Are you a college student looking to start a side hustle? If so, you’re in the right place; many side hustles are perfect for you.
Money is impossibly tight when you’re in college; you need money for textbooks and living expenses.
Some graduates choose to cut their expenses or take part-time jobs to pay off their loans faster and avoid years of interest accrual.
According to Forbes, about 55% of college students take out student loans to pay for their education. But many don’t earn enough after graduation to repay those loans quickly.
In fact, it’s common for grads to leave school with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. But what if you could start a side hustle from day one and earn money while still in school?
Not only will this help you build your resume and gain valuable experience, but it can also earn you extra cash.
What Are The Benefits Of Starting Side Hustles As College Students?
- It can give you extra income, especially if you live on a student budget.
- You can develop new skills that could help in your future career.
- It helps you meet new people, giving you a chance to expand your network.
- You’ll be able to learn from mistakes in a low-risk environment (as opposed to leaving your job to go all-in on your own business).
- You can gain some experience and build your resume.
How Can You Start A Side Hustle As A College Student?
Technology has even made it easier to get started with any side hustle. For example, you can now turn your smartphone into a money machine by downloading a couple of apps.
The key is knowing how to start a side hustle as a college student. Here are five proven steps to get started:
Step 1: Identify the potential profitable opportunities for you
Step 2: Choose the right side hustle for your lifestyle
Step 3: Create a plan that lays out your goals
Step 4: Set yourself up for success by creating an office space
Step 5: Make sure your side hustle won’t impact your grades
What Are The Best Top-Paying Side Hustles For College Students?
Finding time for a full-time job can be impossible when you have a class schedule to manage and homework to complete.
So, the best side hustles don’t require too much time, allow you to use your existing skills and resources, and do it with minimal capital.
Here are the best side hustles to earn extra money without taking too much of your precious time away from your studies.
1. Freelance Work
Are you a talented writer? If so, there are plenty of opportunities out there for freelance writing gigs.
Companies need content for their websites and blogs, so you will have many opportunities as a freelance writer if you can write well on any topic and have a specific niche that interests you.
Moreover, you can offer your services on Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer sites.
In addition, if you’re skilled at creating presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint or other presentation tools, this is an excellent opportunity for you to show your expertise and make money.
Also, don’t forget about the power of word-of-mouth advertising by telling your friends and family members about your freelance business.
2. Sell Products Online
Do you have old clothes or other items sitting around taking up space? Then, you can sell them online to make some extra cash.
College students tend to have many old textbooks, clothes, and other goods lying around that they no longer need.
You can also look into making and selling homemade items such as handmade jewelry or candles. You never know what might appeal to someone else.
If you have any such items, there is no better time than now to sell these items online either on eBay, Craigslist, or the Facebook marketplace.
Just snap pictures of the clothes, upload them to the app, and wait for someone to buy them. You can also sell used books, electronics, and toys on Amazon.
3. Drive People Around With Lyft or Uber
Both apps allow people to request rides from nearby drivers. If you have a car and a little time, you can make $10-$20 per hour driving with Uber or Lyft.
You can drive anytime, during the week, late nights, or on weekends.
If you need some cash quick, you could work for an hour and make that extra money for your night out. However, if you wanted to make some serious cash, you could put in a full day of work and make over $100.
But, to qualify for either service, you’ll need a valid driver’s license and at least one year of driving experience in the U.S.
Some cities also require additional documentation like vehicle inspections or proof of insurance.
4. Tutoring
Have a knack for math or science? Then, tutoring might be the perfect side hustle for you.
If you have good grades in certain subjects, consider tutoring students in those subjects to make some cash.
You can advertise yourself online or ask friends if their children need help with school work. Expect to make about $20 an hour for tutoring high school students in English, math, or science courses.
You can start through companies like TutorMe, Skooli, Takelessons, etc
5. Babysit For Others
Suppose you like kids and want to make an average of $12 an hour. In that case, this is a great side hustle because it allows for extreme flexibility in terms of scheduling.
Since babysitting jobs generally pay pretty well, it makes sense to take them on when you have the available time.
You can find babysitting jobs at SitterCity, Care.com, or Craigslist. Alternatively, you can ask your friends and neighbors if they need a babysitter and are willing to pay.
6. Pet sitting
Like babysitting, you can find pet sitting jobs on the internet or talk to your friends and family.
You’ll take care of people’s dogs, cats, and other pets by letting them out, feeding them, cleaning up, and playing with them.
It’ll only take a couple of hours of your time in a day, and you can make around $15 an hour, depending on what services you provide.
Find pet sitting jobs on Sittercity, care.com.
7. Online research
If you have some extra time between classes or after homework is finished for the night, participate in online research studies with sites like Respondent or Prolific Academic. These sites pay cash for your opinions on surveys and market research projects.
8. Get Paid To Share Your Opinions
Yes, legit companies out there will pay you just to answer questions. You won’t get rich, but you can make some cash and get free stuff.
There are many websites out there that offer surveys. Some pay in gift cards, while others provide actual cash. Options include Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and Inbox Dollars.
9. Transcribe/Translate For Others
This is probably the best way to make money as a college student since all you need is your brain and time to transcribe or translate files.
It’s an easy job, and you can do it whenever you have free time (even if it’s just an hour).
Many websites offer this kind of work, but they usually pay by the audio minute instead or by the hour.
10. Advertise on Craigslist
You may be amazed at just how many people browse Craigslist looking for odd jobs. However, if you have skills that others might benefit from, posting a free ad is well worth it.
However, be sure to include information about what services you offer, how much you charge, and what areas you serve.
11. Sell Courses Online
If you are proficient in a specific subject, here’s is an excellent opportunity to make money from your expertise.
Create the online courses and sell them on platforms like Thinkific, Teachable, Udemy, Rukuzu, etc.
12. Earn Money Delivering Food
Many busy people are looking for others to deliver food to their doorsteps.
If you have a car, this can be a perfect side hustle. Companies like UberEats, InstaCart, DoorDash, etc., are always on the lookout for people to help them deliver food items.
You can earn up to $25, and the good thing is there’s no limit to how many hours you can work.
However, you need an insured vehicle and driving experience.
13. Get Paid To Take Polls
Do you enjoy answering research questions? Then, this could be a super side hustle for you.
You can apply to research companies like MyPoints searching for people to answer poll questions and get paid.
All you need is stable internet and a smartphone.
14. Publish Books On Kindle
Do you have lovely stories to share, or are you an expert in any subject? Then, you can turn that talent into ebooks.
In addition, you can make $100 or more when you publish through Amazon Kindle.
15. Social Media Manager
Suppose you are good at posting engaging content on social media. Why not try to manage other people’s accounts and make some quick cash?.
Companies are looking for people to help them create and schedule posts and respond to customers’ questions and feedback.
16. Stock Photos
If you are creative with taking stunning photos, you can sell them on sites like Shutterstock.
Get hold of a sharp camera, and you’re good to go.
17. Brand ambassador or influencer
Here’s another side hustle for college students. You can endorse brands on social media and earn free stuff and cold hard cash.
All you need to need is to create posts about the brands and show people the benefit they can get from using the brands’ products.
18. Print on Demand
Good at creating beautiful designs? This side hustle is perfect for you.
Create those breath-taking ideas on T-shirts and mugs and upload them to print-on-demand sites like Red Bubble.
You earn from each sale when anyone buys an item with your designs.
19. House Cleaning
Have some time to spare? There are people ready to pay others to help put their homes in proper shape.
You can help with cleaning and arranging the house making up to $20/hr. Try apps like Housekeeper.
20. Data entry specialist
Work online from home, entering data into spreadsheets or filling out forms for websites. You can apply to companies like Doordash and Postmates.
21. Customer Service Representative
This side hustle is great because you can do it from the comfort of your home.
If you enjoy helping people and have a great attitude, this is an option to try. You can schedule your working hours rendering services like
- Answering phone calls
- Attending to live chat
- Responding to emails.
22. Make Money Blogging
If you’re great at writing, editing, or proofreading, you can start your own blogging business.
True, blogging is challenging and requires a lot of time. But, if you have something unique to share with others, go for it.
You can build your website and market your services on social media sites.
Alexis Schroeder was able to pay off all her school loans the same day she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology.
She made $30,000 from her blog, financials.com, in the first year of sharing her weight loss secrets.
And $80,000 in the following helps her pay off all her school loans.
There are many ways to make money from your blog; Adsense ads, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and even selling your own products.
23. Odd Jobs
Do you know someone moving out of the community who needs to transport items to a new location?
You can make some quick cash by helping lift items like furniture, heavy boxes, etc.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve read our list of 23 side hustles for college students, you should have a pretty good idea of what options are available.
Even if most of them don’t interest you personally, remember to keep your eyes open for one that does; you never know what might strike your fancy until you try.
If you are simply looking for a way to make some extra cash, any of these side hustles would certainly be able to help.
They are in no particular order, but the point is that there are many opportunities out there for college students to make money.
You just need to research and pick the best idea for your schedule and interests.
So, which of these side hustles for college students do you like most? Let’s know in the comment.
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