Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards

The Savor Student gives students a strong everyday earn for a no-annual-fee card: 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming, and groceries, plus 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel portal. Those categories line up well with how many students actually spend, and the lack of a foreign transaction fee helps if you study or travel abroad. Capital One recently cut the signup bonus from $100 to $50, which still only requires $100 in spending in the first 3 months but is now a minor perk. The catch is the 1% rate on everything else and the absence of any intro APR, so keep a balance off this card. Price drop protection on flights booked through Capital One Travel is a small extra.