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Though you can go to college with any bank account, some banks and credit unions offer products that are specifically catered to college students.
For example, these accounts often don’t have minimum balance requirements and if they have fees, they’re usually waived for students. Once you’re no longer a student, these accounts tend to convert to other checking products from the same bank. If you’d like to open an account specifically geared for students, check out our picks for the best of them below.
But before you do, shop around. You should also consider checking accounts from online banks, as these tend to have no fees, low or no minimum balance requirements and may even earn some interest. (You can find Bankrate’s selection of the best checking accounts here.)
Best student checking accounts of 2025
- Best for ATM fee waivers: Navy Federal Credit Union, $0 minimum balance required to open the account
- Best for overdraft forgiveness: PNC Bank, $0 minimum balance required to open the account
- Best for free checks: U.S. Bank, $25 minimum balance required to open the account
- Best for cash bonus: Chase, $0 minimum balance required to open the account
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Though you might not need cash often, when you do, you don’t want to pay for it. The Free Campus account from Navy Federal Credit Union gives up to $10 in ATM fee reimbursements per monthly statement cycle to members with this account who are full-time students between the ages of 14 and 24. The checking account doesn’t have a minimum balance requirement and it doesn’t have a monthly service fee. The account also earns a little bit of interest.
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- $10 in ATM fee reimbursements.
- No minimum balance requirement.
- The account earns some interest.
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To avoid overdraft fees, it’s a good idea to decline overdraft services, as long as you have another emergency plan in place. Or, use overdraft services responsibly. At PNC Bank, the Virtual Wallet Student account gives you one complimentary overdraft or returned item fee refund for your first overdraft occurrence on your account. This is a $36 value.
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- One complimentary overdraft or returned item fee refund.
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- After the first overdraft, you’ll pay $36 per item. If you’re likely to overdraft more often though, look for an account that doesn’t charge any overdraft fees. These are often found at online banks, though you can find forgiving overdraft policies elsewhere, too.
- The Spend part of the Virtual Wallet account doesn’t earn interest.
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Though you’re not likely to use checks on a daily basis, you may run into a situation when you’ll have no choice. For example, a landlord may only accept checks in certain circumstances.
The U.S. Bank Smartly account is not strictly for students, but it is available to youth between the ages of 13 and 24. It comes with 25 free checks upon account opening. You also get a 50 percent discount on your first check order to replenish your supply.
Customers under 24 (as well as members of the military and those 65 and over) receive an automatic waiver of monthly maintenance fees. In addition, the first four ATM fees incurred at a non-U.S. bank are waived per statement period. Another perk is that overdraft fees are waived if an account is overdrawn by $50 or less.
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- Monthly maintenance fee waived for those under 24 (among others).
- No overdraft fees on negative balances of $50 or less.
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Chase will give you $100 bonus when you open a Chase College Checking account and complete 10 qualifying debit card transactions within 60 days of opening your account.
The account doesn’t have a maintenance fee for up to five years, from the date the account is opened until after the expected graduation day for the student. Students 17-24 years old are eligible to open this account.
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- Account bonus for completing eligible transactions.
- No maintenance fees for up to five years.
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- Only new Chase customers are eligible for the bonus.
- You can find bigger bank bonuses elsewhere, though usually not with such easy requirements.
What is a student bank account?
A student bank account is one designed for students. Sometimes, these are the first bank accounts that high school and college students have.
These accounts are good opportunities for younger people to learn about banking and managing their finances.
What to look for in a student checking account
Most student accounts offer a maintenance-free banking option for your college years. Besides looking for an account without a minimum balance requirement, these are some other key features to look for in the best student checking accounts:
- ATM fee waivers
- How long student benefits last
- Overdraft forgiveness
- Free savings overdraft protection transfers
- Free checks
- Cash bonus
- Availability for international students
Do you need to choose a student checking account?
A student checking account might be a good fit for you but it doesn’t have to have “student” in the name for it to be a good account for a student. Ultimately, you want to focus on finding an account that doesn’t charge a monthly fee, doesn’t have a minimum balance requirement and has perks that you might want (such as ATM reimbursements).
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