6 Best Printers for College Students 2020

Getting ready for college means having to buy a whole host of new items for this new chapter. From the things that need to be purchased to making the living space more comfortable to the technology needed to do the work, you will be spending a lot of money and time to get set up and ready for the year.

To save you time and guide you towards the right printer for your budget and your student lifestyle, we have collected all of the most important details and machines on the market today to present you with the best printers for college students.

Choosing a Printer for a College Student

Whether you are living on or off campus, you will need a reliable printer to finish and turn in assignments regularly. This means purchasing a printer that has been specifically designed to meet the needs of students.

You will want an option that is easy to use and set up, a lower overall cost in terms of initial price and toner or ink costs and a machine that is speedy too.

In addition to these features, you should also consider the following when you buy:

  • Connectivity. There are wired and wireless printers available today. For most students, the wireless option is the best as they are using a laptop or a mobile device to print from, but this can often be the less reliable option. A wired printer will often require you to plug in a USB cord in order to print but the connection is always solid.
  • Additional Features. Many printers are now more than just printers. Students that may need to scan or fax should look for either a machine that says it will complete these functions or find an all-in-one printer that has this and more built in already.
  • Color or Black and White. This feature really does depend on what you are studying. The best printers for college students are the ones that can meet all of their needs for their specific major.  Black and white is more cost effective as cartridges cost less but the color may be necessary for projects and visuals.

Top 6 College Student Printers Table

PictureNamePrinting StylePriceRating (1-5)
Picture
Name
Printing Style
Price
Rating (1-5)
1. HP Envy 4520 All-in-One Color Photo Printer with Wireless, Instant Ink enabled. (F0V69A)Inkjet$4.3
2. Brother MFC9130CW Wireless All-In-One Printer with Scanner, Copier and Fax, Amazon Dash Replenishment EnabledLaserJet$$$$4.2
3. Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer, Monochrome, Wireless, Duplex Printing, Amazon Dash Replenishment EnabledLaserJet$$$4.0
4. Epson Expression Home XP-420 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner & CopierInkjet$$$3.8
5. Canon PIXMA MX922 Wireless Office All-In-One PrinterInkjet$$3.8
6. Epson WorkForce WF-3620 WiFi Direct All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Copier, ScannerInkjet$$3.6

Choices for the Best Printers for College Students

There are essentially two kinds of printers available; inkjet and laser. This refers to the way that the printer does its job and to the material used to do so.

Inkjet

  • Needs Ink Cartridges to Work.
  • Ink Needs to Be Changed More Often.
  • Cheaper Initial Price.
  • Better for Smaller Printing Jobs.

Laser

  • Needs Toner.
  • Toner Lasts Longer Than Ink.
  • More Expensive Machine.
  • Handles High Volume Jobs Well.
  • Speedy Printing.

The kind of printer that you get will depend a lot on your budget and your need to print often. Inkjet is the initially less expensive option for students and will overall be less expensive for students that will only be printing their papers and occasional work. Laser is better for high volume handouts that need to be printed or those that are involved in design and visual arts.

3 Best Printers for College Students Reviews

1. HP Envy 4520 All-in-One Color Photo Printer

The HP Envy 4520 printer is an inkjet color printer that obviously prints but it also can print photos, copy, scan, AirPrint from Apple mobile devices, wireless print and two-sided duplex print.

One of the best things about this printer is that it has all of the features that you could ever need and without the high price that you might expect from such a versatile item.

This printer also comes with a sleek design that makes it easy to put anywhere you may need it.

2. Brother MFC9130CW Wireless All-In-One Printer

The Brother MFC9130CW is one of the best printers for college students that will only need to be printing papers every now and then. This is not a machine that would be great if you were making tons of flyers.

The quality that this machine offers is everything you need to pass in crisp documents and images for any major that you’re on.

It should also be noted that this machine is incredibly easy to setup, even fool proof, which is great for younger or less tech-savvy users.

3. Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer

The Brother brand as a whole has always been known for reliability and the Brother HL-L2340DW is no exception. This printer is great for anyone that needs to know that their printer will work at all times.

The wireless setup is incredibly straightforward and you can always count on the wireless printing to deliver.

The quality of the printing is also something to note whether you need to print school work or professional documents.