Top 17 motivational podcasts for students | Why you’ll love them

With endless lectures, assignments, and projects complicating your life, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. These motivational podcasts for students are here to save your day!

So sit back, listen to the inspiring stories of Lewis Howes, hear Tim Ferriss talk about hacks and tools you can use in daily life, and prepare to be amazed by the mind-blowing ideas on TED Radio Hour. Let’s get started!

1. The GaryVee Audio Experience

When he was 3 years old, Gary Vaynerchuk moved from Belarus to the US with his family. As a college kid, he hustled at the discount liquor store owned by his parents. On graduation, he took on the store and completely rebranded it, turning it into a $60 million per year business!

Now, Gary Vaynerchuk, aka GaryVee, is intimidatingly successful. He is a serial entrepreneur, the Chairman of VaynerX, and the CEO of VaynerMedia, a world-renowned social media agency. 

His podcast is brimming with content that will immediately speak to you because it comes from a man who has been using timeless values to move up in life. His tone might come off as harsh sometimes. But that’s only because you need to hear the truth and Gary is willing to be the person to say it.

2. Tony Robbins Podcast

Tony Robbins is an entrepreneur, #1 NY Times bestselling author, philanthropist, and America’s #1 life & business strategist. He has been a motivational speaker for decades and is known for his infomercials, seminars, and self-help books.

In all this time, he has worked with four U.S. presidents, top entertainers – from Aerosmith and Green Day to Usher and Pitbull, various athletes, sports teams, and business leaders! And guess what? He brings out all their experiences in these episodes.

Quoting from his own website, his podcast is “an extensive selection of episodes featuring insightful lessons from Tony, interviews with some of the most successful people in the world, and never-before-released audio content from deep within the archives. You’ll find you can learn a great deal while listening during your morning commute or daily workout!”

3. The Art of Charm

The Art of Charm is 11 years of A.J. Harbringer’s and Johnny Dzubak’s experience squeezed into 800 power-packed podcast episodes. The duo runs an elite social skills training program, which they have now converted into a world-renowned podcast series. 

Through it, you will learn how to build confidence, communicate, and network with people. The best part about this podcast? You can start anywhere you want or pick your favorite from a variety of intriguing topics, including dating, productivity, lifestyle, and more.

The podcast has been featured in Time, Cosmopolitan, and Psychology Today for a reason. Plus, it hosts experts like Kobe Bryant, Tim Ferriss, and Jay Shetty, and shares lessons from their lives to help improve yours!

4. The Minimalists

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7n1stzvXcfPJY0MFkT4yk5?si=lBirK3hlReK1S-TPX2rFBg&dl_branch=1

At 30, Joshua and Ryan were more than successful – they had six-figure careers, luxury cars, oversized houses, and all the “things” that we need to make us happy. But in reality, they couldn’t have been more dissatisfied.

On realizing they don’t have control over their own time, the duo began to use the principles of minimalism – steer clear of the what you don’t need to make space for the really important things, which, as they both say “aren’t things at all.”

Since then, they have built a website and written inspirational books, garnering an audience of 20 million people. They tour around the world to share what you can now find in their super-insightful podcasts – be happy with what you have and it will do wonders.

5. TED Radio Hour

The internet is cluttered with “facts” and “information” on all kinds of subjects and sometimes, it can get difficult to verify the truth. This is why listening to TED feels like a breath of fresh air.

TED Radio Hour investigates the biggest questions of our time with help from some of the world’s greatest thinkers. The podcast series attempts to answer questions like “Can we preserve our humanity in the digital age?”, “Where does creativity come from?”, and “What’s the secret to living longer?”.

The host of TED Radio Hour is Manoush Zomorodi – a journalist, podcaster, and media entrepreneur. In each episode, she explores a big idea through a series of TED Talks and original interviews, inspiring us to learn more about the world, our community, and most importantly, ourselves.

6. The Study Abroad Tips Podcast

Hosted by iSchoolConnect – an emerging education technology company, the Study Abroad Tips Podcast brings forth 50+ years of its team’s collective experience in helping aspirants study abroad.

It not only covers a range of topics you need to know about when applying to universities abroad – like “How to study in Sweden?”, “How to create an impressive resume?”, and “What it’s like to live in the US?”, but also shares motivational experiences to get you going. 

The host of the podcast, Malavika Issar, is a study abroad enthusiast who interviews students from around the world. The thoughts and ideas they share bring forth a fresh perspective to the idea of being a student and press you to try harder….because you can.

7. The School of Greatness

Lewis Howes grew up in a small town in Ohio dreaming of playing pro football with his dad. Suddenly, he got a call saying that his father, his greatest support, had met an accident and was in a coma. When he got back, Lewis’s father wasn’t the same man. When he went back to pro football, Lewis encountered a career-shattering injury. That was the end of his life, or so he thought.

After not doing much for 1.5 years, he started looking for mentors and coaches on LinkedIn. Lewis interviewed them, and they made him into the man he is today – a lifestyle entrepreneur, an NYT bestselling author, a business coach, and a keynote speaker.

In his podcast, Lewis talks about entrepreneurship, health, mindset, and relationships. He draws lessons from his own and many other people’s experiences, like Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, and Arianna Huffington, so you can learn from their successes and failures.

8. Happier with Gretchen Rubin

One of the best motivational podcasts for students, Happier is hosted by Gretchen Rubin – one of the most influential voices on humans and their habits. Also known as the “queen of self-help memoir,” Gretchen has been interviewed by Oprah, eaten dinner with Daniel Kahneman, and walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama!

In her award-winning podcast, Gretchen shares insights, strategies, stories, and tips that help people understand themselves and create a happier life. In each episode, she draws from cutting-edge science, the wisdom of the ages, lessons from popular culture, and her own experiences to explore how we can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.

You may sometimes find her refreshing perspective on happiness a bit counterintuitive. But believe us when we say this – her voice resonates with millions of people and is an absolute pick-me-up for those feeling blue.

9. The Good Life Project

All the podcasts for students we’ve shared so far only invite guests occasionally. But The Good Life Project (GLP) is in a completely different league. On the GLP podcast, the host, Jonathan Fields, invites speakers from a community of inspiring people who come along to share powerful stories, make conversations, and help others live in the best way possible!

Quoting from their website, “Every week, we share inspirational, intimate and disarmingly-unfiltered conversations about living a fully engaged, fiercely connected and purpose-drenched life.” This doesn’t even begin to define what The Good Life Project has to offer you.

Once hooked, you will listen to Jonathan speak with iconic world-shakers like Elizabeth Gilbert, Brene Brown, Sir Ken Robinson, Seth Godin, and Gretchen Rubin to everyday guests. And every story will rock your world.

10. The Hidden Brain

The Hidden Brain podcast is led by Host and Executive Editor Shankar Vedantam, who has been reporting on human behavior and social science research for over 25 years. The purpose of this podcast is to “explore unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world.”

In each episode, you will hear new stories and facts about influences that manipulate us without our awareness. You’ll learn how they affect your everyday decisions, relationships, and social interactions, and how to be aware of them.

In all this time, The Hidden Brain has won several awards, including The Webby Award and the Kavli Science Journalism Award. The podcast has also been among the top shows in the Science and Medicine section of Apple Podcasts.

11. Hurdle

Launched in 2018 by host Emily Abbate, Hurdle is a wellness-focused podcast that has been called “addictive” by the New York Times. In this podcast, Emily shares her own experiences on how to combat negative self-talk by picking up healthier eating and exercise habits.

Quoting from her own website, Emily’s stories “empower her audience to feel less alone on their own wellness journeys.” Along with that, Emily also invites everyone from athletes to CEOs and founders of top organizations. She asks them about their highest highs and lowest lows, bringing authenticity to the show.

So far, she’s conducted 300+ episodes, and interviewed guests like Andy Puddicombe, Jillian Michaels, Alex Elle, Allyson Felix, Des Linden, and Rich Froning. In 4 years, Hurdle has seen more than 3 million downloads and is connecting with more and more listeners around the world.

12. The Tim Ferriss Show

The Tim Ferriss Show has often been ranked #1 business podcast on all of Apple Podcasts and is hosted by Tim Ferriss himself. The man is famously known for his book ‘The 4-hour workweek.’ And while it is an unmissable show for those into business, Tim’s perspective is relatable for everyone.

In each episode of his podcast, Tim interviews highly successful guests working in industries like investing, sports, arts, business, and more. He asks them to share the tactics, tools, and routines they use to get the best out of their day and brings them to his audience.

So far, Tim has interviewed Hugh Jackman, Neil Gaiman, Jerry Seinfeld, Arnold Schwarzenegger, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Tony Robbins, Maria Sharapova, Matthew McConaughey, and 500+ others! And we know you can’t wait to listen to them. Start right away!

13. Kwik Brain

You must’ve seen Jim Kwik appear on your Instagram and Youtube every once in a while, talking about how to learn things faster. But did you know that Jim is a speed-reading and memory expert with a traumatic past?

When he was 5, Jim suffered from a head injury and suffered at school. He thought he could never be as good as the other kids at learning. But slowly, he started learning about his own brain – why it was “broken” and what he could do it “fix” it. That’s when he discovered a range of learning habits and shattered his own limiting beliefs. He decided to share his experience with the rest of the world.

In this podcast, Jim discusses a variety of topics that help people learn and achieve anything in a fraction of the time. His fun, fast-paced show is just what you need when you can’t spare more than 20 minutes to listen to a podcast!

14. The Dave Ramsey Show

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rmF8T3XAzUKQS8TVm5YDj?si=ckF14cw7Q_-dpY7uDthoZA&dl_branch=1

The host of this show, Dave Ramsey, is a personal finance expert and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by 18 million listeners every week. He is also a seven-time #1 national bestselling author. But most importantly, Dave is the CEO of Ramsey Solutions, a company that helps people regain control of their money.

Yes, we hear you, this isn’t a motivational podcast for students. But if you listen to Dave talk about how to get out of your financial troubles, it’ll be motivation enough. This man is known for helping people set their financial goals, get out of debt, build wealth, and use their money in the right way.

In this podcast, he covers a bunch of topics that everyone should know about, including financial planning, debt, investment, tax returns, retirement planning, and more. There’s a reason he has millions of listeners – he’s realistic. So plug in and start listening to Dave right now!

15. The Happiness Lab

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4X3kPHUXRn6WOK27GLJCTc?si=j3s9KI-pQzGMoUsmA2QsyQ&dl_branch=1

If there’s one thing we can’t admit we’re afraid of, it’s ‘change.’ It’s difficult to step out of your comfort zone and much more difficult to use this ‘change’ for your happiness. But Dr. Laurie Santos – the host of The Happiness Lab – is here to help! 

A Professor of Psychology at Yale (whoa!) and an expert on human cognition, Dr. Laurie will take you through the latest research and share stories that will completely change the way you think about happiness. Quoting from her own website – “She’s changed the lives of thousands of people through her class ‘Psychology and the Good Life,’ and she’ll change yours too.”

In this podcast, you will hear her talk to a lot of well-known and familiar people, like Hillary Clinton, Tiffany Haddish, and Kacey Musgraves. In each episode, she uncovers their personal stories and reflections from past experiences, sharing them with you for your benefit!

16. How I Built This

If you have a knack for leadership, like building stuff, and have always dreamt of starting something of your own, How I Built This is for you. The show, hosted by Guy Raz, shares the stories about some of the world’s best innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists and the movements they built.

In these episodes, you will listen to 200 highly successful people share tips on executing an idea to raising money, recruiting employees, fending off competitors, and paying yourself a real salary.

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to build a small or a global business, Guy Raz’s voice will stay with you and inspire you for eternity.

17. Unlocking Us

Brené Brown, the host of Unlocking Us, has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers. She believes that “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”  And her podcast follows this principle.

In each episode, she uncovers the universal experiences of being human. With her, you’ll learn about the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the most heartbreaking yet bravest moments we’ve experienced.

Her voice is real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human. Listening to her will lift your spirits right up!

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So there you have it –  a list of 17 amazing motivational podcasts for students that you can listen to anywhere, anytime!

If you feel like we missed out on one and want us to add it, we invite you to drop a comment below. Until then, happy listening!