![](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ways-to-make-extra-money-in-college-pin-150x150.png\"\/)
![](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ways-to-make-extra-money-in-college-pin-150x150.png\")
<\/div>\nWant to learn about the best side hustles for college students<\/strong>?<\/p>\n College is expensive. Between tuition, books, housing, and the cost of living your life, money can feel really tight. I remember being in college and constantly thinking about how I could earn more money without giving up all of my time.<\/p>\n That\u2019s actually how I started side hustling. Over the years, I\u2019ve done more than 20 different side hustles (you can read about them at I\u2019ve Done Over 20 Side Hustles in My Life: Here\u2019s What I Think of Each<\/a>). Not all of those were during college, but quite a few were. I sold clothes online, worked a retail job, babysat, and even started this very website while I was in college.<\/p>\n The great thing about side hustles is that many of them are flexible enough to fit around your class schedule, and even just a few hours a week can make a big difference in your budget. Plus, I\u2019ve included a mix of quick and easy ways to earn cash, as well as longer-term ideas that can grow into something much bigger.<\/p>\n Below are the best ways to make extra money in college.<\/p>\n Recommended reading:<\/em> 9 Ways To Successfully Balance School And Work<\/a><\/p>\n Did you know you can actually make money by playing games on your phone? I tested the site Freecash<\/a> out myself and earned $302.80 in one week. You can read the full breakdown here: How I Made $302.80 Playing Games On My Phone In One Week<\/a>.<\/p>\n I was surprised at how fun and easy this was. Apps like Freecash pay you to try out games, and you earn rewards for hitting certain levels or milestones.<\/p>\n Tips for success:<\/p>\n Click here to sign up for Freecash.<\/a><\/p>\n Blogging changed my life. I started Making Sense of Cents when I was in college, and it has grown into a business that\u2019s earned me millions of dollars.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to aim that big, though. Blogging or creating a YouTube channel in college can simply be a fun way to share your experiences while making extra money.<\/p>\n Some ideas for what you can talk about include:<\/p>\n You could even start a blog where you talk about all of the different jobs for college students that you\u2019ve tried!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to blogging, I recommend starting with my free How To Start A Blog course<\/a>. Over 80,000 people have taken my free course, and I show you how to start a blog, from the technical side to earning your first income and attracting readers.<\/p>\n Taking surveys online is one of the easiest side hustles for college students. You don\u2019t need any skills, and you can do them whenever you have free time \u2013 like waiting for class to start or sitting on your bed in your dorm.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve done a lot of surveys over the years and have earned over 100 free gift cards and cash. While you won\u2019t get rich, it\u2019s nice to have extra gift card money or to pay for small bills.<\/p>\n Tips for success:<\/p>\n Surveys are a low-effort way to bring in small amounts of money, and they can be a great starting point if you\u2019ve never tried a side hustle before.<\/p>\n Printables are digital products like planners, invites, study guides, or wall art that people can download and print at home.<\/p>\n The great thing about printables is that once you create them, you can sell them over and over again. This makes it a great passive income idea.<\/p>\n You can learn more at How I Made $6,161 in Just 4 Months With a New Etsy Printables Shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n I also recommend watching the Earn Money Selling Printables free training<\/a>. You\u2019ll learn about printable ideas, how to get started on Etsy, and how to actually make sales.<\/p>\n Do you want to make money selling printables online? This free training will give you great ideas on what you can sell, how to get started, the costs, and how to make sales.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Print-on-demand is when you sell designs on T-shirts, mugs, candles, tote bags, stickers, and more.<\/p>\n Platforms like Printify<\/a> and Printful<\/a> handle the printing and shipping for you, too, so it can be a good semi-passive income source where you can still focus on college and not feel like you have to work around the clock.<\/p>\n This is also a great low-cost way to start a business as a student, as you don\u2019t have to buy the inventory yourself.<\/p>\n I recommend watching How to Make Money with Print-On-Demand free workshop<\/a>. In this workshop, you\u2019ll learn how one person made $500,000 in two years selling gifts, the best types of products to sell to maximize your earnings, and how to start this side hustle on Etsy.<\/p>\n Recommended reading: <\/em>How I Make $7,500 Monthly Selling Print-On-Demand Gifts<\/a><\/p>\n 10<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Want to learn how to make money selling print-on-demand products on Etsy? Check out this free workshop and learn how Emily made $500,000 in just two years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re someone who notices grammar and spelling errors all the time, proofreading could be a perfect side hustle. Businesses, authors, and bloggers hire proofreaders all the time to check their content.<\/p>\n I have a proofreader for this blog, and I have also had proofreaders who were in college in the past do proofreading work for me as well.<\/p>\n This side hustle is flexible and can easily be done from your dorm room.<\/p>\n If you are interested in finding online proofreading jobs, I recommend signing up for this free workshop all about proofreading. Here, you will learn how to start a freelance proofreading business. You can sign up for free here.<\/a><\/p>\n Recommended reading:<\/em> 20 Best Online Proofreading Jobs For Beginners (Earn $40,000+ A Year)<\/a><\/p>\n 10<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This free 76-minute workshop answers all of the most common questions about how to become a proofreader, and even talks about the 5 signs that proofreading could be a perfect fit for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Babysitting is a classic college side hustle. Parents need sitters for evenings or weekends, which works perfectly around a student\u2019s schedule. Babysitting is flexible, pays well, and it\u2019s a job that almost always has demand.<\/p>\n I have a family member in graduate school who works a part-time babysitting job. She helps a family by getting their kids to school in the morning and then picking them up in the afternoon until their parents get home. This type of schedule works really well with her classes, too.<\/p>\n Tips for success:<\/p>\n HopSkipDrive<\/a> is a unique side hustle for students who are at least 23 years old and enjoy driving and working with kids.<\/p>\n Unlike regular ridesharing apps, HopSkipDrive partners with schools and families to provide safe, reliable rides for children who can\u2019t use the school bus or need extra help getting to and from school (you drive your own car).<\/p>\n This service has become especially important in areas with school bus driver shortages (many towns are having problems finding enough bus drivers right now!).<\/p>\n The average rate is around $50 per hour, and the company usually has promotions for new drivers. For example, new CareDrivers may be able to earn bonuses such as $500 for completing 10 trips within their first 14 days, especially during high-demand times.*<\/p>\n You can click here to sign up for HopSkipDrive.<\/a><\/p>\n *Terms and conditions apply<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you live off campus and have extra space, you might be able to rent it out.<\/p>\n When I was in college, I had spare rooms in my home and rented them out. This helped me to better afford my monthly home payment, and the rooms were empty anyway, so I figured I might as well get use from them.<\/p>\n Tips for success:<\/p>\n If you love baking, starting a dog treat business can be fun and profitable. You can make dog treats that you sell to pet stores, at farmers markets, and online.<\/p>\n You can learn more about this business idea at How I Make Up to $4,000 Per Month Baking Dog Treats (With Zero Baking Experience!)<\/a>. Plus, you can sign up for this free training workshop<\/a> that will teach you how to start your own side hustle baking and selling dog treats.<\/p>\n 10<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This free workshop will teach you how to start your own dog treat bakery business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Freelancing is one of the best side hustles for college students because you can use the skills you already have. Whether it\u2019s writing, graphic design, social media management, coding, or being a virtual assistant, there are people who will pay you for your work.<\/p>\n Plus, you can freelance full-time, or just to earn some extra income<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve hired freelancers many times over the years, and many of them were college students earning money on the side.<\/p>\n How to get started:<\/p>\n Another great positive about freelancing is that it can lead to much more than just extra spending money. Many people turn it into a full-time business after graduation.<\/p>\n Sometimes the easiest option is the best. When I was in college, I worked at a retail store and worked around 30\u201340 hours a week. It was tiring at times, but it paid my bills.<\/p>\n The nice thing about part-time jobs is that they\u2019re stable. Many students work evenings or weekends in retail, restaurants, or coffee shops. Plus, you may even get employee discounts, which is a nice bonus.<\/p>\n Tips for success:<\/p>\n Part-time jobs may not be glamorous, but they\u2019re reliable and can help you avoid student loans.<\/p>\n Textbooks are expensive, but the good news is that you can sell them when you\u2019re done. Sites like Amazon, BookScouter, and Facebook Marketplace make it easy.<\/p>\n I recommend that you sell your books as soon as the semester ends \u2013 this way, you can declutter right away, but also because the older the edition of your book, the less you can typically make from it (because they update textbooks all the time!).<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a year-round side hustle, but it\u2019s a great way to make money at the end of each semester.<\/p>\n I sold all of my textbooks right after each class ended, and because textbooks are so expensive, I typically made over $100 per book.<\/p>\n If you love animals, this can be one of the most enjoyable side hustles. Many people are happy to pay students to walk their dogs, especially during the day when they\u2019re at work.<\/p>\n How to start:<\/p>\n Recommended reading:<\/em> Is Rover Worth It? A Guide to Making Money with Rover<\/a><\/p>\n House sitting is a low-effort way to earn money. Usually, it just means checking on someone\u2019s home while they\u2019re away, bringing in the mail, and watering plants.<\/p>\n Some house sitting jobs also include taking care of a pet, which can increase your pay, too.<\/p>\n Delivery apps are everywhere, and they\u2019re a flexible way to earn money. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart are some of the most popular.<\/p>\n Tips for success:<\/p>\n For students in bigger cities or near campus, this can be a quick way to make money, as there are usually more people who use food delivery services.<\/p>\nBest Side Hustles for College Students<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Play games on your phone<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
2. Start a blog or YouTube channel<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
3. Answer online surveys<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
4. Sell printables<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Free](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/free-workshop-sidebar-2.png\"\/)
![\"Free](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/free-workshop-sidebar-2.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\n5. Print On Demand<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Make](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gift-lab-free-workshop.png\"\/)
![\"Make](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gift-lab-free-workshop.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n6. Proofreading<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Proofread](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pa-logo.png\"\/){kind=logo}
![\"Proofread](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pa-logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n7. Babysitting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
8. HopSkipDrive (Age 23+)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
9. Rent out a room in your home<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
10. Dog treat bakery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/diva-dog-bakery.png\"\/)
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/diva-dog-bakery.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n11. Freelance online<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
12. Get a part-time job<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
13. Sell textbooks<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"dog](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/dog-walker-1024x684.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n14. Dog walking and pet sitting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
15. House sitting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
16. Food or grocery delivery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
![\"person](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Styled-Stock-Society-Capsule-Wardrobe-4-1024x683.jpg\"\/)
![\"person](\"https:\/\/www.makingsenseofcents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Styled-Stock-Society-Capsule-Wardrobe-4-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n