The Best Printers For Students in 2023

A printer is one of the most essential tools that a student will need throughout schooling. Unfortunately, many printers aren’t easy on the budget so the choice for students buying their own printers is pretty limited. You also have to consider that since students are living in dorm rooms, they’ll need something that will be compact and simple.

While limited, there are still a few amazing printers for students out there. If you know where to look, you’ll find a printer that will fit your needs and your budget at the same time. Whether you’re looking for something compact or something that’s good for your money, here are the best printers for students we can find.

HP is one of the well-known brands when it comes to printers. Its printers are known for high-quality output, along with a slew of amazing features. If you’re a student, one of the best printers out there is the HP DeskJet 2755.

The HP DeskJet 2755 is a budget-friendly color inkjet that’s geared toward home use. Despite being an amazing inkjet-colored printer, the HP DeskJet 2755 is surprisingly affordable. Most other printers in this line are expensive, making them unfit for students on a steep budget. Don’t let the price fool you, though. The HP DeskJet 2755 comes with a slew of amazing features that make it more than capable of fitting the need of students and professionals alike. For something this affordable, you’re getting a printer that’s going to last you throughout your school life and possibly longer.

Some of its amazing features include auto-duplex printing and dual-band Wi-Fi. Duplex printing allows you to automatically print on both sides of a single piece of paper. This is an excellent way to save up on money and time, as you no longer have to manually turn the paper over to get something printed on the other side. The built-in Wi-Fi lets you easily print documents from your smartphone or laptop. AirPrint and Google Print make this process even easier. The device can print on photo paper, envelopes, and any paper up to A4.

The only downside of the HP DeskJet 2755 is that it can only hold 60 sheets of A4. For students that print a lot of paper for school, this could result in a few minor inconveniences, but other than this, the HP DeskJet 2755 is an amazing device. Overall, the HP DeskJet 2755 is an amazing printer that has very few downsides.

Pros

• Great value
• Versatile printing
• Comes with amazing features

Cons

• Holds only 60 sheets of paper

Specification

• Price $64.99
• Category All-in-one color inkjet printer
• Print Speed 20 ppm
• Paper Capacity 60 sheets

Another amazing brand to look for great printers in is Epson. The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is the best supertank printer for students right now. What makes this an excellent choice for students?

The Epson EcoTank ET-2720  is one of the brand’s first foray into cartridge-free printing. When the EcoTank line first launched, it was rather expensive for the taste of many. Lucky for you, the price of these devices have since come down. The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is a bit pricier than most options on this list. However, the device does come with a lot of features that make it more than worth it. The price is a lot lower than the original release so it might be within range of your budget right now. There are a few other reasons why it’s worth getting for students.

The Epson EcoTank ET-2720’s biggest asset is that it comes with a generous amount of ink out of the box. Not just that, the device is also very ink-friendly. According to the makers, the device can print a total of 4500 color pages from the get-go which could equate to around three years of school already. The ink for the Epson EcoTank ET-2720  is not cheap of course but what’s worth noting is that you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with each refill. This makes the device a lot more reliable than most printers on this list right now. It’s a good investment despite the price because it’s more affordable to run.

The device is also equipped with a scanner bed, a color LCD screen, as well as built-in Wi-Fi. These fancy features only make the device even worth getting even if it adds a few more dollars to the price tag. Lastly, the print resolution of the Epson EcoTank ET-2720  is very good making it a viable option even if you’re printing on glossy photo paper.

Pros

• Low-running cost
• Comes with a lot of ink

Cons

• Small display

Specification

• Price $318.98
• Category Color inkjet all-in-one printer
• Print Speed 33 ppm
• Paper Capacity 100 sheets

Next up, we’re going to give you another Epson suggestion but this time, it’s a better fit for those who are willing to splurge. The Epson Expression Premium EX-6100 is a bit more expensive than others on this list but there’s a lot of good reason for that price.

The Epson Expression Premium EX-6100 is a part of the esteemed Epson family of Premium home printers. This device is well-suited for students for many reasons. For starters, it’s the smallest of the Epson Premium line which makes it ideal for students who are living inside a dorm room as it doesn’t take up too much space. Aside from that, there are also a few premium features that make the Epson Expression Premium EX-6100 than ideal choice for those that are still in school. With this device, you’ll have most of your printing and school needs covered.

The Epson Expression Premium EX-6100 comes with an amazing selection of features. Aside from its high-quality printing capacity, the device also doubles as a fax facility that comes packed with Wi-Fi, auto duplex printing, SD card slots, and USB slots as well. What’s even better is that the device is capable of printing on nearly all forms of media, including blank CDs and up to A4 photo paper. With that, it’s safe to say that the Epson Expression Premium EX-6100 has all that you’ll ever need for a student, which can justify the price for most people.

Printing is made easier with this device too. Aside from Wi-Fi, the device also has Wi-Fi direct and even AirPrint to make it a lot easier to connect to Apple Devices. Unfortunately, the device lacks a touchscreen display, so you’ll have to stick with buttons to control the device. Still, controlling the device is still intuitive.

Pros

• Can print on a wide variety of media
• Amazing features
• 500-paper capacity

Cons

• No touchscreen

Specification

• Price $189.99
• Category 3-in-1 colour inkjet printer
• Print Speed 223 ppm
• Paper Capacity 500 sheets

Another big brand that we’d like to recommend for printers is Canon. The company’s MegaTank line is easily a great choice for printers already. The cheapest and the best for students in this line is the Canon PIXMA G1220.

The Canon PIXMA G1220 is a simple print-only device that doesn’t necessarily stand out from Canon’s MegaTank selection. However, what the device brings, it brings pretty well, especially for students who are looking for a printer. The overall design and functionality are simple. However, if you want a printer that can last for a long time and can print out a ton of documents, then this choice is more than a great one already. Exactly what are the amazing features that make the Canon PIXMA G1220 an amazing choice for students or those who are in need of a lot of printing?

For starters, the Canon PIXMA G1220 comes in a package that includes enough ink for 6,000 mono A4 pages and 7,7000 color pages. Not to exaggerate, but that is probably more than enough to last you through graduation already. It’s not just the amount of ink that’s available that makes the device worth getting. The quality of the print is very crisp, which is great whether you’re looking to print something on a blank piece of paper or on glossy paper. The device is a versatile printer that will get you through most of what you need for schoolwork right now.

Unfortunately, the printer is as simple as it can get. There aren’t any impressive and necessary features such as an auto-duplex mode, scanner, display, or even Wi-Fi. Additionally, the print rate is rather slow. The device compromises these necessary features to deliver print quality that’s arguably the best on this list.

The Canon PIXMA G1220 is far from perfect, but when it comes to strictly printing, the device covers quality pretty well. It’s perfect, especially for those students who are in the field of media arts.

Pros

• Best print quality
• Simple and compact

Cons

• Lacks necessary features

Specification

• Price $132.97
• Category Color inkjet printer
• Print Speed 9 ppm
• Paper Capacity 100 sheets

The HP Tango is a great printer that comes with advanced features, perfect for students that want to have something that’s very convenient and easy to use. 

The HP Tango is really geared toward students of this generation. Its features are advanced and could be a bit too complicated for some. For starters, the device operates through a two-way cloud-based network. This makes the smart printer capable of doing its job and printing documents through your mobile device, with or without a Wi-Fi network. Unfortunately, while the HP Tango does well in this regard, it doesn’t have a USB port or an ether port. This is a bit of a letdown considering its standard printing method is great and convenient on its own already. A few more upgrades would’ve been better.

The HP Tango is fully useable and controllable through the Tango companion app. This app harnesses the power of your smartphone’s camera, and it can scan images directly for printing. Don’t worry about skewed images, as the device automatically corrects that for you. This makes the HP Tango a really handy printer for those who are looking for something simple but very effective and functional at the same time. The device can print on envelopes, photo paper, and papers up to A4. The printing speed is very reasonable at 11 ppm, which isn’t the best on this list but is still good.

Although the technology behind the entire printer can be complex at first glance, the device itself is actually very user-friendly because of the app. You can even control the device through your voice with the help of Alex. The problem, however, is that the ink cartridges for the HP Tango are rather pricey.

Pros

• Alexa enabled
• Controlled by intuitive hand
• Seamless cloud services

Cons

• Pricey ink

Specification

• Price $173.99
• Category 3-in-1 colour inkjet printer
• Print Speed 11 ppm
• Paper Capacity 50 sheets

Last but not least, we have an amazing printer from Brother. This printer brand is known for many things, including making great all-around printers for everyone. In that regard, the best device they have for students is the Brother MFC-J1170DW.

The Brother MFC-J1170DW is designed to be a compact and inexpensive way to have a good printer for your home office or for your dorm. The features are well-picked, so students have everything that they need all-in-one package. Additionally, it comes with a few fancy features which are perfect for those that want something more. Thanks to its price tag, the Brother MFC-J1170DW is very accessible for students and those who are on a budget. While not perfect, it does get the job done in more ways than one.

The device features an A4-sized scanner bed that comes with a flexible lid. If you’re thinking of copying thick books, the lid can pretty much fit those. There’s also enough room to hold around 150 sheets of paper inside the tray, which is very impressive as well. If you’re buying the US model of the device, it will come with a 20-sheet ADF or automatic document feed, which is a great feature. If you’re living in the UK, however, you’ll need to get the nearest equivalent which is the Brother DCP-J1140DW.

The Brother MFC-J1170DW doesn’t have a USB port or an ethernet port. However, it does have a touchscreen interface which makes controlling the entire device pretty easy. The print quality is okay, but it’s nothing impressive, especially when compared to more expensive models.

Pros

• Great value for price
• Good print speed

Cons

• Small inkjet cartridges

Specification

• Price $159.99
• Category Color inkjet all-in-one printer
• Print Speed 33 ppm
• Paper Capacity 150 sheets