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A college student tutors a younger student as a side hustle.

Best Side Hustles for College Students

10 min read
Last Updated: January 28, 2026
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Key Takeaways

  1. A side hustle (employment outside your full-time work) may help you cover extra costs without taking out additional student loans.

  2. To find the right side hustle, consider work that aligns with your schedule, talents, interests, and goals.

  3. Your side hustle may help you gain skills that support your resume or get a head start on your career.

For many students, college is a full-time job. When you’re managing a jam-packed schedule of classes, study sessions, papers, sports, extracurriculars, and dorm life, you may not have time to earn a regular paycheck. But college students have no shortage of expenses to cover, like textbooks and groceries. Even if you have a credit card to make managing those costs easier, you need a source of income to avoid falling behind on your bills.

 

If you’re short on cash but you’re too busy with your studies to get a full-time job, you might consider taking on a side hustle – a part-time job or gig with flexible hours that may help you earn a little extra cash in your spare time.

Benefits of college side hustles

A side hustle may benefit a college student in many ways. With a little extra cash, you may be able to enjoy more financial independence. You might use the money for necessities, like gas or school supplies. Or if you already have the necessities covered, you may put the money you make into your “fun budget” for trips, concerts, or nights out.

The money you make from your part-time work may even help cover some of your tuition costs, reducing the amount of student loan debt you have to pay off after graduation.

 

When you’re ready, a steady income may help you qualify for a student credit card, so you may begin building positive credit habits and a strong credit history.

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Does a side hustle affect student financial aid eligibility?

Yes, income from your job may affect your financial aid eligibility. The U.S. Department of Education and many schools use the information from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your financial aid eligibility based on the Student Aid Index, according to the Federal Student Aid Office.

 

The Student Aid Index uses factors like your family’s taxed and untaxed income to calculate your need for aid. The lower your SAI, the greater your financial need. The income from your side hustle might impact your SAI. A financial aid advisor may help you determine whether the income from your part-time work could affect your financial aid.

Top side hustles for college students

The right side hustle should fit into your schedule, put your talents to use, and help you earn some extra cash doing work you enjoy (or at least don’t mind).

To find the best fit for you, consider your experience, skills, interests, and schedule. If you’re looking for a flexible gig that may fit between classes or on the weekend, you might consider the following.

If you have a car, you might consider signing up to drive for a rideshare service. You may drive students and others in the community around town or allow people to rent your car for short trips. If you’re not comfortable with strangers in your vehicle, you might deliver meals or groceries instead. Keep in mind that you may have to cover your own gas costs, which could add up over time.

If you’re handy, you might make money doing odd jobs that people find difficult or tedious. People always need help with household tasks like hanging shelves, mowing lawns, or assembling furniture. You might start out by helping out local friends or family members who may recommend you to other potential clients in town. As you do more complex tasks, you might sharpen maintenance skills that may help you in the future.

If you’re organized and like to tidy spaces, cleaning homes and offices is one way to bring in extra cash. You may charge by the hour, by room, or by task. People might pay you to do chores like deep-cleaning their kitchens or decluttering their closets, depending on your skills and comfort level. You may advertise online, through a community board on your college campus, or by putting up flyers in your neighborhood.

Babysitting may be a great part-time job if you’re highly responsible and good with children. You may advertise your services online or on social media and charge a competitive hourly rate for your area. With certain credentials, like a CPR certification, you may be able to charge a higher rate.

If you’re an animal lover, you may boost your income by spending some quality time with people’s pets. Pet-sitting may be as involved as staying over at someone’s house to care for their dogs for a weekend, or as simple as stopping by to give a cat food and water twice a day, depending on your schedule and needs.

For a lower-maintenance way to earn money, you might consider taking a break from your dorm room and house-sitting for people while they’re traveling. House-sitting may be a way to earn money without intensive work, though you might have to do small chores throughout your stay. You may even be able to study or attend online courses while house-sitting.

Some gigs may require you to have liability or other insurance coverage. Do some research into the specific work you want to do to ensure you're eligible.

Online side hustles for college students

Online side hustles are particularly flexible, as you may work on them anywhere with an internet connection. So, if you want to work a few hours in your dorm room after class or earn a few dollars after finishing up an essay in the library, you might consider a virtual gig.

Functional issues on a company’s website may drive customers away and cost the business money. Website-testing platforms assign testers to businesses to look at their webpages. As a website tester, you review a website to determine whether it’s user-friendly. You might be asked to record any errors or challenges navigating the website or to complete a survey about your experience. Each review you complete might earn a few dollars.

Businesses and market research firms may pay you to provide feedback on products or advertisements without having to leave your college campus. Virtual focus groups usually involve participating in a moderated discussion with other participants about a particular topic or product. The researcher may gauge your reaction to an advertisement or send you a survey to fill in afterwards. You might get paid by the hour for participating or receive a flat fee per session.

If you want more flexibility, you might consider reselling belongings that you no longer need. Stylish or unique clothes, in-demand video games, electronics in good condition, and even old textbooks may sell for a surprising amount of money. You may list the items on an online marketplace or a resale mobile app to find potential buyers.

If you’re a strong writer, you might make money by writing content on a blog or newsletter. You’ll likely have more success finding readership if your blog or newsletter offers unique insights on a specific topic, like a niche musical genre or specialized skill, for example. Try to stick to a subject that you’re passionate about. You might even write about something in your field of study.

 

Once you have an audience, you may monetize your blog through affiliate marketing, ads, or subscriptions. Building your platform may take some time and commitment, so blogging isn’t necessarily a quick way to raise cash. But if you love to write, getting paid to write about something that matters to you may be rewarding.

Like blogs, video content may bring in money if you have the time to build an audience. You might share fun or informative short-form videos about college life, for example, on social media platforms, and longer vlogs on popular video hosting sites. You might even stream playthroughs of popular video games. Some platforms may offer the opportunity to earn money based on the number of engagements your video receives. Or you might try affiliate links, ads, and sponsorships.

 

Creating content isn’t always easy. You may have to learn editing, video production, and even marketing to have success. If content creation begins to feel like a full-time job or leaves you with little time for schoolwork, you may want to take a break.

Career-building side hustles for college students

Any side hustle may help you develop skills that help you thrive in the workforce. But if you're looking for a stepping-stone to your career that may look great on your resumé, you might consider a more professional side hustle. Try networking with others in your class to find opportunities that align with your career goals.

While you’re building your professional skills, a Discover student credit card may help you build your credit history with responsible use.3 With a strong credit history, you may qualify for credit cards, loans, and apartments in the future.

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Your university may offer part-time tutoring jobs in a subject you excel at, such as writing, chemistry, or math. You may also look for tutoring opportunities off campus, such as at a local library or high school. After you get some experience, you may even consider starting your own tutoring business. 

 

Learning to break down a complex topic into more understandable parts may help you collaborate in a professional setting. Plus, you may sharpen your own understanding of the subject you’re tutoring by walking someone else through it.

Many companies receive customer questions, concerns, and support requests at all hours of the day. A remote customer support role might offer flexible hours outside of the standard nine-to-five. Working in customer support may help you build vital customer service skills and build your capacity to work well under pressure.

You may break into the professional world with a part-time data entry position. Data entry involves adding information to a business’s database or computer system. Many jobs involve data entry, so the role might provide valuable experience for almost any career path, as well as a steady paycheck.

Get a foot in the door of your industry by becoming a virtual assistant in your desired field. Virtual assistants may perform a wide range of administrative tasks, like setting appointments, proofreading reports and presentations, and responding to clients. As a virtual assistant, you may learn project management and organizational skills from your home or dorm.

Freelancing within your intended field may give you a head start in your career. Many talents and skillsets are in high demand – you might consider freelance writing, proofreading, graphic or web design, or coding, to name just a few examples. As a freelancer, you may learn vital business skills, like networking, marketing, and time management. Plus, you might make professional connections that last beyond graduation.

The bottom line

As a college student, your most important job is completing your education. But a side hustle with flexible hours may help you cover some of your expenses without taking too much time away from your studies. Plus, the work experience you gain through your side gig may come in handy throughout your career.

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