Best Printer for College Students in 2024
(8 votes, 4.13 out of 5)As a student, it goes without saying that you will be requiring a printer for your work load at college. With several printers available in the market, picking one can be overwhelming. What may seem like the perfect printer for one person might not be a valid option for another. Through this review, we will guide you through choosing the best printer as a college student.
For instance, talking of printers, some features to think about are whether to use an inkjet or laser. They are inexpensive, and in the event of printing photos as well as colored documents, they come quite in handy. But a laser is way faster and can work best if large volumes of black and white documents have to be printed.
A second critical consideration is the size and weight of a printer. Being a university student, you require one that is not heavy and also compact in size for portability. You may also want to check for those that can be done wirelessly so you will print from your laptop or smartphone.
Another important thing to consider in choosing the best printer for college students is the price of ink or toner cartridge replacement. While there are some printers that have higher costs per page compared with others, this gradually adds up in record time.
So without further ado, let’s review some of the best college printers in the market right now and compare them for you. On our line of judgment shall be the quality of prints, the speed of printing, the size of the printer, and cost per page. Be it essays printed in school or lab reports, even your photos.
Best Printers for College Students
A college student definitely needs a good printer at all times because assignments need to be printed, lecture notes from the professors need to be printed among other paper submissions. Since there are many different kinds available on the market, selecting may not come that simple. Therefore, this article will offer some of the best printers a college student could invest in: compact and inexpensive, with excellent printing, scanning, and copying features. Business or art, no matter what your major is, there will be a printer for you here.
HP DeskJet 4155e Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
But if you are a college student that just needs to print off simple color documents, like recipes and forms, the HP DeskJet 4155e might be worth having.
Pros
- This is comparatively fast, taking into account it prints at about 8.5 pages in black and 5.5 color pages a minute, probably enough for the needs of most students.
- Get your printer set up and stay current and ready for print from anywhere with the HP+ Smart
- Printing System. Included free with HP+ is three months Instant Ink.
It’s a breeze to print from, scan, and copy documents directly from the phone using the HP Smart app. Features like an auto document feeder and mobile fax turn in good bonuses.
Cons
- Its only designed to work with cartridges that contain original HP chips or circuitry, so you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re using the right type of ink.
- It may be in a box showing minor damage, though it shouldn’t be a problem for most prospective customers.
- Some users have reported struggling to configure the printer through the app, so this may be an area one should be prepared for.
If you are looking for a good color printer that will handle all your college needs, including those of simple budgets, then the HP DeskJet 4155e will get the job done. Ideal for students who need to print, scan, or copy an episode of work here and there. Printing from a mobile device is both fast and easy, while smart features are activated as soon as you upgrade to HP+. It may be a bit fiddly: all you need to consider are original HP ink cartridges and the setting.
Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer
If you’re looking for the best printer for college reports, this is what you’ll depend on: the Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer.
Pros
- Enjoy the 3-in-1 wireless printing, copying, and scanning document functionalities with ease.
- To make it even better, the application itself is mobile-optimized, allowing you to print out and scan photos and documents from your phone or tablet.
- It is a printer certified as environmentally friendly by ENERGY STAR.
Cons
- The printer also proved to be rather slow: the maximum speed of printing is 9.9 ppm in monochrome and 5.7 ppm in color.
- This will hold a maximum of 100 sheets of paper, which is perhaps just on the scant side for voluminous print runs.
- Setting this up can be confusing and time-consuming.
The Canon Pixma MG3620 is compact and space-saving; hence, it will only take much room in your dormitory. It is relatively easy to use with wireless capability, and printing can be done from all your mobile devices without more software.
With features that include auto 2-sided printing-saving a lot of paper-you can sign up with Alexa for smart reorders to ensure ink or toner never runs dry. In practice, such a slow printing speed makes it inconvenient for those who need to print numerous documents in a very short span of time.
Moreover, the small capacity of paper makes one often inconvenience oneself just by replacing the papers on it. The setup can be confusing, but once you get this up and running, using the printer itself is pretty easy. As a whole, Canon Pixma MG3620 is a very wise choice for any college student using it for his convenient and practical printing needs in the studies.
Canon PIXMA TS6420a All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer
The Canon PIXMA TS6420 Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer would suit every moment you need to let it manage all your college tasks. This printer with built-in Wi-Fi and Alexa compatibility allows printing and scanning documents directly from a mobile phone or tablet—ideal for a student.
Pros
- Never run out of ink with Alexa integration.
- 3-in-1 Wireless (Print | Copy | Scan)
- Automatic 2-Sided Printing
Cons
- Limited paper capacity—only 100 sheets.
- Slow speed of printing: Print speed of 13/6.8 ipm
- No Ethernet connectivity
This will be the best printer for a college student. This can be used quite frequently for printing out papers and scanning documents. Alexa will help to make a painful process of checking ink levels less painful in placing an order for new ink so that running out won’t happen.
The wireless connectivity makes printing directly from your phone or tablet quick, and the auto 2-sided printing saves paper. At any rate, the paper holder capacity is only 100 sheets and you may refill it enough quite frequently.
Besides, the printing speed is not exactly the best—it reaches up to 13 pages per minute for monochrome and 6.8 pages per minute for color. In addition, this printer has no Ethernet connection at all, which can surely get on your nerves when you have to take and plug it into a wired network.
Overall, the Canon PIXMA TS6420 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer would serve well for any college student in need of a reliable printer at an affordable price. It has all the features one might be in need of to get work done, and maybe-just-maybe that Alexa integration is just the icing on the cake to save money on ink.
Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 is an all-in-one wireless printer, another option that a college student in need of a good one in terms of work could consider.
Benefits
- Although small in size, but very big on performance, the PIXMA TR4720 is perfect for cramped dorm rooms or apartments.
- It’s really easy to set up your print jobs with everything from setting it up with the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY application to other ways.
- This is quite a good all-in-one option, which supplements your print needs with the included Fax and Auto Document Feeder for multi-page scanning.
Cons
- The 2-Cartridge hybrid ink system in the printer might need more frequent replacements and could get very costly over time.
- Although the front-loading paper tray is quite convenient for loading papers quickly, it only holds up to 100 sheets, which might not be sufficient for heavier printing.
- Not exactly the fastest printer to ever grace the market, considering that its maximum print speed is 8.8 for monochrome and 4.4 ppm for color.
All in all, considering its high-quality performance, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer is perfect for anyone needing a compact and functional printer that works with nearly any printing purpose.
Most find this compact printer very handy for all-in-one printing, scanning, copying, and sending faxes due to its easy setup and the facility of Fax incorporated into one device.
All of these printers come with a 2-Cartridge Hybrid Ink System, so it may not please users whose job demands document printouts in bulks.
Phomemo M02 Pocket Printer
Go for the Phomemo M02 Pocket Printer if you are in need of a lightweight and very easy-to-operate portable printer for college.
Pros
- Print on-the-go: fantastic for on-the-go, fits in any pocket.
- It connects easily over Bluetooth 4.0, granting a stable link up to 33 feet.
- Print beautiful black and white images with hundreds of fonts, filter effects, and themes in the Phomemo APP.
Cons
- It prints in black only, except in the case of special paper, where it prints blue.
- Sometimes, the instructions are hard to read; they do not come with information about the length of each paper roll.
- The paper tearing is somewhat hard and does not tear every time.
Print photos, text, and more instantly with this thermal pocket printer. It’s just right for students, amateur archivists, treasure moms, or anyone who would want to print on the go. The M02 will be good enough for company business, work plans, office assistants, memos, meeting notes, study notes, shopping lists, and so forth.
Phomemo M02 Pocket Printer is a strong mini printer that can pull off the best magic for your college needs. The printer is rather small in size, allowing for excellent mobility. With the powerful app it comes along with, you can print any photo you want in high-quality black and white.
This model features stable Bluetooth connectivity, thus allowing cuts-free printing from quite a long distance. This printer is of compact size, has a strong printing app, and it easily connects to Bluetooth. Therefore, by investing in the Phomemo M02 Pocket Printer, anyone looking for a portable and easy-to-operate printer for their college needs will have been addressed.
Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer
As a higher learning student in search of high-end, portable document and photo printers, look no further than the Canon PIXMA TR 150 wireless portable printer.
Pros
- Its lightweight and compact design makes it easy to carry in your bag or backpack.
- You can now wirelessly print from your mobile device, tablet, or computer.
- A user-friendly interface along with a 1.44-inch OLED display facilitates printing from any location and at any given time.
Cons
- The ink cartridges of the printer are small, running out quite quickly.
- It is not designed to print a large amount of data.
- This is not very close to the speed of other portable printers available on the market.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer continues to be one of the best options to consider for the very mobile college student. It is a mobile printer that can print high-quality documents and photos, is compact, and weighs less—it can easily be carried along in your luggage or backpack.
With wireless printing from your mobile device, tablet, and computer, its intuitive interface with the 1.44-inch screen OLED display made it really easy to print anywhere and anytime, just as anything else would be. However, its ink cartridges are small, which means they run out quickly, which could be a disadvantage to students who have to print large numbers of documents.
The printing speed of this printer is also not as fast as that of some other portable printers currently in the market; this may be a disadvantage to students who may be forced to print large volumes of documents within a very short period. In summary, students who don’t mind a portable printer that can print documents and photos of top quality at any time should really consider the Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer.
HP ENVY 6055e Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
If you need something to print dozens of pages and are using it in the college setting, then an HP ENVY 6055e will do just fine.
Pros
- This is a great printer to own by a busy student who has a lot of documents to print on; it prints at speeds of 7 pages in color and 10 in black per minute.
- Print, scan, and copy from your phone with the HP Smart app to work easier on the go.
- Otherwise, this printer will support easy wireless setup and self-healing Wi-Fi, which means you are most unlikely to experience any issues of connectivity.
Cons
- This printer is designed to use only cartridges that contain new or recycled HP cartridges and circuitry, and it blocks cartridges that use non-HP circuitry.
- Occasional firmware updates will provide further protection for these measures.
- The printer’s power indicator, which remains on, might be a little bright in a dark room and thus annoying.
While this makes the HP Smart app very convenient, it also limits its functionality for users who may need more advanced features. The HP ENVY 6055e is one of the most exceptional printers that really suit any college student’s needs for the quick and easy printing of documents and photos.
That is, you will never be disconnected with its easy wireless setup and self-healing Wi-Fi. Also, it enables you to work on the go with the facilitative HP Smart app.
Note, though, that this printer can only accept cartridges featuring original HP chips or circuitry, and that the light that stays on is quite disturbing in a dark room.
Canon Pixma TS202 Inkjet Photo Printer
Be it college work or printing anything under the sun on the tightest budget, maybe Canon’s Pixma TS202 Inkjet Photo Printer is going to save the day.
Pros
- Premium Hybrid Ink System: This prints both documents and photos of quality.
- Thanks to its practical solution for quick refilling, the rear paper tray.
- While small and portable, this radio fits into almost any space.
Cons
- It doesn’t have wireless connectivity, so you’ll have to connect it with the computer using a USB cable.
- The capacity of the output tray is even more miserably limited — a mere 60 sheets of plain paper, or alternatively, 20 sheets of 4×6 or 10 sheets of 5×7 photo paper.
- The Printer does not come with a USB cable, and this needs to be purchased separately.
The Canon Pixma TS202 Inkjet Photo Printer probably stands out as one of the best models that a college student may use to do simple and moderately priced printing. The fine hybrid ink system prints documents and photos with deeply detailed information, which means it will suit your needs in printing out your essays, reports, and photos for your projects exactly.
Besides, the possibility of refilling the rear paper tray of this printer is so fast and effortless that you can just continue working without running out of paper. The two big things against the Canon Pixma TS202 Inkheet Photo Printer are that it has no wireless connectivity; hence, you have to attach the printer with the usage of a USB cable to your computer. Secondly, this makes a major difference in the printer’s output tray capacity to hold up to 60 sheets of plain paper or 20 sheets of 4 x 6 / 10 sheets of 5 x 7 photo paper.
The packaging also lacks a USB cable for the printer; you have to get it separately. While the Canon Pixma TS202 inkjet photo printer isn’t necessarily bad for college work, it’s safe to be on a tight budget.
HP Smart-Tank 5000 Wireless All-in-One Ink-Tank Printer
Among the recommended reliable and relatively cheaper printers that could be suitable for college is the HP Smart-Tank 5000.
Pros
- Get up to 2 years of Original HP Ink in the box and print up to 6,000 black or color pages right out of the box-perfect for high volume.
- It is a wireless-enabled printer that offers printing, copying, and scanning services from any place and at any given time.
- The Smart-Guided buttons make the operation easy and illuminate all your day-to-day print, scan, and copy tasks.
Cons
- It slowly prints out, which might make you really mad if you’re in a rush.
- Setup can also be a bit slow and requires downloading the ‘HP Smart’ app before setting up.
- A not-so-ideal feature, mainly for some users, is that the printer lacks a bottom bed for a paper tray.
HP Smart Tank 5000 is a smart, connected tank printer for color graphics and sharp text in your everyday prints. Self-healing Wi-Fi automatically detects and resolves connectivity issues to help ensure reliable connection The printer’s spill-free refill system is easy to do and involves no squeezing and spilling.
HP Wolf Essential Security protects your privacy, your control—keeping in mind basic encryption and password protection—and both protect against viruses and malware. Ecological, as its design was made with 45% recycled plastic. All in all, the HP Smart-Tank 5000 will be one of those great selections for inexpensive and easy-to-operated college student printers.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e will take care of all the various types of printing you need if you are a student in college.
Pros
- This printer can help a small business or a home office with its quick color printing and copying functions, 2-sided printing and auto document feeding, as well as mobile and wireless printing with scanning and faxing.
- Optional HP+ Smart Printing System ensures your printer is up to date, secure, and ready to print from virtually anywhere at any time. All at no additional cost.
- The printer includes a 6-month free subscription to the Instant Ink home delivery service when activated with HP+. Ink orders ship automatically and you never run out.
Cons
- The HP PageWide Pro printer requires original HP chips or circuitry in the cartridges, and it does not allow the installation of cartridges using non-HP chips or circuitry.
- The reading LED screen does not tilt as much to be convenient for reading, and it should be much larger to be readable, really.
- It consumes a lot of ink and just rejected an HP Cartridge once, which is frustrating because ink is not cheap.
On the other hand, this HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e is great all-in-one equipment, very suitable for a college student; fast and efficient with a host of features that make it just excellent for use either in small businesses or at home offices.
Available with the HP+ Smart Printing System option, which ensures that this printer stays up to date and secure, you will never run out of ink with its 6 months of free subscription to the Instant Ink delivery service upon activation. However, it should be noted that the printer is designed only to work with the cartridges that have original HP chips or circuitry. It will limit the free use of the cartridges that are fitted with non-HP chips or circuitry. Also, the reading screen LED is inefficient when it comes to tilting up for convenience in reading, and the size should be bigger to make it truly easy to read.
It is also such a waste of ink, and once refused to accept an HP Cartridge; really frustrating, as the inks are not cheap. So, it can be proved that HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e must be a good match for university students when looking for an all-in-one printing machine.
HP OfficeJet 8015e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer
Whether it be taking care of those college assignments or small business needs, the HP OfficeJet 8015e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer is up for the challenge.
Pros
- Produce professional-quality colour documents-from forms and reports to brochures and presentations.
- Fast color print, copy, and scan with fast 2-sided printing; includes an automatic document feeder.
- Wi-FiTM Self-healing automatically detects and resolves connectivity.
Cons
- Printing takes some time.
- The paper tray does take some getting used to.
- The ink does not come for free.
This printer will give you a whole lot of productivity, thanks to great features: print as fast as 18 pages per minute in black and 10 pages in color, with easy scanning or copying of multiple pages using its auto document feeder. It has also dual-band Wi-Fi for a connection that would stay stable, and the optional HP+ Smart Printing System assures this printer is up to date, secure, and ready to print from virtually anywhere at any time—all without any extra cost.
Despite being easy to use, a few people have complained that the fact that printing takes long and the paper tray may take some getting used to. And not saying, despite of the information that is advertised in relation to the printer coming with 6 months of “free” ink.well, yeah.inks are not free and upon initiation credit card is requested to enroll a user into the HP Instant Ink program.
In general, the HP OfficeJet 8015e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer will be a very good deal both for college students and small business owners because it is an affordable but pretty full-featured printer.
Brother MFC-J1010DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer
Brother MFC-J1010DW is an ideal solution that fits completely into the needs of a college student who wants to have an affordable but compact printer.
Pros
- This printer is small, ideal for cramped spaces and meager budgets.
- Is fully functional and provides fast printing and scanning speed.
- It is easy to print, copy, and scan, and with the Brother Mobile Connect App, it is easy to control from a mobile device.
Cons
- The automatic document feeder holds up to 20 pages.
- The 150-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray is sure to prove high maintenance.
- Users have problems installing the set-up of software.
This will be a perfect printer for students in college, as it offers all the necessary amenities for printing, scanning, and copying. Compact in size—measuring—this printer aptly fits small college dorms or apartments; full-featured, with the assurance that you are not sacrificing functionality for size.
Other cool features are the Brother Mobile Connect App, which gives you the ability to fully control your printer right from your mobile device and print anything from any place on campus. The mentioned printer has very useful elements for printing, but some of them are somewhat insufficient in high-duty printing: the automatic document feeder and the adjustable paper tray.
On the downside, users reported that installing the software was a bit tricky; therefore, follow the instructions in great detail before trying to install this printer. Altogether, the Brother MFC-J1010DW is the all-correct value pick for college students that need a budget-friendly entry-level printer, generally doing well at basic jobs of printing, scanning, and copying.
HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Color inkjet-printer
The other would be to a college student who needed something very basic; that would be an HP DeskJet 2755e printer for printing colored documents, such as recipes or forms.
Benefits
- More so, it boasts impressively high print speeds of up to 7.5 ppm in black and 5.5 ppm in color, ensuring documents are ready in an instant.
- It’s really a great printer with print functions using mobiles and wirelessly, whereby great for printing stuff right from the phone or otherwise.
- Moreover, you are also entitled to advanced mobile printing features, security, interruption-free updates, among others, with the HP+ Smart Printing System, absolutely free.
Issues
- Designed to work only with cartridges using an HP original chip or circuitry. It does not support cartridges using a non-HP chip or circuitry.
- Some users complained of issues in connecting the printer to their computers or the internet.
- Of all printing applications, the HP Smart App is pretty much non-user-friendly.
- Such a decent model is the HP DeskJet 2755e for someone on a tight budget and who will be needing only a basic color printer that he will use very infrequently.
This compact printer has wireless printing, mobile, and an integrated HP+ Smart Printing System with improved print features—all at no extra cost. Most probably, this printer won’t allow non-HP ink cartridges as well, and a few reviewers faced connectivity issues with the device.
Printer Buying Guide for Students
Among the important features you may consider to make it your product most suited to college printers are: the following. Here’s what you need to keep in your mind when you go shopping for a printer:
Printer type
The two primary types of printers are inkjet and laser. Inkjet printers are usually less expensive, but they are photo and graphic printers. Laser printers churn out text much quicker and use far less ink. Think about what you do the most to decide if you need text mostly or you will want to print a lot of photos.
Connectivity
Most of the modern printers have more than a few options available, including USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Think about what you’re going to print from, and get a printer that matches up with the right options.
Print Quality
Another important consideration would be if you are likely to have a large amount of printing for human use. A printer must offer respectable quality in terms of resolution and color accuracy, which would ensure that your documents look professional.
Paper Handling
Look at the type of paper and media that the printer is able to print on. If you will be printing to card stock or other, heavier materials, ensure that the printer is capable of running them through. Other than that, look at the size of the paper that can go into the printer to make sure it will suffice for your needs.
Cost
Last but not least, there’s the cost of the printer itself, as well as replacement ink or toner cartridges. While the cost of some printers is extremely low, the cartridges that you need to ultimately replace might be very high. Make sure to find a printer with affordably priced replacement cartridges so you can keep using it without having to break the bank.
These characteristics will help you choose a printer that best fits your needs, inclusive of college support.
Which of the printers are cheaper for the university students?
Since students mostly live on shoestring budgets, this would certainly raise consideration. The most affordable printers for students include the HP DeskJet 3755, Canon PIXMA TR4520, and Epson Expression Home XP-4100. The above printers are simple and never too expensive but can print out and scan documents for you.
What printers work with MacBook, especially for university purposes?
Most printers nowadays are also compatible with MacBooks. But, of course, it would make much sense to check this first before making your purchase. Some of the most common printers with MacBooks include the HP Envy 6055, Canon PIXMA TS8320, and Epson EcoTank ET-2760. With great printing and scanning abilities, all these printers are excellent when it comes to university courses.
How do the printers rate amongst students in the student forums?
Here are the top-rated printers for college students from student forums: the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015, Canon PIXMA TR8520, and Brother MFC-J895DW. These will vary from Wi-Fi accessibility to ADF features and also the quality of printing.
Is there free printer offers for students of any programs available?
Some colleges and universities offer students free printers, or at least some printer manufacturers have student discounts or deals, so purchasing a printer may be somewhat nominal. Check with your school or check with the printer manufacturer to see if there is any kind of student program or student discount.
What small printers would one be able to use in a small dorm room?
Undoubtedly, compact printers could go a long way in helping students living in small dorms. Some of the most in-demand compact printers that fit into dorm room sizes include the HP Tango X, Canon PIXMA TR150, and Epson WorkForce WF-110. All are space-saving but will nevertheless sit comfortably on your desk or shelf while still managing to give excellent printing and scanning capabilities.
Which Canon printers will fulfill university students’ needs?
Canon is one of the most popular brands of printers, and they have a very wide range of printers to fit university students. Here are three great Canon printers for university students: Canon PIXMA TS9520, Canon PIXMA TR4520, and Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw. All these have been capable of connecting via different forms of wireless connectivity, perform auto-duplex printing, and print at high quality.
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