The best credit cards for college students

Hamilton.edu

Start building credit as a student.

Building strong credit early on is essential, and there's no better time to start than college.

"It's easier to establish credit in college rather than wait and try to do so afterwards," says Jonathan Meaney, a certified financial planner and wealth manager at Carter Financial.

To help you navigate the credit card selection process, we consulted the experts at NerdWallet, a personal finance and credit card comparison site.

They singled out their favorite student credit cards - all with no annual fee and solid rewards programs.

These cards are ideal for first-time credit card users looking to establish credit, and you can continue using them even after graduating. Of course, you can always open a new card - if you're looking for a higher credit limit or better rewards - but it doesn't hurt to keep your student card around and active.