Which tablets are best for college students?
As a college student, you’re always on the go. While laptops might be the go-to choice for note-taking, they can quickly weigh down your backpack and be difficult for traveling. Whether you’re heading to the library to study or working from Starbucks, you want a piece of tech that you can rely on to help you maintain productivity and increase your grades.
Tablets are becoming the must-have alternative to laptops and desktop computers. You can easily switch from notetaking to binge-watching your favorite Netflix show within just a few clicks. Tablets are a budget-friendly option for college students and the perfect investment to kickstart your college classes.
In this article: Apple iPad (A16), Fire HD 10 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
What to know before you buy a tablet for college students
Before purchasing a tablet, you need to consider your overall setup. College students have similar needs as working professionals, but you’ll want a tablet for work and play.
Laptop alternative or secondary device?
Most college students choose to buy a tablet as a secondary device or alternative to a laptop. Before you head out to buy a tablet, stop and think about your daily needs. Are you planning to use it as your primary device in place of a laptop? If so, you’ll want to invest in a more expensive model. If you want a tablet as a secondary device for reading notes or browsing the internet, you can usually buy a more affordable model.
Screen size
Just like laptops, tablets come in different screen sizes. You can usually find them between 7 and 13 inches, giving you different user experiences with each size. Larger screens will set you back more money, but they’re a closer alternative to a laptop. If you’re planning to buy a tablet to use in partnership with a laptop, you can typically buy a smaller size tablet screen.
Features to look for in a tablet for college students
Screen resolution
Screen size and resolution go hand in hand, with the latter controlling the quality of the image you see on your screen. Buying a tablet with a larger screen usually means that you’re compromising on quality, but this isn’t always the case. If you’re planning to use your tablet for daily use, you want a resolution of at least 1,200 by 1,800 pixels. Top-of-the-range tablets will usually have a resolution of up to 2,732 by 2,048.
Speed
Tablets have a central processing unit that controls its speed. Every brand uses different CPUs, making them difficult to compare. You’ll find some tablets advertised for gaming, while others are advertised for using editing software.
Storage
As a college student, storage is one of the essential features of your tablet. You want to have enough storage to last you throughout your college classes.
How much can you expect to spend on a tablet for college students?
Tablets for college students can range anywhere from $50-$1,400. If you’re looking for an entry-level tablet, you can expect to pay less than $200. Mid-range tablets with more features and LTE connectivity usually retail between $200-$500. These tablets are ideal for long-term use and should last for the duration of your college course. Top-end tablets range from $800-$1,400.
Best tablet for college students FAQ
Can I use Microsoft Word on a tablet?
A. All Microsoft Office apps are available as mobile versions on different tablets. As a college student, these are the apps that you’ll use every day. You will want to subscribe to Microsoft Office 365 to access your documents and utilize cloud storage. Many colleges may provide a Microsoft subscription to use on your tablet.
Do tablets come with headphones?
A. Most tablets do not come with headphones. You may find that a brand runs a “back to school” offer with a free headphone promotion. Not all tablets include a headphone jack, so you may also need to invest in Bluetooth headphones.
What is the best tablet for college students?
Top tablet for college students
What you need to know: The most well-known tablet, the iPad, comes with all the speed, storage space and flexibility that every college student needs. While it’s not the cheapest tablet, it’s worth every cent if you’ll use it to its full ability.
What you’ll love: Its A16 processor, also found in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 Pro, makes it substantially faster than the 10th-generation iPad. With 6GB of memory, it can run more complex apps smoothly. Its screen is up to 500 nits in brightness, and it sports landscape stereo speakers. Comes in three bold colors, plus silver.
What you should consider: The screen isn’t laminated and lacks an anti-reflective coating. Can’t run Apple Intelligence.
Top tablet for college students for the money
What you need to know: If you want a compact tablet for college students, look no further than the Fire HD 10 tablet. It comes with everything you need for streaming, browsing and note-taking at an affordable price tag.
What you’ll love: The HD screen provides bright and vivid coloration, making it a great choice for watching movies or shows. Lightweight and easy to take on the go, it has 3 gigabytes of RAM for playing games. Comes in options for 32 or 64 gigs of storage.
What you should consider: This tablet delivers a lot of advertising and push content along with your entertainment.
Worth checking out
What you need to know: The Galaxy Tab S9 is a popular Android tablet for college students, thanks to its AI note-taking capabilities.
What you’ll love: This tablet takes the notes for you and summarizes them. It has an 11-inch AMOLED screen with impressive speaker quality and about 15 hours of battery life on a single charge. It comes with an S pen to take notes or sketch.
What you should consider: There is no headphone jack, so you’ll need to invest in Bluetooth headphones.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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