13 best side hustles for college students to make money

As any college student knows, it’s not easy to make ends meet while in college. College tuition and living expenses can stretch your budget to the limit, leaving you in need of extra income. However, there’s no need to feel helpless. With a little bit of creativity and some hard work, you can make money in college and never have to worry about being short on cash again. In this article, I will walk you through the top 13 profitable side hustles for college students to make extra cash.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

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1. Work on campus

One of the best and easiest side hustles for college students is to work on campus. I know this because I have done it myself. When I was in college, I worked 20 hours every week and I never took a day off. Even when I had an exam in the morning, I showed up to work.

Why did I work that much when I was in college? I was a supervisor and my responsibilities required me to be there at least half a shift. I also understood the benefits of making extra cash which was essential in taking care of some of my expenses. You are probably thinking: Maybe you took a few credits which left you with a lot of free time to party and work. Nope. That is not the case. I never had free time. I had a double major and most of the time took at least 20 credits on average. So, I was busy.

Why is working on campus one of the best side hustles for college students?

I cherish this kind of side hustle for college students because they are usually easy and less expensive to do. For example, you do not need to buy a car or travel a long distance when you work on campus. So, the transportation cost for this type of work is zero. Plus, you can make up your own schedule because of your classes. Most on-campus jobs come with scheduling flexibility.

Common on-campus jobs for college students

If you are interested in making extra cash on campus, the following are on-campus side hustles for college students you can pursue.

Work in the fitness center. This is one of the best side hustles for college students you can think of. With this side hustle, you will more likely check people in and give them assistance when needed. You might also do some cashier work for those with memberships.

Work in the cafeteria: Not only that you make money from this side hustle for college students, but you also get free food. Food is one of the biggest college expenses. So, being able to eat for free when you are in college makes a huge difference.

Consider working in the library: School library jobs pay well for students and it can help you cover your living expenses.

Work as a receptionist in your department or other departments

Work as a lab assistant

Work as a tour guide. Working as a tour guide on campus is one of the best side hustles for college students. With this side hustle, you get paid and walk a lot which turns out to be your workout. It is like getting paid to walk on campus and talk to people at the same time.

Become a facilities assistant. With this side hustle for students, you assist experienced personnel in fixing and updating HVACs, plumbing, systems management, etc. I personally worked as a plumbing assistant and it was a fun experience.

There are many other side hustles for college students that you can consider. So, look at your school job boards and apply to jobs you qualify for. You can also do more than two jobs at once depending on your program.

2. Online surveys are great side hustles for college students

Being in college means that you are either studying, partying, playing video games, watching movies, sleeping, or eating. Of course, there is everything else in between. What if you can cut down on your movies, video games, parties, etc., and do something that brings in some cash? Yes, I am talking about doing side hustles and getting paid while in school.

One of the easiest side hustles for college students is to do online surveys. With this kind of work, you don’t need experience or a degree. You just need time and access to the internet. Having a strong imagination and critical thinking could help you navigate through surveys much faster which brings in more cash. Some of the best online surveys websites include but are not limited to the following:

Keep in mind that doing surveys will not make you rich due to low pay rates. So, you will need to do a lot of surveys to make a decent amount.

3. Become an Uber and Lyft driver

One of the most profitable side hustles for college students is working for a ride-hailing business. If you have a lot of free time in college and want to make some extra cash, take on a part-time Uber-driving job. Instead of eating, sleeping, and partying, you can use that extra time to earn money.

By driving with Uber/Lyft, you can easily earn $38,102 per year which is the average salary for Uber drivers, according to Salary.com. This salary varies by city, the number of hours you worked, and the availability of clients.

These jobs do not require a lot of experience. However, they require you to have a good car. So, if you have a car, consider using it to make money. How much you make will depend on your availability and the number of clients.

4. Become a tutor to make extra cash in college

Tutoring is one of the greatest side hustles for college students. If you are in college, there is at least one subject that you excel in. For example, if you are majoring in STEM majors, you have at least one or more subjects you understand really well or like more than others.

What if you can share your knowledge and make money? Becoming a tutor is an effective way to do it. Most students struggle with science courses or other subjects they call boring. You can take advantage of this gap to widen your pocket by tutoring students.

Start a tutoring side hustle at your college

The easiest and most straightforward way to become a tutor is to work at your campus as a tutor. For example, every Math department has a tutoring center where they help all students with math-related subjects. You can apply to the Match Department tutoring center and work there. Many other departments also offer tutoring services which can have potential jobs.

Start a tutoring side hustle online

Another great way to work as a tutor is to either be an independent tutor or tutor online. The following are some of the websites to find tutoring jobs online.

All these websites offer different services in many subjects. If you believe there is a subject that you truly understand, consider joining these sites and start making money while in college. You can also find clients through your social media profiles by turning your followers and their friends into clients.

5. Sell your old clothes/electronics

One side hustle for college students that is usually underestimated is selling used clothes online. Do you have clothes that you no longer need? These ones can be sold and make you money. If you don’t have your own clothes, ask your friends and family members for clothes they don’t need. You will be amazed by how many clothes and other salable items you will collect.

Where do you sell used clothes online? The following are some of the websites you can use to sell your used clothes online.

If you need a complete list of where to sell used clothes online, use the following guide: Best places to sell used clothes online for cash.

If you run out of clothes and other stuff to sell, check with garage sales. Some people conduct garage sales for a number of days and then offer what is left for free or at a discount. Look around in your area and find multiple garage sales. Ask them if you can have what is not sold for free. Families that are relocating never want to keep things that are not sold.

If you cannot get those clothes for free, offer to clean their place. They will probably accept the offer.

6. Sell used textbooks

Most books and textbooks are only used once. So, what do you do with your books after taking classes? You can sell them back in your books store (if the books will be used for the next semester) or sell them online.

Some of the websites I mentioned above such as Amazon and eBay can also be used to sell your textbooks. In addition to selling your used books online, find students who will be taking the same classes and ask them to buy your books.

You might also like: 11 clever ways to save money on textbooks in college

7. Become a translator

Are you a polyglot? If yes, working as a translator is a lucrative side hustle for college students you should look into. One of the best ways you can work as a translator is to work on campus and help the university integrate international students into the university.

If this does not work, you can still make money by providing online translation services. You can either work as a freelancer and take on projects or work for some translation companies and receive fixed pay.

Related freelancing guides:

8. Find a part-time job off-campus

Do you have reliable transportation or live in a city with good public transportation? If so, working off campus will be an effective side hustle to earn extra cash while in college.

Off-campus jobs usually pay more and you can sometimes have a flexible schedule. Keep in mind that it is usually hard to find an off-campus side hustle that aligns with your major. However, anything you can do such as working in a bar, hotel, restaurant, etc, will earn you a good amount of money.

What kind of off-campus side hustles for students can you do?

While there is a ton of off-campus side hustles for students you can pursue, the following are common gigs to make extra cash. Most of these types of businesses are college-student friendly and offer flexible schedules.

Work as a bartender
Work as a chef
DJ in a nightclub or a bar
Work for the local fitness center
Become an associate in a grocery store
Work in a public bookstore
Be a front desk personnel in a nearby office building, a hotel
You can also become a housemade in a hotel, etc.
Work as a babysitter
Get paid to walk dogs

9. Do video game reviews

The first thing many students do when they are not studying is playing video games. Video games are great and they are a nice way to deal with school-related stress and anxiety.

What if you can solve your problems, achieve happiness, and put some bucks in your pocket? This is where my next favorite side hustle for students comes in which is doing video game reviews. Instead of playing video games just to play, find a way to get paid while playing.

Yes, you can get paid to play video games. There are many video game companies out there that need reviews on new products they are developing. Additionally, you can stream your games online and put them on social media and YouTube. This will allow you to gain followers and start monetizing your content through ads and affiliate programs.

Apps and websites to get paid to play video games

If you are interested in getting paid to play video games as a college student, check out the following list of sites and apps that will pay you to play video games.

10. Get paid for shopping

Did you know that you can work as a mystery shopper? Yes, if you like shopping, there are many companies that are willing to pay you to shop. With this kind of job, you will be on the floor just like everybody else. Your job will be to analyze the customer’s experiences, customer satisfaction, product analysis, and competition.

Many companies are willing to pay a lot of money for this kind of job, especially to those who are experienced or those that are struggling with customer retention. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a mystery shopper is around $18/hour. Getting paid this amount while still in college is a great way to start your career on the right foot.

11. Do product reviews online

One of the best side hustles for college students is to do reviews online. Just like doing surveys, companies pay people to do reviews about their products. For example, if a company made a great workout machine, it will need a ton of reviews which is a clever marketing tactic to bring in meaningful sales. This is where you come in and start making money while in college.

One way companies minimize their marketing expenditures is to pay influencers and social media personnel to do reviews of their products. This is a great marketing tool for companies but also a great side hustle for college students who have social media influences. As a product reviewer, you can either get a free product for doing a review or get paid to do a review.

Even if you only get a free product, you can still sell it after making the review and pocket the proceeds. If you have a lot of social media followers, reach out to companies that make products in your niche and ask them for this kind of service. You will start small, but over time, you will build massive wealth through reviews.

12. Become a freelancer

Freelancing is one of the greatest side hustles for college students and those who want to make money online. As a freelancer, you will take on projects from different clients in your area of interest. Your pay will depend on your experience, the nature of the project you take on, and how long it takes. For example, a person who is providing tutoring services will get paid differently than someone who is doing book reviews.

The following are some of the best freelancing websites.

Besides the list I provided above, there are more freelancing websites to find side gigs when in college. However, you don’t need to get registered with every one of them. Just find one that works best for you and sign up. The freelancing website you decide to use will depend on your skills and the type of services you will be providing.

According to Indeed, you should expect to make around $25.11/hour on average as a freelancer. This is good money for a college student who has not even graduated yet.

You can continue this career after graduation or use the experience you gained in your career advancement. There is always a use for any experience even freelancing. How else can you benefit from freelancing?

The following are some of the benefits of freelancing

Flexible schedule. You will make up your own schedule as opposed to your 8-5 job

Work only when you want. With freelancing, you choose when you want to work. For example, if you are taking midterms or taking final exams, you will take fewer projects.

Work from anywhere. As long as you meet your client’s requirements, you can work from anywhere you want. For example, you can work and travel at the same time.

Control how much you do. When you have a 8-5 job, you always have to show up at work and do everything your boss wants you do to. With freelancing, you decide how much you do. If you feel like you don’t want to take on projects, you do not take them. You are your own boss.

Different clients. With freelancing, you get to deal with clients of all kinds. It is possible that you can work with the same client for a while. But, it is more likely that you will have many clients as you finish projects and take on others. This gives you a chance to make connections, build relationships with many businesses, and make your work and school life well-balanced and less boring.

Diverse topic: The nature of your job will be different depending on your clients

Great pay: Freelancing still pays well. Just like any other job, how much you make depends on the nature of the work you have done, the quality of your work, and your experience.

13. Start a blog

Blogging is one of those activities that some people will tell you: You can no longer make money blogging. Do you think they are right? The answer to that question is: They are wrong. People have made money from blogging, are still making it, and will always make it. As long as people are still searching for information online, there is still money to be made. In fact, blogging is one of the best side hustles for college students as it requires no prior experience and you can do it only when you have time.

The only difference between back then and now is that things have become much harder and harder. However, you can still make money blogging. You will need to do more work as the competition has become intense and search engines have become smarter and more efficient in ranking content.

Now that you know you can make money blogging. The next question is how can you make money as a blogger?

The following are ways to make money blogging as a college student

Affiliate marketing
Selling your own books and eBooks
Providing online courses
Display Ads
Sponsored content
Selling your physical products such as clothes, etc.
You can also use your blog to promote your online store. That is you will drive traffic from your blog to your online store which in the end will increase your sales.
You can coach other bloggers, small businesses, and other entities on how to promote their products.
Consulting also works really well for bloggers

As you continue to blog, you will figure out other ways you can make more money with your blog. These are just to get you started. You will make more money in the future as your blog grows bigger and bigger.

Why is it so hard to make money in college?

College students typically have busy schedules filled with classes, homework, and extracurricular activities, making it hard to dedicate significant time to a job. Furthermore, many college students have limited work experience, making it difficult for them to secure higher-paying positions.

Finally, the competitive nature of part-time job opportunities, especially those on campus and close to campus, can create difficulty in finding well-paying positions. As a result, many students find it challenging to earn a substantial income during their college years.

How can a broke college student make money fast?

The fastest and most effective way to make money hast while in college is to get a quick part-time job. Start with jobs available on campus such as working in the cafeteria, library, computer lab, tutoring, or get an assistantship. You can also look for off-campus jobs and work in restaurants, and bars, or simply get paid to walk dogs.

Another effective way to get paid fast while in college is to do online surveys. While surveys pay a meager salary, you can easily make $50 or more a day doing surveys.

How do I not get broke in college?

While college life can be fun and enjoyable, many college students go broke or get into unimaginable debt. If you are worried about your financial security while in college, there are steps you can take to avoid financial mishaps.

To avoid going broke in college, follow these simple steps.

Create a budget to track your income and expenses, so you know where your money goes.

Look for part-time jobs or freelance work for additional income sources.

Cut spending on non-essential items and prioritize your needs over wants.

Take advantage of student discounts and deals.

Consider sharing living expenses with roommates.

Utilize free campus resources, such as gyms, libraries, and events, instead of spending money on external activities.

Save on textbooks by buying used, renting, or using digital versions.

Plan your meals and cook at home, avoiding costly dining out.

Use public transportation or carpool to save on travel costs.

Avoid credit card debt and high-interest loans by living within your means and only borrowing what you need.

The bottom line

Though it may seem impossible to be able to make money during college, the reality is that there are plenty of ways to make money – without having to take on a full-time job. Side hustles such as taking on freelance design work, tutoring, or working in a bar can provide a reliable stream of extra income. College is a great time to explore options to make extra cash and gain skills. With effective time management and creative problem-solving, you can take advantage of the many side hustle opportunities available to you.