There are two words that can brighten the day of college students with bills to pay: quick money.
Anyone attending college knows the challenge of living off a tight student budget. While part-time jobs are the usual go-to option to earn a few bucks, let’s face it, not everyone has the time.
The good thing is that there are plenty of side hustles you can choose from to help pay for college — or even just get you out of eating ramen noodles for a week 😉.
Find the right gig for you with the list below!
1. Rent Out Your Car
Bringing a car to college has its perks: when you don’t have anywhere to be, you can just hand over the keys to a paying customer! Simply sign up with car-sharing services like Turo or Getaround and start making some cash on your wheels.
2. Deliver Food or Items in Your Spare Time
Food deliveries can be a lucrative side hustle as college students and professors love to eat. If you have a car or a bike, apply as a driver for DoorDash, GrubHub, or UberEats.
But it doesn’t stop there! People also pay to have things, such as documents, groceries, and clothes, conveniently delivered to them. Postmates is one of the more popular services that handle deliveries for both food and packages.
3. Clean Out Your Wardrobe
Selling old clothes and accessories can be a win-win situation. You get more space in your closet plus more money in your pockets — and all you have to do is find a nearby thrift store or post it online with sites like Poshmark.
4. Put Your DIY Skills to the Test
If you’re good with your hands and can follow instructions to a tee, consider lending a hand by assembling furniture, repairing electrical fixtures, making organic cleaning products, or completing other odd jobs for a reasonable fee.
Post your services online or on campus bulletin boards and wait for your notifications to pile up with requests!
5. Teach English Online
The English language can be tricky to learn and the help of a kind, patient native speaker like you can be just what interested foreigners or international students ordered.
What’s great about this side hustle is that teaching experience isn’t strictly required, but you can make some decent cash. If you have a stable wifi connection and a computer, you’re generally good to go! 👩🏫
6. Take Care Of Other People’s Homes…
Families who go on vacation or homeowners who need to work abroad look for house sitters to make sure that everything is still in order by the time they get back.
If you want to land the gig, polish your profile to show that you’re reliable and responsible. Getting good reviews can lead to a long-lasting business! Reach out to family, friends, family or friends, or visit sites like TrustedHousesitters, House Sitters America, and House Carers.
7. …Or Give Their Pets Some Love While They’re Away!
While it’d be cool for pets to suddenly have the ability to prepare their food or open doors, they can’t. This is why fur parents hire pet sitters if they’re not home for an extended period of time.
How can you say no to a paid job where you only need to hang out with an adorable pet for a couple of hours? It sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend! 🐕 🐈
8. Drive for Uber or Lyft
Love spending time on the road and meeting new people? Perhaps being a rideshare driver is the side hustle for you.
Night owls and early risers can choose to drive people before they sleep or go to class, making around $9 to $15 per hour. Going by these numbers, it’s not unthinkable to make $100 or even $200 a day — especially with surge prices.
Busy people are short on time, and you can capitalize on that! Connect with people who need their grocery shopping done with apps like Instacart, Peapod, or Shipt, and put your shopping skills to good use.
10. Become a Master of Errands
If you’re not one to shy away from manual labor or errands, you can get paid to do random jobs such as waiting in line for tickets, organizing closets, assembling flatpack furniture, and more.
You can also put your bike skills and wheels to use as a part-time messenger for companies that want urgent documents delivered. 🚲
11. Start a Freelance Computer Technician Business
Are you your friends’ first stop for all their computer problems? Are they amazed after you’ve worked your magic on their laptops? If yes, it might be time to capitalize on your computer skills.
Your campus is filled with people that need your help so advertise your services and get ready to work — and make some cash!
12. Learn to Fix iPhone Screens
Anyone with an iPhone (and there are a lot of you out there) knows the heartbreak of cracking the screen. You can score plenty of customers if you know how to repair iPhone screens or consider investing some time and a little bit of your resources to learn how to do it.
13. Start a Dog Walking Business
Dogs have to be walked and sometimes, their owners are too busy to add this to their to-do list. This is where you can come in. Take on as many pooches as you can handle and get paid in exchange for just an hour or two of your time — plus you’ll get exercise and dog kisses!
14. Make People’s Cars Shiny and Clean
As far as side hustles go, car washing will forever be a reliable choice. No need for fancy tools, just a pail of water, some soap, and sponges, and you’re good to go.
15. Get a Data Entry Side Gig
Data entry can be done in the comfort of your own room because usually, all you need to do is categorize or update data — text, numbers, images, files, or even audio recordings — in a computer system.
If you have a stable internet connection, basic Excel skills, and fast fingers then you’re all set. Some platforms where you can find data entry work are FlexJobs, Clickworker, and Remote.co.
16. Lend Your Sporting Equipment For a Fee
Did you bring golf clubs, a tennis racket, or road bike to college but realized that there’s no time for you to actually use them? Time to rent out your sporting or exercise equipment to friends or other sports and fitness enthusiasts for a fair price through FriendWithA or Rental Pal!
17. Tutor Students Online or in Person
Tutoring can be a rewarding part-time gig for college students as you set out to help people succeed academically. You can commit to in-person sessions or conduct them online — plus you can set your own hours and have potential clients from all over the world.
18. Donate Plasma to People in Need
Plasma is the part of your blood that carries protein and nutrients to other parts of the body. It’s a crucial component for bodily function, and in high demand — so donating it can earn you about $20 to $50 each time.
The process of donating is relatively safe and you’re allowed to give away plasma twice a week with at least 48 hours between donations.
19. Use Your Photography Skills to Sell Stock Photos
Company websites, brochures, product covers, and blogs use stock photos to liven up their content. If you have a camera and a good sense of what images would sell then you can always bring your photos to stock image providers like Shutterstock or Getty Images.
20. Create a Free Walking Tour
Staying in a town filled with iconic restaurants and historical landmarks can be profitable if you know the place well enough. Decide on the best possible route and advertise your services as a local tour guide.
You can also check with your university’s admissions office to see if they might hire you to show off the campus to new students.
21. Become a Babysitter or a Part-Time Nanny
The OG side hustle that kept you occupied in middle school can be a profitable part-time option while you’re in university. Not only does taking care of other people’s kids pay well but it can also accommodate a busy college schedule.
Before you find a client, it’s best to figure out what days and times you can commit and then figure out your hourly rate. You can create a profile on websites like Sittercity, UrbanSitter, or Care.com.
22. Flip Furniture or Clothing
Nope, you won’t be paid to literally flip tables over. Flipping means getting your hands on cheap items, fixing them up, and selling them for a higher price.
You can visit thrift stores and yard sales to look for valuable pieces and post whatever you find on Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook groups.
23. Sell Your Car as Advertising Space
Have you ever seen cars with stickers or wraps advertising a certain company driving around? Well, it turns out that there are businesses out there that pay good money to turn your car into a moving billboard.
While it might be awkward to drive with a big sign attached to your car at first, the gig can score you some decent cash — for very little effort! You can earn $100 to $500 each month, depending on the advert, and some companies even offer signup bonuses of up to $100. You can get started on websites like Wrapify, StickerRide, and Carvertise.
24. Mow Your Neighbour’s Lawns
Fill up your wallet by taking care of someone’s overgrown yard. Mowing lawns can be a serious challenge for people with a bad back or who lack time, but college students can definitely get the job done.
Just invest in a sturdy lawnmower, weedeater, or garden shears, then take a walk around your neighborhood and offer your services.
25. Help People Move House
The trouble of lifting heavy furniture and carefully wrapping fragile vases can be such a hassle that many people are happy to pay someone to help them move.
Don’t worry about customers — colleges and neighboring communities usually have a lot of people moving in and out so there’ll be plenty of chances to rake in a few bucks with this gig.
26. Rent Out Your Parking Space (Even Just During the Day!)
Parking lot spaces are like gold in busy cities. If you live near the center, you’re bound to make money by renting out your parking spot if you’re going out of town — or even just during the day while you’re in class. Sites like SpotHero or ParqEx can help you get this side hustle started.
27. Start Freelancing in Your Degree Area
If you’ve gained enough know-how or experience in web development, graphic design, accounting, writing, or something else, it’s time to try your hand at freelance work. Plus, it will look great on your resume once you’ve graduated!
There are plenty of websites created for freelancers that’ll help you find a suitable project including Guru, Freelancer, and Toptal.
28. Become an Editor for Your Classmates
If you find a sense of fulfillment correcting somebody else’s grammar then maybe it’s time to consider editing or proofreading people’s work. People who aren’t confident in their writing can run their research or thesis by you for a small fee. You might even learn something new!
29. Find a Student to Take Notes for
Did you know that there’s a market for note takers? There are universities that assist students with a disability by pairing them with people that can take down lecture notes for them. Otherwise, consider selling your well-crafted notes to classmates or other interested takers.
30. Market Yourself as a Resumé or LinkedIn Expert
Building readable resumés or LinkedIn profiles that show employers exactly what they need to see can be tricky for some. Since this can stand in the way of…
The 67 Top Side Hustles for College Students to Make Fast Cash