college-age customers
  • No fees for overdrafts of $50 or less
  • No fees for overdraft protection transfers from a savings, money market, or secondary checking account
Cons
  • Requires $25 minimum deposit
  • Not available in all states

Visit U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking | Learn more in our U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking review

Chase College Checking

Excellent for in-person banking
Product details

  • Get $125 for opening an account and completing 10 transactions
  • No monthly service fees while in school (for students aged 17-24)
  • Thousands of branch locations

Students who prefer to do their banking at a brick-and-mortar branch location may want to consider the Chase College Checking account. Chase operates about 5,000 physical branches in 48 U.S. states.

This account is specifically designed for students aged 17-24 who are enrolled in a college or vocational, technical, or trade school. For enrolled students, Chase waives its $15 monthly service fee up to the day you graduate or for a maximum of five years, whichever comes first.

Chase rewards you with a $125 bonus just for opening an account and completing 10 qualifying transactions. If you are a student aged 18-24 with a Social Security Number, you can open an account online. However, students aged 17 or those without a Social Security Number will have to visit a physical branch location to open the account.

One drawback to the Chase College Checking account is that its overdraft coverage is limited. Chase Overdraft Assist will cover you if you are overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the day. If you are overdrafted by more than $50, you can avoid an overdraft fee by bringing your account overdraft amount to $50 or less by the end of the next business day. Otherwise, you'll be charged an overdraft fee of $34 per transaction up to a maximum of three overdrafts per day. You can also use a Chase savings account to cover overdrafts.

Pros
  • Offers $125 intro bonus for opening an account and completing 10 transactions
  • No monthly fees for enrolled students aged 17-24
  • Chase has 5,000 branch locations in 48 U.S. states
Cons
  • The monthly fee waiver is only good for five years, and you must be age 17-24 to be eligible
  • $34 overdraft fees per transaction
  • Students aged 17 and those who don't have a Social Security Number must apply at a branch location

Learn more in our Chase Bank review

Discover® Cashback Debit

Excellent for earning cash back
Product details

  • Rewards 1% cash back on most debit card transactions up to $3,000 per month
  • No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
  • Over 60,000 fee-free ATMs

With Discover® Cashback Debit, you can earn money making everyday purchases like buying books or groceries while you're in school. This checking account rewards you with 1.00% cash back on most debit card transactions, up to $3,000 per month. That's a potential of up to $30 extra in your pocket each month.18

Discover's checking account is all online. It has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements. Plus, if you are working, this account enables you to access your paycheck up to two days early. Discover also doesn't charge fees for transactions that it refuses payment on due to insufficient funds. However, you may still get charged by the merchant or financial institution on the other end of the transaction. While Discover offers overdraft protection, debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals aren't covered under that protection.

One thing to be aware of is the merger between Capital One and Discover that occurred in May 2025. Although Discover still operates business as usual, there could be changes to its accounts in the future.

Pros
  • Provides 1.00% cash back on debit card transactions
  • No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
  • No Discover fees for insufficient funds transactions (but there may be fees from the merchant or other financial institution involved)
Cons
  • Overdraft protection excludes debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals
  • No physical locations
  • Possible changes due to the merger with Capital One

Learn more in our Discover Cashback Debit Checking review

Capital One 360

Excellent for overall banking
Product details

  • No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
  • No overdraft fees
  • Has branch and cafe locations, and access to 70,000 fee-free ATMs

Capital One's 360 Checking is a solid choice for anyone, including students. The account has no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, and no minimum balance requirements. Plus, its checking account earns 0.10% (as of 08/27/25) APY. Although that is low compared to some other accounts like SoFi, even a small amount is better than nothing.

Capital One provides fee-free access to 70,000 ATMs across the country, and you can deposit cash into your account at any CVS or Walgreens location. The company is also offering a $250 bonus if you open an account, set up direct deposit, and make at least two $500 deposits within 75 days of opening your account. 19

One important thing to note is that Capital One typically declines overdraft transactions unless you enroll in either its No-Fee Overdraft coverage or set up automatic transfers from a savings or money market account.

Pros
  • Offers $250 bonus for opening an account and setting up direct deposit
  • No monthly fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance requirement
  • Earns a little bit of interest (0.10% (as of 08/27/25))
Cons
  • APY on checking is low
  • Physical locations are limited
  • Overdraft transactions are usually declined unless you enroll for free automatic transfers from a savings or money market account

Learn more in our Capital One 360 review

FAQs

Which bank has the best checking account for students?

The best checking account for students depends on the student's specific wants and needs. For example, if you want your money to earn interest, you may want to consider SoFi or Capital One. But if you prefer doing your banking at a physical branch, you may want to consider the Chase College Checking account. Overall, the best checking accounts for students are those with minimal fees, large ATM access, and overdraft protection options.

What are the cons of a student checking account?

One drawback to student checking accounts is that benefits like fee waivers may expire when you graduate or after a certain amount of time. For example, Chase's College Checking account waives its monthly service fee as long as you are enrolled in school for up to five years. Students also get monthly fees waived on U.S. Bank's Smartly Checking account until they turn 24.

How much should I keep in my checking account as a student?

As a student, it's wise to keep enough in your checking account to cover at least one month of expenses, like rent, groceries, and transportation. You should also have a small cushion for unexpected costs that come up. It may also be wise to have some money in savings to cover any overdraft transactions you may make, so you can avoid getting hit with overdraft fees.

Bottom line

Finding the right student checking account can make managing your money easier and more affordable while you're in school. No one likes to pay a lot of banking fees, especially students who are on limited budgets. When looking for the best student checking account for you, compare features like fees, ATM access, overdraft protection, and other perks to see which works best for your needs. The right account will enable you to focus on your studies and not your banking.

Methodology

To determine the best checking accounts for students, we evaluated a variety of financial institutions based on the features that matter most to college-age customers. Key factors include no or low fees, minimum balance requirements, overdraft protection options, fee-free ATM access, mobile banking tools, and any available bonuses or rewards programs. We also considered whether accounts offered interest, in-person branch access, and student-friendly benefits such as credit-building tools.

Learn More
5.0
info
Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

High APY of up to 4.50%4 with direct deposit
Paycheck access up to 2 days early13
No monthly maintenance or overdraft fees12
Streamlined savings and savings goals with Vaults
Access to a large ATM network5