Best 8 Free College Hookup Apps and Sites: Key Features, Pros and Cons

Key Takeaway: These college hookup apps/sites are the best for student hookups when you’re looking for some fun while studying for that exam.

1. Best College Hookup App for the Best Pool of Matches Nearby: Tinder– The must-have app for casual experiences and it has a version made for college students only.
2. Best College Hookup App for Finding People You Connect with: OkCupid– If chemistry is important in your hookups, OkCupid’s algorithm will get you sorted.
3. Best College Hookup App for the Ladies: Bumble– Tired of being bombarded with tons of messages? Take control of your matches with Bumble.
4. Best College Hookup App for Queer Women: HER– Made specifically for queer women by queer women, you won’t feel left out of the game.
5. Best College Hookup App for Gay Students: Grindr– Huge variety of men to satisfy your lustful dreams.
6. Best College Hookup App to Recapture Lost Moments: Happn– Saw someone who caught your eye while crossing the street? Don’t lose the connection with Happn.
7. Best College Hookup App for Convenience: Zoosk– If you want the app to do the grind work of finding compatible partners for you, then Zoosk is something to invest in.
8. Best College Hookup Sites for College Students Only: CollegeFriendsDate– A minimal site for college students to find other students.

College is the time to enjoy time away from home, soak in new experiences and meet new people.

It’s also the time when college students love to explore their sexuality with different people.

Not everyone can be invested into relationships with all that assignments and presentations piling up.

Plus, meeting everyone on college campus can be tough if your campus is sprawled across a huge area.

These college hookup apps are definitely a lifesaver to find college hookups near you, while you balance your time with your studies.

These apps are also the best way to find a quick hookup.

Also, these hookup apps will give you a chance to meet people, who are in the same age group as you.

Table of Contents:

1. Tinder: Best College Hookup App for the Best Pool of Matches Nearby
2. OkCupid: Best College Hookup App for Finding People You Connect with
3. Bumble: Best College Hookup App for the Ladies
4. HER: Best College Hookup App for Queer Women
5. Grindr: Best College Hookup App for Gay Students
6. Happn: Best College Hookup App to Recapture Lost Moments
7. Zoosk: Best College Hookup App for Convenience
8. CollegeFriendsDate.com: Best College Hookup Sites for College Students Only

1. Tinder: Best College Hookup App for the Best Pool of Matches Nearby

Source: Tinder/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android
Free version: Yes
Tinder Gold: USD 29.99 per month

Despite how we or people around us may feel about this app, Tinder has been known as the O.G. dating swipe app.
It’s probably also why it is known as one of the best college sex apps.
And college students love this specifically for its ease and addictive swiping maneuvers, to go through profiles based on mainly their pictures.
Swipe right on people who catch your eyes and left for people who don’t interest you.
You can only start chatting with people who match with you, hence the many swipes a day.
Plus, their signs up are easy and filling up your profile only takes you minutes.
This comes with a price though.
Due to their ease in sign-ups, it’s no wonder you’ll see some fake profiles so if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is and you should skip them.
To know which profiles are fake can be pretty easy.
That includes those with only one image, have little bio or the conversation feels stiff and never answer your questions.
At the end of the day, Tinder is where the cool crowd is to score you a hookup or a casual date.
While Tinder never marketed itself to be a hub for hookups, its emphasis on photos and short bio space makes it perfect for that very purpose.
Another thing worth mentioning about Tinder is that it’s more open to the LGBTQ+ community now, although it started as a heterosexual dating app.
Ready to take it to the next level?
Tinder also launched Tinder U for that’s available on Android and iOS devices in the US and UK.
It’s designed specifically for college students only and requires you to login using your “.edu” email address and you must be in campus when login in for the first time.
Tinder U would serve as a great college student hookup app!
If you’re having trouble standing out from the Tinder crowd, you can pay more attention to your bio and put in more thought and effort into it.
It does help you gain more attention and shows off a little more of your personality.
Be positive in your bio as no one likes negativity and it doesn’t invite good vibes.
Also, another word of advice is that some wit never hurts.
Over-filtered photos have also become quite a turn-off so pick flattering pictures of you with great natural lighting, minus all the IG filters.
While starting out on the app on a basic account may be alright for awhile, you can opt for one of their membership plans such as Tinder Gold and Tinder Plus.
Some of the perks include seeing who likes you, being able to match immediately, more likes and right swipes, rewinding your swipes and being able to access the cream of the crop.
Tinder is still the best hookup app for college students due to the huge pool of young people here.

2. OkCupid: Best College Hookup App for Finding People You Connect with

Source: OkCupid/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android
Free version: Yes
1 month premium: USD 34.99
3 month premium: USD 89.99
6-month subscription: USD 149.99

The perfect app for those who want to skip people who you know, you could never get along with.
Well-known for its use of questionnaires to let its algorithm do the dirty work for you, OkCupid is perfect for those who don’t want to waste time in getting to know people who they can’t vibe with.
With an easy sign up via your email or Facebook, it’ll start you off with a few basic info and questions to bring out your personality.
This really aids those who just struggle to write about themselves.
List your interest or even connect your profile to your Instagram account to let people take a look at your life little and get to know you more.
The questionnaire may get overwhelming but it’s what sets this app apart from many.
You do get the option to share your questions publicly or keep them private for the algorithm to do its job in helping you find potential matches.
While it may be tempting to skip this part, don’t.
It’ll make a world of a difference on finding for you more compatible matches.
So, while it may take you some time to answer the questions, it’ll save you a lot more time later in finding the right matches and helping you spend your time with the right people.
Answering questions would put you in the Questions Pro section too which increases your chances of being found by others.
The app is also LGBTQ friendly.
So, if you are looking for a genuine connection with your hookup partners, then invest time in this.
It will take time to get matches you want, but it’ll be worth it to know that you’re matching with people who you can get along with.

3. Bumble: Best College Hookup App for the Ladies

Source: Bumble/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android
Free version: Yes
1 week premium: USD 8.99
3 month premium: USD 16.99 per month
6 month premium: USD 13.99 per month

Bumble is one of those mainstream apps that people either love or hate, like Tinder.
It may work for some and it may not but the only way to find out if it does, is by trying it out for yourself.
And we do think it’s worth downloading at least once to see who’s in your area.
Bumble has been known to be the app where the women make the first move, to minimize the potential harassment a lady could get.
It’s a great way to change things up a little to promote gender equality and respect between opposite sexes.
It utilizes swiping through potential matches and if you’re a match, you can chat with one another.
Another unique feature that makes a great difference is that women have limited time to get the party started in chats, as matches expire after 24 hours.
After the women initiate a chat, the men also have 24 hours to reply in order to keep the conversation going.
This is a great way to keep ghosting minimal and spurs genuine conversations between people.
In other words, those who are not active will simply just fall through the cracks and will not get matches.
The rule of women messaging first doesn’t apply to those who are seeking same-sex matches, so either one can start the conversation first.
While Bumble is great for hookups and relationships (casual or otherwise), it’s also great to find friends and network at the same time, thanks to the added sections of Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz.
So, Bumble is a great app to be able to tackle different areas of your life.
While you look for a hookup, you can make new friends (especially if you’re new in town) and get you started on your professional networking to jumpstart a career.
The whole experience really makes college life a lot simpler.

4. HER: Best College Hookup App for Queer Women

Source: HER/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android.
Free version: Yes
1 month Premium: USD 14.99
3 months Premium: USD 11.99 per month
6 months Premium: USD 7.99 per month

Just because you’re a lesbian, it doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the fun.
HER is specifically designed for lesbian, bisexual, queer women and non-binary people.
Very LGBTQ-friendly.
So, if you’re looking to hookup with fellow college girls, download this app.
You can sign up easily using a Facebook or Instragram profile and it will find you users who are near you, once you enable location access to the app.
You’ll be encouraged to upload as many photos as possible and it has been said that eight pictures are the best to up your chances here.
It is the Tinder version for queer women as there’s minimal space for text and more attention is spend on your pictures so choose interesting ones to attract others.
College can be hard in finding those who are looking for the same thing as you and HER might just make your life easier.
It will also help you be more in tune with the community, thanks to the local events you could join, news related to the LGBTQ community and make new friends too.
College should be a time for you to enjoy to the fullest and maximize your time there so get on board this app to ensure you’re not alone in your journey.
It’s still one of the best free hookup apps for queer ladies out there, as you get enough features to play around with as a beginner.

5. Grindr: Best College Hookup App for Gay Students

Source: Grindr/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android
Free version: Yes
1 month premium: USD 19.99
3 month premium: USD 39.99
12 month subscription: USD 99.99

This app is essential if you want to avoid hitting on dudes at the bar who may not be gay in college.
It is on a hyperdrive when it comes to sexuality so be prepared for a meat market here.
It is well-known as a hookup app for gay men rather than a long-term relationship and that it’s great to find quick hookups near you, thanks to its geolocation feature.
In their profile, you can tell what they’re looking for from the get-go.
Plus, the dick photos that slide into your chats are a dead-on indication of what they’re looking for.
It also offers a grid view of photos of people nearest to you first, which you can easily scroll through versus swiping.
You don’t need to match to start a chat, which makes the barrier to match much lower here.
It’s also known as the best gay hookup app because of the tons of options of men here.
So, be prepared for the flood of half-naked across your screen.
Best to be screened through in private versus in class.
STD information is displayed on profiles, so you know what you’re getting into.
To get the best out of this app, be upfront of your intentions.
That means if you’re not looking to hookup physically but more interested in sexting, tell the other person from the beginning of the chat or in your profile itself.
So, you don’t waste your time and don’t waste theirs as well, while fully enjoying the attention you get here.
Grindr would be your best bet for gay college hookups.

6. Happn: Best College Hookup App to Recapture Lost Moments

Source: Happn/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android
Free version: Yes
1 month Premium: USD 14.99
3 months Premium: USD 12.00 per month
6 months Premium: USD 9.00 per month

If your college is in the city area, Happn is great for the who loves the thrill to rekindle moments where your eyes met across the room or even passing by a walkway.
If the moment was too fleeting for you to be able to grab their digits, Happn could bring back those possibilities.
While not marketed specifically as a hookup app, it could potentially be a great app for college sex.
You’ll find people you’ve crossed paths with and maybe people who you most likely crossed paths with, but both of you didn’t notice at that particular moment.
This helps to be able to meet people near you and be able to arrange meet ups nearby.
This app does require a certain amount of patience as you can only chat after both have mutually liked each other.
The layout is straightforward where you get to scroll through one profile per time and choose whether to like or skip it.
If you want to speed up the process, you can opt for a premium membership with their Flashnotes where you can send them a note before matching.
With a premium membership, you get to see who’s interested in you and match with them there and then.
You also get to rewind your choices if you change your mind about someone you skipped earlier.
We would recommend that you use the video calls on the chats to verify the person on the other side as there’s no verification process on this app yet.
You’re limited to one call per Crush so use it wisely and to the fullest.
Once you’re satisfied with the person, you can exchange phone numbers to take the conversation further.
All in all, Happn is great for those who love spur in the moment meet ups and we love discovering the mystery of who you may have encountered along your way!

7. Zoosk: Best College Hookup App for Convenience

Source: Zoosk/Apple

Availability: iOS and Android.
Free version: Yes
1 month Premium: USD 29.99
3 months Premium: USD 19.98 per month
6 months Premium: USD 12.49 per month

If you prefer an app that has a similar objective as OkCupid of finding you a compatible hookup partner minus the fuss of answering loads of questions, Zoosk would be your pick.
Zoosk’s Behavioral Matchmaking Technology helps you to find compatible matches by learning through your actions to send you better matches.
The app learns from your clicks and messages to show you singles, with whom you’re likely to be mutually attracted to.
The free version is sufficient to look through to see if they have people you’re interested in but that’s where the perks of a free account ends.
You would need to pay in order to send messages and unlock views.
But with over 40 million users in 70 countries, it could be worth a shot to find potential matches you could meet here.
The paid version isn’t heavy on the wallet and you may like the idea of knowing that people are serious in finding matches here, if they’re forking out some cash to actually connect in this app.
A word of caution though.
There have been reviews that the app is still filled with fake profiles, despite having their profile verification process now.
So just like any other app, be careful of fake profiles and if you find the account suspicious, do report them.
In order to even purchase a subscription, you would need to verify your account with your mobile phone.
As a student, you may not be into the idea of putting a dent to your bank account so sign up for a free account to browse around first, as your matches will depend on your area.
Some may like the idea that Zoosk also has a coin system where you can buy or earn coins, to boost your profile and access other features including sending virtual gifts.

8. CollegeFriendsDate.com: Best College Hookup Sites for College Students Only

Source:CollegeFriendsDate.com/Website

Availability: Website
Free version: Yes

This site may not be the greatest compared to the apps featured above, but you may dig it if you prefer going through a website, specifically created for college students.
It’ll help you find people who are of the same age as you.
You can easily create your own account on your laptop and fill in your details such as date of birth, where you’re from and what you’re looking for.
It does require you to put in three photos before you can access any potential candidates.
You can send messages to anyone before chatting.
This site seems to work better for those who are in more populated areas, so it all depends on your location.
The layout is pretty straightforward and has a very minimal layout so don’t expect anything fancy except a usable website that may meet your needs.
It may take awhile for you to find someone to hookup with here but may be worth a shot if you’re looking for fellow students to hookup with.
It has potential as a hookup site for casual sex, depending on your location.

FAQs

1. How to find hookups in college?

Get on board the hookup app frenzy! It’s pretty common to have these on our phone so don’t be shy to download them.

2. What is the best way to find a hookup?

Our guide on the best hookup apps above will get you started on your college hookup journey.
They are also the top free hookup apps or top free hook up sites that work.
It beats needing to be on the hunt at parties, especially if you don’t know if the other person is even interested in hooking up in the first place.

3. What is the best site/app for hookups?

It depends on your preferences.
If you’re unsure, we’ve broken down the key features, what we like and what we don’t like to help you with your selection.

4. What if I’m looking for dating apps for college students and not for hookups?

Hinge would actually be your best bet!
Hinge prides itself as the “dating app designed to be deleted” and has a bunch of filters to help narrow your search.

5 Top Tips on Hooking Up in College

1. Consent First

The pressure is definitely there to hookup in college and some may think it’s a free for all when it comes to hookups.
Don’t assume anything from your partners and always get their consent first.
Same goes to the ladies.
It makes the hookup exciting without any pressures from anyone.

2. STI and STDS are Real

While sexual health may not be an exciting topic, the dangers and risk are real.
It’s something that must be taken seriously especially when HPV does affect fertility and lifespan.
Plus, it’s getting more difficult to treat some of them, as some may not respond to traditional treatments out there.

3. Protection is a Must

This brings us to our next point.
Part of being in college means you’re a responsible adult.
Make sure condoms are used as you don’t know who your partner has been with.
Also, wash any sex toys before use too while you’re at it!

4. Keep the Alcohol at Bay

While you may be tempted to use alcohol for liquid courage, being intoxicated is not sexy and drives you to make questionable choices.
Also, it puts your safety at risk too.
You don’t want to wake up not knowing what happened the night before and not knowing who you hooked up with in the end.
Skip the drinks and enjoy hookups with only people you want to have sex with.

5. Don’t Cuddle

Skip the cuddles and all romantic gestures.
Even if you did spend the night there, do not overstay in the morning and leave as soon as possible.

6. Don’t Over-text

While both of you may have enjoyed the hookup and exchanged numbers to hookup some more, don’t overwhelm the other person with texts that could turn them off.
Keep your conversations casual, minimal and text only when required, such as fixing a time on your next sexcapade.
Remember it was a hookup and not a proposal for something more.

-end-

(Last Updated: 26 April 2021)

About the Author
Kelvin Kevin is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Content Editor of the World-Renowned HappyMatches.com Dating App and Dating Site. An avid writer since young, he is an Expert Dating and Relationships Coach for Casual Dating, Serious Dating and General Dating. You can follow him on Twitter (@HowToDateBetter), and also check out his personal Dating Blog, for the latest Dating Advice and Dating Tips to help Straight, Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Singles and Couples find and enjoy Fulfilling and Intimate Dating Relationships.

HappyMatches Dating & Relationships Resource

Adult Hookup | BBW Hookup | College Hookup | First Date | Free Hookup | Friends With Benefits | FWB Apps | Gay Hookup | Hook Up | Hookup Apps | Hookup Culture | Hookup Sites | Lesbian Hookup | Local Hookup | NSA Relationship | Quarantine Date Ideas | Reddit Hookup | Teen Hookup | Tranny Hookup

Find Casual Sex, Fling & ONS NSA Partners Easily

Africa | Asia Pacific | Europe | Middle East | North America | South America

URL Path: Register > Happy Matches > Blog > Hook Up > College Hookup