diff --git a/app/Http/Requests/Profile/UpdateProfileRequest.php b/app/Http/Requests/Profile/UpdateProfileRequest.php
index 867d782..a503ee0 100644
--- a/app/Http/Requests/Profile/UpdateProfileRequest.php
+++ b/app/Http/Requests/Profile/UpdateProfileRequest.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Validation\ValidationRule;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest;
+use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
 
 class UpdateProfileRequest extends FormRequest
 {
@@ -24,6 +25,14 @@ public function rules(): array
     {
         return [
             'name' => ['required', 'string', 'max:255'],
+            'username' => [
+                'sometimes',
+                'string',
+                'min:3',
+                'max:30',
+                'regex:/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$/',
+                Rule::unique('users', 'username')->ignore($this->user()->id),
+            ],
             'file' => ['sometimes', 'nullable', 'image', 'max:2048'],
             'about' => ['sometimes', 'nullable', 'string'],
             'institution' => ['sometimes', 'nullable', 'string', 'max:255'],
diff --git a/app/Models/User.php b/app/Models/User.php
index 206f211..3417c47 100644
--- a/app/Models/User.php
+++ b/app/Models/User.php
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class User extends Authenticatable
 
     protected $fillable = [
         'name',
+        'username',
         'email',
         'receive_emails',
         'google_id',
@@ -50,6 +51,15 @@ class User extends Authenticatable
         'instagram',
         'github',
     ];
+    protected static function booted(): void
+    {
+        static::created(function (User $user) {
+            if (! $user->username) {
+                $user->updateQuietly(['username' => "student_{$user->id}"]);
+                $user->username = "student_{$user->id}";
+            }
+        });
+    }
 
     protected $appends = [
         'image_url',
diff --git a/database/migrations/2026_08_26_120400_add_username_to_users_table.php b/database/migrations/2026_08_26_120400_add_username_to_users_table.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc37b18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2026_08_26_120400_add_username_to_users_table.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->string('username')->nullable()->unique()->after('name');
+        });
+
+        User::whereNull('username')->each(function ($user) {
+            $user->updateQuietly(['username' => "student_{$user->id}"]);
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropColumn('username');
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/resources/js/pages/Profile.vue b/resources/js/pages/Profile.vue
index 7ab6e00..fe1696d 100644
--- a/resources/js/pages/Profile.vue
+++ b/resources/js/pages/Profile.vue
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const showConfirmModal = ref(false);
 const form = useForm({
     _method: 'PUT',
     name: user.value?.name || '',
+    username: user.value?.username || '',
     file: null as File | null,
     about: user.value?.about || '',
     institution: user.value?.institution || '',
@@ -178,6 +179,47 @@ const submitForm = () => {
                         </p>
                     </div>
 
+                    <div>
+                        <label
+                            for="username"
+                            class="mb-1.5 block text-xs font-semibold text-slate-700 dark:text-gray-300"
+                        >
+                            Username
+                        </label>
+                        <div class="relative">
+                            <span
+                                class="pointer-events-none absolute inset-y-0 left-0 flex items-center pl-3.5 text-sm font-semibold text-slate-400 dark:text-gray-500"
+                            >
+                                @
+                            </span>
+                            <input
+                                v-model="form.username"
+                                type="text"
+                                id="username"
+                                required
+                                placeholder="your_handle"
+                                :disabled="form.processing"
+                                class="w-full rounded-lg border border-slate-300 bg-white py-2.5 pr-3.5 pl-8 text-sm text-slate-900 transition outline-none placeholder:text-slate-400 focus:border-blue-500 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500/20 disabled:bg-slate-50 dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-950 dark:text-gray-100 dark:placeholder:text-gray-500"
+                                :class="{
+                                    'border-rose-500 focus:ring-rose-500/20':
+                                        form.errors.username,
+                                }"
+                            />
+                        </div>
+                        <p
+                            v-if="form.errors.username"
+                            class="mt-1 text-xs text-rose-600"
+                        >
+                            {{ form.errors.username }}
+                        </p>
+                        <p
+                            v-else
+                            class="mt-1 text-[11px] text-slate-400 dark:text-gray-500"
+                        >
+                            Letters, numbers, and underscores (3–30 chars).
+                        </p>
+                    </div>
+
                     <div>
                         <label
                             for="email"
diff --git a/tests/Feature/ProfileUsernameTest.php b/tests/Feature/ProfileUsernameTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39004a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/ProfileUsernameTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Models\User;
+
+test('new user automatically gets default student_{id} username on creation', function () {
+    $user = User::create([
+        'name' => 'Tajim Ahmed',
+        'email' => 'tajim@example.com',
+    ]);
+
+    expect($user->username)->toBe("student_{$user->id}");
+});
+
+test('authenticated user can update their username in profile', function () {
+    $user = User::factory()->create([
+        'username' => 'student_1',
+    ]);
+
+    $response = $this->actingAs($user)->put('/profile', [
+        'name' => $user->name,
+        'username' => 'custom_tajim',
+    ]);
+
+    $response->assertRedirect(route('profile.edit'));
+    expect($user->fresh()->username)->toBe('custom_tajim');
+});
+
+test('user cannot update username to one already taken by someone else', function () {
+    User::factory()->create([
+        'username' => 'existing_user',
+    ]);
+
+    $user = User::factory()->create([
+        'username' => 'my_user',
+    ]);
+
+    $response = $this->actingAs($user)->put('/profile', [
+        'name' => $user->name,
+        'username' => 'existing_user',
+    ]);
+
+    $response->assertSessionHasErrors(['username']);
+    expect($user->fresh()->username)->toBe('my_user');
+});
+
+test('user can submit profile without changing their existing username', function () {
+    $user = User::factory()->create([
+        'username' => 'my_handle',
+    ]);
+
+    $response = $this->actingAs($user)->put('/profile', [
+        'name' => 'Updated Name',
+        'username' => 'my_handle',
+    ]);
+
+    $response->assertRedirect(route('profile.edit'));
+    expect($user->fresh()->name)->toBe('Updated Name');
+    expect($user->fresh()->username)->toBe('my_handle');
+});