The 7 Best Dating Apps for College Students

It’s hard enough to make friends in college. But what about dating? A 2017 survey found that most college students use dating apps. And the pandemic hasn’t changed habits much — in 2021, more than 80% of undergrads reported spending the same amount of time or more time on dating apps since the pandemic started.

So what are the best dating apps for college students? While one dating app dominates the scene, many others rank among the best college dating apps.

By far the most popular college data app, Tinder is all about finding matches in your area. Users set their distance preference, sexual orientation, and gender to find matches. When two users swipe right, Tinder matches them.

Tinder ranks high because of its Tinder U feature. Users provide a .edu email address, which helps limit searches to campus. Nearly 85% of college students who use dating apps choose Tinder, meaning undergrads are almost guaranteed a match.

Bumble puts power in women’s hands. When opposite-sex couples match, women get to make the first move, cutting down on spammy messages. With same-sex matches, either person can reach out first. Bumble also adds in some safety features like photo verification and in-app chatting to avoid sharing contact info early in the process.

Unlike many other dating apps, Bumble offers modes to find friends and business mentors, helping college students connect with their community.

On Hinge, users upload photos and answer prompts. The app screens users based on your location and preferences. But unlike many other dating apps, Hinge prioritizes users in your social circle. That means the app shows potential matches who share Facebook friends.

Instead of inundating users with profiles, Hinge provides a cultivated list. You can review pictures and prompts, liking and commenting on anything that catches your attention. Matches can then connect to learn more about each other.

One of the more established dating apps, OkCupid dates back to 2004. Like other apps, OkCupid lets users upload pictures, information about themselves and their interests, and what they’re looking for. Then, users answer 15 questions, which OkCupid uses to calculate a compatibility rating.

Once users set up their profile, they can match with other users. During the matching process, you can like and comment on answers or screen for certain answers.

A dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men, Grindr connects users with men in their area. Users upload a photo and a short bio before looking for matches. The app lists matches by how close they are. Once they match, men can share photos and arrange to meet in person.

While some users find long-term partners on Grindr, the app typically focuses on more casual connections.

An anti-swiping dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel promises high-quality picks. The app uses an algorithm to suggest matches. Users then review and like the potential match to start chatting.

Coffee Meets Bagel pulls info from social media and mutual friends to identify good matches. The app then sends a batch of options every day, learning from which matches you like and which you pass on. That way, the picks get better over time.

HER is a dating app for lesbian, bi, queer, nonbinary, trans, and gender nonconforming folks. Created by queer people, HER promises an inclusive and safe place to connect.

In the dating section of HER, users can choose from 16 sexualities and 18 gender identities to find their perfect match. Users check out profiles and match to chat. HER also offers social networking features to make friends and learn about local LQBTQ+ events.

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