Best Podcasts For College Students

Podcasts are available for free. They are available to anyone with a cell phone or internet. Most importantly, podcasts can be a decisive resource for your college studies or life in general. With a variety of topics, (pretty much anything you can think of) choose to occupy your free time listening to discussions on health, funny stories, money guidance, or maybe even the tantalizing details of a true crime case. This is a list of the best podcasts for college students.

Podcasts For College Students About College Life

College girl  holding books

Ted Education

“Some of the world’s greatest educators, researchers, and community leaders share their stories and visions onstage at the TED conference, TEDx events and partner events around the world. “

Adulthood Made Easy

“If you feel lost in a new city, overwhelmed by your taxes, frustrated by dating, or scared to switch jobs, tune in weekly to Adulthood Made Easy. Host, Sam Zabell, works through listeners’ problems and questions about the sometimes-scary “real world.”

Before Breakfast

Start your morning with productivity advice that will take your day from great to awesome. Laura Vanderkam’s daily episodes of Before Breakfast focus on a time management strategies. They answer listener’s questions. Make the most of your time, both at work and at home. The mission is to give listeners practical tools to feel less busy and get more done.”

Collegehood Advice

“The premise of this podcast is to help listeners develop the skills, habits, and mindsets they need to thrive during college and beyond. College success coach, Katy Oliveira, and her guests share strategies, insights, and tools to help you improve grades, get organized, figure out your major and career, and maximize your investment in college.”

The College Info Geek

Learn how to be a more effective student, even while you’re doing your laundry. The College Info Geek Podcast features in-depth, actionable advice for boosting your productivity, earning better grades, paying off your student loans, and more.

Financial Podcasts For College Students

Finance podcasts for college students

Bad With Money

“Feelings, finance, and the f*cking system. Comedian and New York Times best-selling author Gaby Dunn unapologetically examines the intersection of finances and social justice.

The Dave Ramsey Show

“Dave Ramsey empowers callers to get out of debt, gain control of their money, and achieve financial peace by providing practical advice for life’s tough money questions.”

The College Investor

“The College Investor Audio Show covers personal finance and investing topics. Topics range from getting out of student loan debt, to side hustling and earning more money, to investing and building wealth.”

Money For The Rest Of Us

“Money For the Rest of Us is a podcast about money,how it works, how to invest it and how to live without worrying about it. A new episode is released most Wednesdays at noon Eastern time.”

Stacking Benjamins

“Stacking Benjamins has used the science of play to make finance more approachable, interesting, and fun. Our hope is that people will think more seriously about money and about financial well-being. Stacking Benjamins introduces you to fantastic ideas, concepts, technologies available that can help you lock in a better financial future.”

RECOMMENDED ARTICLE: Ten Ways To Stay Motivated In College

Best Podcasts for College Girls

female college graduate

The Marie Forleo Podcast

“MarieTV is our award-winning weekly show. It’s full of wit, wisdom and actionable ideas to help you create a business and a life you love. “

The Goal Digger

“The Goal Digger is a live-workshop style business podcast helping thousands redefine success and chase bold dreams. Train with the experts on how to dig in, do the work, and tackle your biggest goals along the way. “

Girl Gang

“On each episode of Girl Gang the Podcast, Amy Will interviews creative women on their accomplishments, challenges and tools used to succeed in business. Amy digs deep with each guest to discover the highs and lows of being a female entrepreneur in today’s society, while also uncovering valuable advice for listeners. Get ready world, the future is here and she’s a boss!”

Just For Women: Dating and Relationships

“Are you ready to find out what you can do to have the deep, beautifully fulfilling love you want in your life? Are you ready to find out how to live the outrageously fun and full life and you know you were meant to be living? Have you been searching for more intimacy in your relationships but are at a loss as to how to create it? Hosts, Alissa Kriteman of ABC’s “How to Get the Guy” and author of “Alissa’s Four Cornerstones for Living Your Dreams”, explore these topics.

Best Podcasts for College Boys

The MMQB Podcast

“The MMQB suite of podcasts bring you unique, informed and immediate analysis from around the NFL. Are you looking to catch up on Sunday’s football action? Want to take a deep dive into the film? Or would you rather answer some burning NFL questions? If any of this applies, this podcast is for you.”

How To Do Everything

The How to Do Everything podcast is “half advice show, half survival guide. We answer all your questions, from how to find a date, to how to find water in the desert.”

How I Built This

“Host of How I Built This, Guy Raz, dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built. “

Men Unplugged

“The Men Unplugged talk show provides biblical wisdom, practical  tips, and life lessons from top Christian leaders. Author and host, Jeff Jerina unlocks success principles to help you excel in your FAITH, FINANCES, RELATIONSHIPS, HEALTH, and CAREER!”

Political Podcasts for College Students

Pod Save America

“Pod Save America is a no-bullshit conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news, and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help.”

Political Gabfest

“Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says, “Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest.” The Gabfest is hosted by Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz. Listen for the debates, stay for the cocktail chatter.”

Left, Right, and Centered

“Provocative, up-to-the-minute, alive and witty, KCRW’s weekly confrontation over politics, policy and popular culture proves those with impeccable credentials needn’t lack personality.”

Career Podcasts

career success

Career Talk: Learn-Grow-Thrive

“Host, Stephanie Dennis, is on a mission to empower people to take control of their careers by offering holistic career advice. This podcast takes a funny, fresh and playful approach to what is typically a very professional topic.

Work Life with Adam Grant

“Organization psychologist, Adam Grant, takes you into the minds of some pretty obscure professionals. He teaches you how to take criticism and enjoy it, how to harness the power of being frustrated, and how to look at your job differently than you ever have before. If you’re just starting out in your career, in your first internship, or even if you’re an expert, you will benefit from Adam Grant’s knowledge.”

Being Boss

“Being Boss is an exploration of not only what it means, but what it takes to be boss as a creative business owner, freelancer, or side-hustler. Join host Emily Thompson as she explores the mindsets, habits, and tactics of harnessing your creative ambitions and embracing the adventure of starting and growing your own business so that you can make money doing work you love.”

Find Your Dream Job

“Build a career that matters to you with job search strategies and career advice from Find Your Dream Job. Every week, we share insider secrets and job search tips on how to get a great job and develop a purposeful career.”

How To Be Awesome At Your Job

This Podcast Will Help You Flourish At Work. Each week, host, Pete Mockaitis, grills thought-leaders and results-getters to discover specific, actionable insights that boost work performance.”

Self Improvement Podcasts

School of Greatness

“The School of Greatness podcast episodes range from interviews with incredible world-class game changers in entrepreneurshiphealthmindset, and relationships, to solo rounds with the host, Lewis Howes, and the once a week listener-favorite, the 5-Minute Friday format.”

The Happiness Lab

“You might think more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations would make you happy. You’re dead wrong. In “The Happiness Lab” podcast, Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will forever alter the way you think about happiness. “

On Purpose

“Jay Shetty’s purpose is to make wisdom go viral. On Purpose podcast brings fascinating conversations with some of the most insightful people in the world straight to viewers all over the world. Listen to new episodes on Mondays and Fridays anywhere you get your podcasts. Live life today On Purpose!”

10 Percent Happier

“Dan Harris had a panic attack live on Good Morning America, which led him to something he never thought he’d do: Meditation. If you’re skeptical of meditation, start listening ASAP. Every Wednesday you can tune in to learn if you can be an ambitious person and still strive for enlightenment; whatever that means to you.  “

Some Of My Favorite Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie is a weekly true crime podcast dedicated to giving you a fix. Every Monday, Ashley Flowers will tell you about whatever crime she’s been obsessing over that week in a way that sounds like you’re sitting around talking crime with your best friends. The storytelling is straightforward and free of rabbit holes so the cases stay suspenseful and are easy to follow.

Dirty John

Debra Newell is a successful interior designer. She meets John Meehan, a handsome man who seems to check all the boxes: attentive, available, just back from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. But her family doesn’t like John, and they get entangled in an increasingly complex web of love, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.

The Gist

A daily evening show about news, culture, and whatever else you’ll be discussing with friends and family tonight.

Freakonomics Radio

“Discover the hidden side of everything with Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books. Each week, Freakonomics Radio tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything. “

Stuff You Should Know

“If you’ve ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.”

In summary

College can be scary. Let’s face it, life is a labyrinth of ups, downs, highs and lows. A journey of discovery. One minute you may feel things are difficult to navigate, the next it is a thrilling adventure. These podcasts for college students provide a bit of entertainment, a sprinkle of education and advice, and even a smidge of expertise and proficiency.

What is your favorite podcast? Drop me a comment, I’d love to check it out.

About the Author:

Photo of the author, Chris Shea, and her family

Hi! I’m Chris. I’m a mother, wife, college professor by trade and micro-influencer by hobby. I am a bargain hunter, jack of all trades, and master of chaos.

Thank you for reading my random thoughts on travel, my stories of life as an under appreciated mother of a teenager, and my easy recipes that have won no awards but instead my family’s love and adoration (which is WAY better, right?).

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