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Best Ways to Make Money Online as a College Student
Branded Surveys
$0.50 – $5 on average per survey with bonus points ($1 sign up bonus)
Average survey length is 10-20 minutes and minimum payout is $5
Collect rewards in PayPal, Direct Deposit or gift cards (100+ brands)
Swagbucks
$0.50 to $1.50 per survey – earn up to $100 each month using Swagbucks
18 unique ways to earn money and free gift cards, plus $5 sign up bonus
Redeem e-gift cards from $1 or withdraw $5 minimum payment from PayPal
Survey Junkie
$0.50 – $3 per survey + extra ways to earn up to $100 with focus groups
Each survey time varies, but on average it takes 15 minutes to complete
Redeem rewards using PayPal, e-giftcards or bank transfer ($5 min)
31 Ways to Make Money Online as a College Student
Take Surveys with Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys Summary
$1 sign up bonusEarn $0.50-$5 on average per surveyMost surveys are between 10-20 minutesPays by bank transfer, PayPal & gift cards
Branded Surveys is an online survey website that lets you earn cash and gift cards by giving your opinion in a survey. Earnings can then be withdrawn via bank transfer if you prefer.
This platform rewards you with points when you complete a survey. You can then redeem your points as earnings. These will go directly into your PayPal or Bank Transfer account.
Branded Surveys also runs an affiliate program that can get you extra earnings. All you have to do is to invite people to join the platform. In return, you receive referral bonus points on your account.
How much can you earn with Branded Surveys?
Each Survey$0.10 – $3Average Earnings (1 hour per Day)$25 – $150 per month
Join Focus Groups with Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie Summary
$0.50-$3 average earnings per surveyGet 2-3 extra points if you screened out of surveyAdditional ways to earn up to $150Install Survey Junkie Pulse extension for bonus
Survey Junkie is a platform that allows users to earn PayPal cash or gift cards for answering questions and participating in focus group discussions.
A focus group is a collection of people that are selected to provide information for market research. It is free to use Survey Junkie. To join a focus group on Survey Junkie, you will normally have to answer some pre-qualification questions.
Focus group sessions occur once a month on Survey Junkie. It’s therefore important that you set email notifications for when the next session will happen.
How much can you earn on Survey Junkie?
You can earn up to $150 for a focus group session on Survey Junkie. The earnings are withdrawn via PayPal, bank transfer, or converted to gift cards that are redeemable from Walmart, Amazon, and iTunes.
Read Paid Emails with InboxDollars
InboxDollars Summary
$5 sign up bonusReferral program – 30% that referral makesMost of the surveys pay $0.01 to $2.5013 different ways to earn money
InboxDollars is an online rewards platform that allows you to make money by performing different tasks. One of the most popular ways of earning from the site is by reading emails.
InboxDollars partners with several retail partners to deliver up to three sponsored emails in your inbox per day. Users receive earnings via mailed check or a Visa Prepaid card. For every email that you read, you will receive $0.02 in your account. The minimum amount you need to withdraw your earnings from your account is $10.
The platform offers one of the best ways to make money online as a college student since it only takes a few minutes per day to read emails to earn some cash.
Browse the Internet with Swagbucks
Swagbucks Summary
18 ways to earn money and e-gift cards$5 sign up bonusUp to 10% cashback when shopping online$1 minimum e-gift card withdrawal
Swagbucks is an online platform that rewards its users for taking different actions, including browsing the internet.
The website has a search engine that you can install as an extension on your default browser. Whenever you search for things using the “Search” tab on this extension, you earn points called Swagbucks.
You can use your Swagbucks to get gift cards or to buy particular products.
How much can you earn with Swagbucks?
For every 10 to 20 searches, you receive around 10 to 20 Swagbucks. Every Swagbuck equals one cent. Thus, this means that you need about 200 searches to redeem a $1 gift card.
Invite Friends to Join PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel Summary
Up to $1 on average earnings per surveyEarn as much as a few hundred each monthRewards are sent in 24 hoursUp to 30% for referred user earnings
PrizeRebel is an online survey site that lets you earn through its referral program named Refer A Friend.
To benefit from the program, you have to invite people to join the platform using referral links. When someone becomes a user of PrizeRebel using your link, they also become your referral.
How much can you earn from PrizeRebel?
PrizeRebel has other earning options including surveys, performing microtasks, and watching online videos. When your referral earns points through any of these options, you earn 15% to 30% of their earnings.
Product Testing with LifePoints
LifePoints Summary
On average, earn up to $20 each monthSurvey times vary – 10 min to 20 minSurveys are available in 40+ countriesOnly $5 minimum payout threshold
LifePoints is a website where users can test products for free and receive reward points. With LifePoints, you get to use a variety of products and give feedback about your user experience to different brands.
To be able to use LifePoints, one only needs to be 14 or above. Simply sign up on the platform, go to your dashboard, and choose a product you would like to test. The manufacturer will send you the product free of charge.
You will receive points after answering a few questions about your experience with the product. You can generally earn between $25 to $100 per month testing products. You can also convert your points to PayPal money or offer them as donations to major charities.
Download the Nielsen Behavior Tracking App
Nielsen Summary
Earn up to $60/year by installing an appEarn up to $1000 from sweepstakes15 different types of rewardsWin up to $500 by downloading PC app
Nielsen is a leading marketing research company based in New York. Using its app, the company collects information that predicts consumer behavior based on what people watch, buy, listen to and do when they’re online.
How much can you earn with Nielsen?
When a user installs the app on their computer or mobile phone, they provide Nielsen with this data. In return, they can stand to earn up to $60 in reward points per year. In addition, when you install the app on your computer, you stand a chance to win up to $500 every month in sweepstake entries.
Although users cannot withdraw their earnings in cash, they can use their reward points to redeem physical merchandise or gift cards.
Nielsen does not sell data that will identify you personally, so you can be sure that your personal data is safe.
Install MyPoints Browser Extension
MyPoints Summary
$5 sign-up bonus upon email confirmation$0.27 to $2.13 on average per surveyOver 10 different ways to earn moneyPays by gift cards and PayPal
MyPoints is an online reward site that gives users points for performing different tasks. If you are wondering how to make money online as a college student, one of the ways you can receive points on the site is by installing the platform’s browser extension.
There are over 1900 stores that work with MyPoints. The browser extension works by using coupon codes to alert you when you can earn points as you shop from any of these online stores.
You can convert these points to get plenty of gift cards, cash, or travel miles from Delta and American Airlines.
How much can you earn with MyPoints?
How much your points are worth depends on how you choose to convert them. Generally, each point is worth 0.006 cents. You can redeem a gift card when you collect a minimum of $1.
Invest in Stocks with Public App
Public App Summary
Invest in stocks, ETFs, and crypto$0 commission fees for any stock tradesOver 100 articles to learn about investingLow 1-2% commission for crypto trades
Public is an investing platform that lets anyone invest small amounts in large companies.
Normally, to invest in a company, the traditional stock market requires you to buy the full amount of a share. This means that if you want to invest in a big corporation like Amazon, you’d have to pay the full $3500 for a single share.
The Public app lets you buy just a fraction of that share, and still receive dividends. There are no commission fees or minimum amount you can invest.
How much can you earn with Public?
Besides the dividends you receive on your investment, you can earn 2.5% on up to $10,000 of the uninvested money in your Public savings account.
Invest your Spare Change with Acorns
Acorns Summary
Low account fees from just $3 per monthGet $5 in your account for referralsLow minimum starting investment amountHigh average return on investments of 7.5%
Acorns works by letting you invest the spare change on your purchases. Using a system called ”round-ups”, the Acorns app monitors your bank balance and automatically rounds up the figure on a purchase while investing the spare change.
For example, if you buy a subscription at $9.45, Acorns will round up the figure to $10 and it will deposit the remaining $0.55 in your investment account. Once your balance is at least $5, the app will invest your savings in diversified portfolios. Acorns charges a flat management fee of $1 a month.
Review Products with American Consumer Opinion
American Consumer Opinion Summary
Easy to understand point systemLonger surveys can pay up to $50, but most of them pay $0.50 to $2.50 on averageProduct reviews pay up to $200Low minimum payout threshold of $10
American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) is a website that rewards users for participating in surveys and research projects.
On this site, one point is equivalent to one cent. This means that you need 100 points to make $1.
You can redeem your points through PayPal, where you require a minimum withdrawal threshold of $10. Lastly, you can withdraw your earnings via check, although this takes up to 3 months to receive.
How much can you earn on ACOP?
You can earn $50 to $200 from reviewing products on American Consumer Opinion. In addition, you get to keep the product you review.
Sell Gold with CashForGoldUSA
Cash for Gold USA Summary
Free shipping and $5000 insuranceQuick 24 hour processing time for quotesEarn up to 3 times than elsewhereSell all sorts of gold, even scrap gold
CashForGoldUSA is a website that helps people sell their gold jewelry, coins, and other items.
To sell your gold item on the site, you need to contact the company which will send you a free mailer that will help you ship the item.
The website pays you within 24 hours and it offers a 10% bonus if you ship your item to them in 7 days. All shipments are free and insured up to $5000 with extra insurance on items valued up to $100,000.
How much can you earn from CashForGoldUSA?
The amount of money you receive for your item depends on its weight and purity as well as the prevailing market price of gold. Nonetheless, the company claims to match any offer you’ll get from another buyer.
In addition, CashForGold USA pays up to three times more than other competitors.
Invest in Real Estate with Fundrise
Fundrise Summary
Low minimum starting investment of $10High historical returns up to 12.4%Low invesment fees of 1%Diverse investment portfolios
Fundrise is an online investment platform that lets ordinary people invest in real estate for as low as $10.
Based in Washington, D.C., the company uses a team of professionals to manage your investment portfolio. Fundrise distributes your investment across several eREITs (Electronic Real Estate Investment Trusts) to give you maximum returns from the least amount of investment.
eREITs are not publicly traded so they’re fairly stable in times of a stock market slump.
How much can you earn with Fundrise?
As an investor, you can expect an average annual return up to 12.42% on your investment.
Complete Micro Tasks with Zoombucks
Zoombucks Summary
Average earnings of $0.40 to $4 per surveyQuick processing time for cashing outLow withdrawal threshold of just $3Earn extra cash from other tasks
Zoombucks is a Canadian website that pays people for completing micro tasks such as completing surveys.
The platform provides you with surveys to complete based on the information you provide on your profile. Zoombucks uses a point system where 1000 Zoombucks is equivalent to $1.
How much can you earn with Zoombucks?
On average, you can earn $0.40 to $4 per survey which can translate to $10 and $20 per day. You can withdraw your earnings through PayPal at a minimum threshold of $3. You may also cash out by gift cards at a minimum of $10.
Find Online Tutoring Jobs with FlexJobs
FlexJobs Summary
Jobs in over 50 categories availableMembers get exclusive deals and discountsAll jobs are guaranteed to be legitGet access to 4 job search resources
FlexJobs is an online job site that offers freelancers a variety of remote jobs. For 14 years, the website has been a gateway for people that are looking for flexible online work.
Tutors can benefit from the site, thanks to the high demand for online tutoring services from public and private elementary, middle and high schools. If you want to know how to make money online as a college student, then you can consider finding a tutoring job on FlexJobs.
How much can you earn as an online tutor?
Although FlexJobs requires you to pay a membership fee of $15 a month, the earning prospects are high. Online tutors can earn about $30 an hour. For more advanced subjects, you can earn up to $60 an hour.
Sell Your Electronics to Decluttr
Decluttr Summary
Next-day payment upon delivery of goodsGet the best prices for your used tech2 different payment options availableGet extra cash if you are a student
Decluttr is a platform that allows users to sell their used electronics. The site buys used mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and video game consoles at competitive prices.
To sell your electronics on Decluttr, simply visit the site, select the item you want to sell, and wait for a valuation offer. When you accept the offer, the company will send you a prepaid shipping label that you will use to dispose of your electronics.
Once your package is received, the company will inspect it to make sure it’s in good shape. If it is approved, you will receive payment the following day.
How much can you earn from Decluttr?
The amount of money you can make on Decluttr depends on the quality, type, and quantity of the item you are selling. Generally, you can get between $100 to $200 for electronics in good condition.
Watch Videos with GrabPoints
GrabPoints Summary
Average earnings of $1 per survey9 different options for cashing outLow withdrawal threshold of just $3Quick turnaround time for payouts
With GrabPoints, you earn points for every video you watch. From sports to entertainment, the site has a wide array of channels that you can choose to watch.
How much can you earn on Grabpoints?
According to the site, you earn 7 points for every three videos you watch. Every 1000 points you accumulate on GrabPoints is worth $1. When you reach the minimum amount of points required, you can convert your points into PayPal cash or gift cards.
The minimum threshold for withdrawal is 3000 points.
Invest in Fractional Shares with Stash
Stash Summary
Start investing with any dollar amountBuy fractional shares from just $0.05Low monthly fee starting at $3Insurance coverage of up to $10,0001
Stash is a personal finance app that helps beginners invest small amounts of money in EFTs and stocks. For as low as $0.01, you can access automated management of a diverse portfolio.
Stash charges between $3 to $9 a month, depending on the services you require. Like Acorns, Stash can round up your purchases to collect your spare change. When your change accumulates to $5, it is wired to your investment account.
The app also offers tips and guidelines for those that want a hands-on approach to their investments.
Get Cashback with Drop
Drop App Summary
Earn $10 from Drop Flash Deal offersGet your reward within 3 days of redeemingEarn up to $50 from referring friends5 different ways to earn rewards
Drop is a rewards program that lets you earn cash back every time you shop. The Canadian platform links your bank account to your account and immediately rewards you based on your transaction history.
In addition, you will earn Drop points whenever you make a purchase using your card. Every point on the platform is worth 0.1 cents.
How much can you earn from Drop?
On average, you will earn around 1% to 2% cashback on your purchases. You can thus receive between $10 to $20 into your Drop account for each $100 you spend.
You can exchange your Drop points for gift cards on sites like iTunes, Starbucks, Amazon, American Eagle, and many more.
Scan In-Store Items with Shopkick
Shopkick Summary
Sign up with promo code: DOLLARBREAK5Get a $5 bonus by earning 25 kicksEarn more than $1 from each store visitLow minimum cash out amount of $2
Shopkick is a leading rewards app that gives its uses points that can be redeemed for gift cards. The app partners with major stores like Target and Walmart to entice customers to shop from there.
How much can you earn with Shopkick?
Shopkick works by prompting you to walk into a store and scan particular items on the shelf. When you do this, you earn 10 points per scan. On average, you can earn more than $1 from each store visit.
You have to note that not all items in stores will earn you points after you scan them. Therefore, you have to check with the Shopkick app for scannable products.
Become a Graphic Designer with Fiverr
Fiverr Summary
Set your own prices for your servicesChoose from over 500 service categories3 different options for cashing outProtection from fradulent chargebacks
Fiverr is a high-quality freelance app that has been around since 2010. The platform houses more than 7000 designers, making it a good starting point if you want to make some cash from graphics design.
To use the app, you need to sign up for a free account. You will then advertise your skills as a listing called a gig. Your gig will showcase your skillset, pricing, and portfolio. When clients search for graphics designers, you stand a chance of being contacted for your services.
How much can you earn on Fiverr?
Earnings for graphics designers on Fiverr vary according to the type of project and the experience of the designer. You can expect to make $30 to $1000 per gig as a graphics designer on Fiverr.
Get Promotions with BeFrugal
BeFrugal Summary
Guaranteed to have the highest cashbackMore than 5000 stores to get cashbackOver 5 different ways to get rewards6 different ways to cash out your earnings
BeFrugal is a free cashback platform based in Boston. It partners with renowned retailers to promote different offers while splitting their commission with you. When you join BeFrugal, you instantly get a $10 bonus.
If you opt into a promotion, you not only get a discount but also points in the form of cashback. For example, you may find a restaurant coupon that offers you a discount on specific meals at Subway or McDonalds. When you use this coupon, you get a cashback in your BeFrugal account.
How much can you earn from BeFrugal?
Different retailers have different percentages they give as cashbacks. You can generally earn up to 40% of what you spend on BeFrugal promotions.
Find Content Writing Jobs with Upwork
Upwork Summary
Earn up to $34 per hour as a freelancerGet 10 free Connects every monthGet 40 extra Connects when you pass a testTime tracker ensures you get paid
Upwork is one of the simplest and most profitable platforms for freelance writers. The site hosts about 12 million freelancers, making it one of the largest freelancing networks today.
To get started with the platform, download the app and create a user account. In your profile state your writing experience and specify your specialty as a content writer.
Upon successful completion of your profile, you will find numerous job postings in the app. Many of the jobs posted on Upwork allow a writer to bid a price for the job. It’s important to bid for a job that matches your abilities. Content writers on Upwork earn $15 to $80 an hour, although the majority fall in the $30 to $50 an hour range.
Become a Virtual Assistant with FullyBookedVA
FullyBookedVA Virtual Assistant Course Summary
Over 275 skills you can offers as a VAEarn over $2000 per month as a VAAffordable mini course for just $19Get a 20% commission on any referrals
FullyBookedVA offers a virtual assistant course that you can take at your own pace. The course teaches you how to identify your strongest skills, establish an online presence, and get hired as a virtual assistant.
The platform’s mini starter course costs just $19, and you can stand to earn around $4000 per month as a virtual assistant, according to the company’s founder, Gina Horkey.
Start a Blog with Webflow
Webflow Summary
Intuitive drag-and-drop page builder functionalityResponsive page designsA wide variety of stunning website templates – free and paidNo coding experience needed
Webflow is a website builder platform that helps you create a professional mobile-ready website with zero coding knowledge. To make the whole process easier, Webflow also integrates client billing and online payments gateways like Paypal, Stripe in your site.
As a college student, you may be able to sell small ad spaces to companies that would like to use your Webflow blog for promotion. You could also sign up for your site on Google AdSense and allow them to sell the ads for you. You can also review products on your blog and earn a commission as an affiliate.
How much can you earn as a blogger?
With a Webflow blog, you are likely to earn $200 to $500 per month once you build up a sizeable audience.
Start an eCommerce Store with BigCommerce
BigCommerce Summary
No platform fees/commission on any planUseful in-built, user-centric, and free featuresSmooth multi-channel integrationRobust SEO tool to boost your organic reach
BigCommerce is a leading eCommerce website builder. The company provides Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to tens of thousands of online stores in more than 150 countries.
It offers everything you need to run an online business. Whether it’s creating beautiful online stores or setting up payment channels for your customers, BigCommerce is a one-stop solution for young eCommerce businesses.
It includes a variety of collaboration tools, a Content Management System, customizable branding, drag-and-drop features, and many more. On average, most eCommerce stores earn around $100 to $200 per month when first starting out, although you can easily increase this number as you build your customer base.
Dropshipping with Shopify
Shopify Summary
Free 14 day trial period availableBuild a new website in under 2 hoursOver 100 payment gateways supportedOver 6000 apps to improve your store
With dropshipping, a retailer doesn’t have to purchase or even stock inventory. Instead of shipping the goods itself, a retailer passes along customer orders to a supplier – often via a third-party e-commerce platform – and lets the supplier take care of shipping and fulfilment.
One of the best platforms to start dropshipping is Shopify. The Candian eCommerce company is a powerful tool that lets you easily find products to sell, add them to your store, and send them directly to your customer’s door.
How much can you earn from dropshipping?
As a beginner, you can earn profits of at least 20% to 30% from every single sale which is roughly $1000 to $5000 every month as you grow.
Start a Youtube Channel
YouTube needs no introduction. The Google subsidiary currently has more than 2 billion active users. Many people that own a YouTube channel make their money from ad payments.
A glut of advertisers is willing to pay you for promoting their product or service through an ad on your channel. But this can only happen if your channel commands a sizeable audience in a particular niche.
You may also make money as an affiliate that promotes products through product reviews. When people buy a product from an affiliate link on your YouTube channel, you earn a commission.
How much can you earn as a Youtuber?
On average a YouTube channel can make $18 for every 1,000 ad views. In other words, this is about $3 – $5 per 1000 video views.
Sell Handicrafts on Etsy
Etsy Summary
Easy to set up & maintain your store45+ million active Etsy buyersList your first item for just $0.20Automatic deposits and secure transactions
Etsy is an American eCommerce site that specializes in selling handmade and vintage crafts. What started as a simple website in 2005 is now a profitable platform with almost 4.5 million sellers.
On Etsy, vintage products must be at least 20 years old. Sellers can create a custom-name shop where they sell unique items at a price of their choosing.
The platform connects buyers and sellers of handmade jewelry, art, vintage clothing, and more. Each vendor has a rating system that helps consumers decide whether or not to buy. Etsy also runs an affiliate program that pays 4% for every sale you qualify through your links. On average, most sellers earn around $260 per month on the platform.
Do Virtual Tasks with Amazon MTurk
Amazon MTurk is a website that allows businesses to crowdsource people to do microtasks. Anyone can complete these tasks from anywhere, on a mobile device.
When you register on the site, you will find a variety of tasks such as labeling images, transcribing audio, writing articles as well and taking paid surveys.
How much can you earn on MTurk?
Depending on the tasks and level of experience, you can make from $2 per hour up to $7 per hour. Payments also increase based on workers’ reputation for producing consistent quality.
Sell Your Old Stuff on eBay
eBay Summary
High user traffic – over 187 million usersNo listing fees for small scale sellersPromote your listing from as little as 1%Quick processing time for payouts
eBay is an eCommerce website where you can buy and sell a wide variety of goods. The California-based platform has over 940,000 sellers and more than 1.2 billion listings. The majority of the goods on eBay are sold with free shipping owing to the large network of international users.
If you have old electronics, clothes, or furniture you no longer use, you can earn some side income from them almost effortlessly. The site lets you manage your listings on the go and quickly respond to questions from bidders and buyers.
Selling on eBay can bring in about $500 to $2000 per month, making it a great way for a college student to make money online.