Making money on the side, while working on your degree is a must for many students. Some times it can be a bit hard coming up with ideas for side hustles you can undertake while doing college.
On this list I found some side hustles that is possible, and could be more fun for you if you have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Off course you can also just go get a job, and you might just need to do that, but if you have the skill, perseverance and hustle in you. This might be for you.
Here are the top 25 side hustles for students:
#1 Renting
Renting is a good way to earn extra income. For college students, the best way is to find roommates. This can help offset your mortgage/rent. It is a flexible option.
Moreover, you can also help tourists with short-term rentals using platforms like Airbnb.
#2 Selling
You can earn income from selling products. You can sell online and physically. There are garage sales that take place often where you can help sell products that are helpful for others.
Moreover, there are many online forums like Marketplace, eBay, and other eCommerce websites where you can sell products. On average, eCommerce websites have over 150 million daily visitors so there is a highly likely chance you can become a seller there, and get a good passive income.
#3 Doing Freelance Work
If you have a skill e.g. coding, copywriting, designing, etc. you can earn a reasonable passive income as a freelancer. There are many forums for freelancing e.g. Fiverr, UpWork, People per hour, etc.
You can earn hourly, or a fixed amount. Freelancing has become very popular as means of living for college students. Once you establish enough credibility in the market, you can start outsourcing the projects and earn a handsome amount of passive income.
#4 YouTube-ing
YouTube is an excellent platform to earn passive income. You can get a good audience on YouTube, and become popular. All you need is a YouTube account and a knack for creating quality content.
If you are good at something, you can use this popular video streaming platform as a way to get yourself recognized. As a YouTuber, you can earn depending on the quality of your content through content monetization. Your YouTube videos are to engage, make people laugh, or relate to skills/teaching.
#5 Creating Media Assets
Content creators are looking to increase their viewership. You can help them out by creating media assets. When you sell it to them, you can earn yourself a passive income in return.
Podcasts and stock photos are good examples of creating media assets that can be sold online. You can deliver information to your target audience through visuals, illustrations, animations, or any other effective way. Media assets are very profitable. Your media assets can be used in several places thus making it possible for it to reach a wider audience.
#6 Private Tutoring
Getting into college isn’t easy for everyone and you can help out through private tutoring. Earn some extra income, and give back to the community! Moreover, you can guide on potential issues that students may face.
You can even scale your business by offering courses online. People will buy them and it will create a new passive income stream for you!
#7 Car Advertising
You can earn from renting out advertising spaces on your car. It comes with less risk and greater ROI. Further, it is very easy. All you need is a car, a driver’s license (a clean track record could work out really well for you), and a knack to drive around actively.
Advertisers can showcase their ads on your car. In return, you can earn a commission. Moreover, if things go well, you can also earn a monthly income. All of this without any expenses incurred. On average, you can earn around $500 monthly by car advertising which is good for a passive income.
#8 Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a good passive income source. In this form of marketing, you can make money by opting to promote a product/service from other businesses. You can promote to your audience. If you become a source of the sale/purchase, then there is a commission waiting to go into your pocket.
But how can affiliate marketing be done? Well, it is possible physically but in a 2022 world, it will be more popular online. All you have to do is join an affiliate marketing program, promote and sell their items, create sales, and profit. Affiliate commissions vary based on the program type.
The commissions could be a flat charge or a percentage of the sale. Clickbank, Affiliate.com, eBay, and Amazon are some of the renowned affiliate programs.
#9 Playing Games
This sounds odd. Playing games in college and earning?
Yes, now it is possible — Get paid to play games.
Based on the hours you dedicate, you can help gaming companies a lot by just playing their games. In return, you can earn a reasonable income. By playing games, you can track bugs, identify glitches, suggest improvements, and overall help the companies figure out how to make the user experience better.
And who can say no to such things! Gaming companies can improve the quality of their games while you earn a reasonable income.
#10 Blogging
If you have a knack for writing high-quality essays in college, then blogging is just the thing you should pursue. Your content can be monetized with blogging be it through display ads, affiliate marketing, eCommerce, etc. Blogging requires a website that is monetized with high-quality traffic and a regular flow of content.
You can grow your audience through blogging and that can lead you to earn a good income. All you have to do is focus on the relevance of your blog, quality, and regular work. This can help you earn a lot for a passive income.
#11 Pet Sitting
If you love pets and know how to care for them responsibly, then pet sitting can be a good source of passive income. As a pet sitter, you can make an average of $65. It is easy for college students to do this kind of work. It is easy money, and all it requires is you to be responsible, caring, and passionate about pets.
#12 Taking Surveys
Many organizations are out there willingly ready to pay in return for you to participate in their survey. These organizations use customer surveys to help them understand the performance of their products/services. Moreover, such surveys also help organizations realize the popularity of their products/services.
You can easily participate with online survey sites during your free time and earn extra income. The only requirement is a proper internet connection. You can participate in as many surveys as you like. Survey Junkie pays $50 for a survey.
#13 Providing Pick and Drop Service
If you have a driving license, and a car, you can actually earn passive income by giving rides, and driving around for pick and drop service. You can join a proper cab service e.g. Uber or you can help around your fellow peers, make your own Uber fleet, and start earning.
#14 Photography
If you are into photography, and you have a good eye for using the camera, then you can earn a good passive income. All you need is a good camera and strong photography skills, and you can earn a good passive income.
For most people, photography is a hobby. You can go around taking pictures of the scenery and posting them as stock photos online. You can even provide services i.e. personal pictures for birthday parties or covering other events if it is feasible.
#15 Event Management
You can do part-time event management e.g. arranging parties, or other events for a suitable income in return. You can be a part of an event management team and can assist in many ways e.g. handling logistics, accounts, etc.
This is a good way to earn a passive income if you are active in extra-curricular activities, and know-how to efficiently handle resources.
#16 Music Industry
There are several ways you can make money as a musician. It can be a good side gig. Depending on your skills, you can do live performances/gigs if you feel you have it in you to perform in events.
You can workaround as a DJ. Another way is to produce music, and license it. By licensing, you can make some bucks every time your music is used by third parties, etc.
You can sell your services as a music producer e.g. recording, mixing, composing, editing, etc. You can also teach music production to those interested, and earn a good passive income.
#17 Browse the Web
It sounds too good to be true but you can earn just by browsing the internet. There are several ways where you can earn by just using websites e.g. browsing for specific items, or downloading particular apps, and even by just showing up on the web pages.
Many businesses would like people to sign up, and keep their applications running in your browser. Moreover, they can track your activities. They sell this information to other brands and companies, and you can get a commission for this gig. So not much work but a good way to earn income. Some examples include HoneyGain, Nielsen, and Swagbucks.
#18 Food Delivery Services
Another way to make passive income is through food delivery services. Although it completely depends on a number of factors for e.g. number of deliveries, location, time, tips, etc. but food delivery apps go by paying an hourly wage.
Although every food app platform has completely different policies and payment processing details (expenses included), still it’s a good way to earn passive income. Food app services/platforms include UberEats, DoorDash, and Deliveroo.
#19 Cashback
You can earn cashback on autopilot using certain apps e.g. Rakuten, Inbox Dollars, Drop, and other apps. With cashback, you can earn passive income very easily online.
Every time you make a purchase through certain apps and websites that are partners, you’ll get paid. You’ll get paid every time you make your purchases through certain apps and websites. Consider cashback as free money. For example, Rakuten has 2500 partner brands and offers cashback up to 50% depending on the brand you choose to shop with and buy.
#20 Create and Sell Courses
If you are good at something, then don’t do it for free. You can create and sell courses online to help others. These courses can vary depending on your proficiency and command of them.
For example, it could be related to skill development courses like programming languages, copywriting, AutoCAD, etc. to topics like English grammar, Accounting, Calculus, Essay writing, etc. You can create educational content of any type, and sell it online on forums like Udemy. This is a one-time effort but really beneficial, and a good way to earn passive income.
#21 Designing Art
If you are really good at arts and crafts and design, then you can use this skill to sell creative art and earn a good fortune. This can vary from as simple as paintings to digital designs. There are many platforms where you can sell your art.
Some examples of digital creativity and touch are creating customized t-shirt designs, mugs, pottery, etc. There are so many forums where you can sign up for free, create designs, publish them, and if ordered online by people, you can earn a few bucks.
#22 E-commerce Business
E-commerce businesses are easy and quick to set up. As a college student, you can start an e-commerce business on the sides. It is an excellent passive income option.
To expand your business, you can either sell things online through a website or use e-commerce platforms like Amazon or eBay. The avenues in e-commerce businesses are unlimited.
#23 Create an eBook
eBooks are helpful guides that have a long-term value. They can be a great source of passive income and can be downloaded from many platforms. So monetization shouldn’t be a problem.
For any college student who creates an eBook – though it may be a little time-consuming but very beneficial. It is a great source of knowledge with a long-term value.
#24 Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant (VA) is also a good way to earn a few bucks. It only requires a computer and an internet connection. VAs have a flexible schedule. The work is straightforward, not time-bound, and you can earn on average $15 on an hourly basis as a virtual assistant though it also depends on your skills.
#25 Babysitting
Unlike pet-sitting, babysitting is a little more complex. But kids can be fun if you know how to keep them engaged and entertained. Keep an eye on their food, make sure they sleep on time, and time and again, check on them.
While doing all of this you can also enjoy sitting on the couch watching TV as a past-time. If you are good with kids, people are willing to pay good money.
