Best student checking accounts of 2025

Though you might not need cash often on campus, when you do, you don’t want to pay to access it. The Free Campus Checking 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 require a minimum balance, and it doesn’t have a monthly service fee.

• $10 in ATM fee reimbursements
• No minimum balance requirement
• It’s an interest-earning account
• The Free Campus Checking account doesn’t have a monthly service fee.

• Account requires Navy Federal Credit Union membership
• While $10 in reimbursements is nice, if you’re a heavy ATM user, you can find a bank with a higher threshold for ATM fee reimbursements.

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 Spend Account. This is a $36 value.

• One complimentary overdraft or returned item fee refund.
• PNC Bank has more than 60,000 fee-free ATMs.
• The Virtual Wallet Student account doesn’t have a monthly service fee.

• 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.

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 available to youths between the ages of 13 and 24, and adults. Bank Smartly account customers receive 50 percent off the cost of their first box of checks.

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.

• The monthly maintenance fee is waived for those under 24 (among others).
• This account doesn’t have overdraft fees on negative balances of $50 or less.

• Only 14 states have colleges/universities participating in the U.S. Bank Campus Banking program.
• Checks can usually be purchased cheaper from non-bank vendors. Don’t base your whole banking decision around free checks.
• People aged 13 to 17 must open this account with an adult on the joint account.

Chase will give you $100 when you open a Chase College Checking account and complete 10 qualifying debit card transactions within 60 days of enrolling your Chase offer coupon.

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.

• Account bonus for completing eligible transactions.
• No maintenance fees for up to five years.

• Current Chase customers aren’t eligible for the bonus.
• You can find bigger bank bonuses elsewhere, though usually not with such easy requirements.