Best Podcast For College Students And Recent Grads

Determine Your Interests & Explore Podcasts Every College Student Should Hear

College students have a lot of things going on – and the idea of adding another book to the textbook pile is enough to make anyone cringe. So why not listen to something new instead? Podcasts are a great way to learn something new, build healthy habits and have a little fun during downtime. This guide takes a look at some of the best podcasts for college students and recent grads. Continue reading to determine which podcast is right for you, explore popular podcasts with insight from eight experts, and learn how to make the most of your listening time.

The Best Podcasts for College Students & Recent Grads

These podcasts are great for anyone who wants to enrich their lives with a little extra learning. From embarking on a new adventure to being responsible with money to having a little fun during downtime, there's bound to be at least a few that are right for you.

Starting a New Chapter

Chasers

“This podcast focuses completely on millennials who are chasing their passions, no matter how big or small,” says host Nihar Suthar. “There are incredibly useful lessons to be learned from these stories and interviews that I think are useful for all college students as they go through the difficult process of deciding what they want to do in the future.”

Good Life Project

Not sure what your purpose is? Looking for a new path? Thinking about revisiting an old one? These inspirational podcasts from today's top thinkers prove that every story matters – and just might help you find yours.

How I Built This

This popular NPR podcast looks at different innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs. How did they build their businesses? How did the greatest companies in the world get that way? This podcast is full of inspiration for the road ahead.

Messy

“The best podcast for college students is one they can create themselves!” says Molly Beck, founder of Messy. “There are tons of great options of podcasts to listen to – but the podcast that will really change a college student's life is the one that they create themselves!”

Being Fiscally Responsible

Bad With Money

This goes beyond the expert advice with a funny, relatable and oh-so-flawed host who makes the listener nod along with her like they're best friends and financial soul mates.

The Dave Ramsey Show

Hosted by financial guru Dave Ramsey, this common-sense advice is perfect for those who want to manage their money well from the earliest days of college through the golden days of their retirement.

Financial Grownup with Bobbi Rebell

These ‘money stories for a richer life' look at everything from daily saving to planning out an inheritance. “She always has on really awesome guests and I always learn something!” Beck says.

The Indicator from Planet Money

This NPR podcast looks at every aspect of the economy, including things that will affect college students – such as interest rates, employment growth and more.

Getting Politically Active

FiveThirtyEight

These political discussions go in-depth with the news of the day, providing numerical and analytical commentary on the fast-moving events of today's political landscape. A must for numbers nerds!

Pod Save America

Part of the Crooked Media collection of podcasts, this one focuses on today's hot-button political issues and how anyone can help make the world a better place.

The Weeds

Want more than just a soundbite or the latest brief rundown of today's news? This hour-long show goes in-depth with today's serious issues for a well-rounded view.

Women Rule

This Politico podcast features rising stars, seasoned professionals and VIPs at the top of their game – and serves up a healthy dose of inspiration for any woman who wants to change the world.

Building the Right Habits

Mindfulness in 8 Weeks

This podcast offers 20-minute segments that help busy students slow down for a bit, take a breather and learn more about themselves in the process.

Collegehood Advice

“Our show explores multiple facets of the college experience by sharing strategies, tools, and advice for college students looking to clarify their path, improve academic performance, boost productivity, adapt to life at a university, and transition to adulthood,” says host Katy Oliveira.

Tiny Leaps, Big Changes

Interesting, sharable tidbits about personal development strategies can help students do everything from improve study habits to enhance their personal wellness and outlook.

Grammar Girl

Writing is one of those places where habits are constantly changing and evolving. Make the right choices with the quick, simple and actionable advice from Grammar Girl – professors and future employers will be glad you did!

Landing the Perfect Job

CareerMetis

This podcast features a different professional each week, providing a glimpse into a wide variety of careers students and recent grads might be interested in.

Side Hustle School

“College is a financial stressful time and finding new and unique side hustle options to work can be a big help,” says Sireesha, the founder of Crowdworknews.com. “Chris's podcast showcases 'real life' examples of people who have exceptional success stories about starting new hustles every day. These stories can lead to a future career path for many students who are just figuring out what to do.”

The Next Level Freelancing Show

“It is all about how to thrive as an independent worker,” says host Robert McGuire. “More than half of young professionals have freelanced at some point in their career so far. Learning how to navigate this way of working will be critical to career success in the future.”

WorkLife with Adam Grant

Hosted by an organizational psychologist, this podcast aims to help workers thrive. “This podcast could be really useful for students to gain an understanding of the job world and develop a lot of soft skills before they step into the race,” Sireesha says.

News You Can Use

The Daily

Offered by The New York Times, this podcast dives deep into one current topic each day, providing an overview and then drilling down into more fascinating tidbits.

Stuff You Should Know

This delightful podcast covers almost anything imaginable: take Satanism, champagne and chaos theory, for just a few. You'll feel smarter after each listen.

Ted Talks Daily

The popular Ted Talks series is now available for listening anytime, anywhere. “The innovative topics discussed on this podcasts can give students a lot of insight into upcoming trends in different fields from experts,” Sireesha says.

University of Oxford Podcasts

Curious as to what students are learning at storied Oxford University? Find out with this podcast, which covers everything from anthropology to music to physics.

Everybody Needs a Little Downtime

Bad People Book Club

This lighthearted taken on contemporary fiction is the perfect antidote to the never-ending textbooks. “The goal of the podcast is to make reading cool again,” says Abbey Jones, one of the hosts. “We want young people to binge books instead of just the latest Netflix series or drinks at a frat party.

The Debaters

This innovative comedy show pits comedians against each other with hilarious results – a great way for college students to decompress when the long week of classes is over.

Freakanomics Radio

This podcast is all about everything you ever wanted to know, but didn't know you wanted to know it. In other words, it's a fascinating look at everyday things that will make you view the world in an entirely different light.

Phantom Faction Podcast

Students who love the paranormal will get a kick out of this podcast, which looks at the things that aren't quite as they seem. These easy-to-digest segments allow students “to just open their minds explore the unexplained perhaps get a scare like students love to do watching horror movies,” says host John Stewart.

College Grads

So you're just out of college, about to enter the workforce, and frankly, scared to death about how much you don't know. Now's the time to plug into a few podcasts that can ease those worries. For a daily dose of confidence, check out these great options:

Adulthood Made Easy

It's time for life on your own! This podcast helps you navigate almost everything out there.

Death, Sex and Money

As the name suggests, this one is all about discussing the topics most people don't want to discuss in polite company.

Don't Keep Your Day Job

Everyone has something unique to share with the world. What's your superpower?

The Science of Happiness

Happiness is everywhere – this podcast is a map to help you find it.

College-Bound Students

Ready for the rigors of college? These podcasts can help you make the transition.

Another Round

This is a look at everything from the serious to the not-so-much, all designed to make you more aware of what's happening in the world around you.

College Info Geek

From learning better study habits to navigating the social world of college, this podcast is a must-listen for high school grads as they approach their first day of higher education.

The College Prep Podcast

Those looking forward to college can find a wealth of information here, including test prep and study skills.

Youth Radio

Created by teens, for teens, this podcast brings the teen perspective to the hot-button issues of the day.

Well Now

“Starting college is such an exciting time and can also be a challenging time for our wellness. With new routines, new roommates and new course work, it's even more important to make sure you are getting enough rest, eating well and moving your body,” Meghann, host of Well Now says, “Podcasts like Well Now are an incredible way to take some time for yourself – listen on your commute, in between classes or when you just need to take a break and find ways to feel better.”

Getting the Most out of Your College Podcasts

Though anyone can enjoy podcasts through the privacy of their headphones, sometimes you want to share what you've learned and explore what others have to say. That's where podcast groups come in. Here are a few of the best ones out there today.

Earbuds Podcast Collective

This email newsletter brings you a variety of themed podcasts, each section curated by someone in the collective. That means that eventually, it becomes your turn to provide a list of your favorites for others to discover!

Meetup

This social media networking platform facilitates the creation of in-person groups that connect for a variety of reasons, including hobbies – like sharing a weekly or monthly podcast! Due to Meetup's broad reach, students can easily find podcast aficionados from other schools. Anyone can organize a Meetup community for a small fee.

New York Times Podcast Club

This Facebook page focuses on new, exciting podcasts that you just might not be able to live without. Give the podcasts a listen and then engage on Facebook with others who are ready to debate, analyze and share their own ideas. Radio Public is where you'll find the latest weekly show.

Podcast Brunch Club

Look at this as a book club for podcasts. There are chapters all over the world that meet every month to discuss the podcast playlist. They cover common themes, many of which are pertinent to college students; examples include money, emotions and memory.

Podcasts We Listen To

This Facebook group is for listeners, by listeners, and all about the amazing variety of podcasts out there. Discover a new one or offer up a list of your favorites, then discuss the podcasts with fellow listeners.

PodernFamily

This hashtag group is the place to be for Twitter fans who want to discover a new podcast, following the creators of their favorites and share their own ideas – in fact, you just might be inspired to create your own podcast.