Top 7 Business Ideas You Can Try Out as a University Student

One of the best times in your life to explore entrepreneurship, gain experience, and earn a side income is when you are in university. You have a structured program that gives you free time to work and explore your creativity. You also have the space to explore any creative interests you have, and experiment with what works and what does not. 

High living costs and limited allowances are some of the factors that motivate university students to start businesses. Others might simply want to earn a side income to buy additional things their sponsors are not willing to provide. Whatever the case may be, with little or no capital, the right business idea and a resourceful mindset can help university students build successful and profitable businesses. This article will explore the top business ideas that university students can explore. 

These are the top seven business ideas you can try out as a university student in 2025: 

•  Laundry Services

If you’ve ever been buried in assignments, projects, or back-to-back lectures, you know how quickly laundry piles up. In fact, during exam season, laundry baskets become decorative furniture in many hostels because tell me who has the time to wash when one course is after your life? So you see? Many students need help with laundry. It could be because they are busy or they simply do not enjoy it. This means that laundry services have a high, constant demand. With just a few buckets, detergent, and a pressing iron, you can offer to help your hostel mates for a small fee. During exams, you can take a break, and then resume with your clients afterwards.

Tip: Start with your hostel mates. Word of mouth will bring you more clients. You can also add a delivery fee to your service charge. This will help you earn more for your time. 

•  Sell Thrift Clothing (aka Okrika) 

On campus, looking good is serious business. Whether it’s for a project defense, a class presentation, a dinner party, or just regular Friday lectures, students want to look stylish but on a budget. Now, this is a great opportunity for you. You can visit local markets, handpick quality clothes, and resell them to your classmates and hostel mates at a profit. Be their go-to plug for project defense, class presentations, dinners, hangouts, and so on. You can advertise easily by posting your pieces on class Whatsapp groups, faculty pages, and your personal social media accounts. Trust me, once you help someone look good for their big day, they'll keep coming back. 

Tip: Start with an item, e.g. bags, jeans, or corporate shirts, and gradually expand your collection as you gain more customers. You can also assess trends to know what to stock up on for your customers. 

• Hair Styling or Barbing

This is perfect for you if you have learned how to style hair. Your services will always be in demand, especially when you are skilled at it. Braiding, wig revamps, and other hair styling activities are services you can offer to women. Barbing services are suited for male customers. You can do many trending styles for your hostel mates and colleagues, either for daily wear or for special occasions or events, like parties, matriculations, convocations, and special photoshoots. You can also buy haircare products from local markets, and sell them to your customers at a profit. Easily get more customers by posting pictures and videos of your work on school platforms and on your social media pages. 

Tip: Start with basic tools, e.g. combs or clippers and grow from there. Don't be shy to ask for referrals! Tell your customers to bring their friends too. Word of mouth marketing brings incredible results. 

• Makeup Artistry

Birthday photoshoots, school events, and parties come with a high demand for makeup artists. If you have the skill, there will not be a shortage of clients. Makeup artists are necessary workers on campuses. You can offer a range of services tailored for different customers, including graduation makeup, photoshoot makeup styling, “understated glam” makeup, and even bridal makeup. You never know who has a family member or friend that needs a bridal makeup artist. You can also resell makeup products, like makeup brushes, lip gloss, face masks, and powders, to your colleagues at a profit. These items are in high-demand and sell out fast. Start with people you know, then more clients will come through referrals. 

Tip: Document your work online to attract more clients. Post videos and pictures on WhatsApp groups, your social media pages and stories, so that more people will see your talent and seek your services. 

• Freelance Writing and Blogging

If you enjoy writing, turn it into a source of income by writing for blogs, businesses, or student organizations. Written content is in high demand. In this age of social media, many businesses have realized the importance of content marketing, so writers are in very high demand. Whether it's blog writing, copywriting, email writing, content writing, ad writing, video script writing, ghostwriting, website copywriting, and many other niches, there is high demand. Take your time to find out which niche you are gifted in and what you are passionate about, then put your services online. You can also sell yourself by writing in your school magazine (if there is one), contributing to student blogs, and writing content for student organizations. This will help you build your portfolio, so you have proof of talent to show potential clients. 

Tip: Source for remote jobs on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. Do not be afraid to pitch yourself to business owners on platforms like X and LinkedIn. They need content marketing to grow their businesses, and you should show them how you can help achieve that. 

• Graphic Design 

Flyers for campus events, student bodies, and businesses all require design. If you can use Canva, CorelDRAW or Adobe software, you can turn these skills into a business that generates steady income for you. There are many services you can offer as a graphic designer. From designing logos, flyers, posters, book covers, magazine covers, and brand palettes, to even creating Canva templates and selling them on online marketplaces, there is no shortage of value you can create. Many clients are ready to pay well for clean, fast, and beautiful designs. The more you put yourself out there and show your skills, the more sought-after you will become. 

Tip: Design a portfolio and include it when applying for gigs. Volunteering and taking on personal projects are smart and easy ways to build your portfolio. Design something really good for your student organization or local association, and add it to your portfolio, along with a recommendation. 

• Academic Tutoring 

There’s always that one course every semester that feels like a national crisis, where everyone is confused, deadlines are near, and tension is high. If you’re strong in courses like these, you can offer tutorials to classmates or younger students by organizing group or one-on-one tutorials ahead of exams for a token. This boosts your confidence, makes you understand the course even better and also earns you money and respect among your peers. You can also write simple guides, or compile questions and answers into a booklet that students can use to revise and prepare for exams, and offer these at a fair price. 

Tip: Charge per session or organize exam prep classes for popular but difficult courses. Or you could start by offering a few free sessions to showcase your skills, then charge a small, affordable fee once you build interest in your target audience.

University students can try out these top seven business ideas. They are proven sources of income, and require little to no capital to get started. With a growth mindset and a determination to succeed, university students can start any of the businesses explored in this list, and create a steady source of income for themselves. They would also start training themselves in entrepreneurship, which is a skill that sets people apart after graduation. These top seven business ideas are a great way to become financially independent, earn a side income, and gain valuable experience for life after school.