The 6 Best Printers For College Students - Fall 2022 Reviews

The best printer for college students we've tested is the Canon PIXMA G6020. It's an all-in-one inkjet model with a refillable ink tank. It feels well built and is fairly compact, making it a good choice for small spaces like dorm rooms. You can connect to the printer via USB or Wi-Fi, and it's compatible with Canon's mobile app, allowing you to print, scan, or copy directly from your smartphone. Its high-resolution flatbed scanner has extendable lid hinges to accommodate thick items like textbooks, but it lacks an automatic feeder, so it isn't the best for scanning multi-page or double-sided documents.

The feature that makes this our top pick and a great option for students is its refillable ink tank. A full tank yields around 4600 black or 5300 color prints, meaning you won't have to replenish it often. Plus, the ink bottles are cheap, so your maintenance cost remains low over time. The downside is that it doesn't print particularly fast at around six black pages or three color pages per minute. It supports automatic double-sided printing and has a large 350-sheet capacity input tray.

If you find our top pick a little too expensive, you can save some money with a modest mid-range model. We recommend the Brother MFC-J4335DW. Its page yield isn't as good as a supertank model like the Canon PIXMA G6020, but it's still outstanding, leading to a low cost per print. It doesn't take long to wake from sleep and prints quickly at 17 black or 15 color pages per minute. Its ADF-equipped scanner processes up to 20 pages per minute but doesn't support double-sided scanning, so you'll still have to flip the pages manually.

It connects via Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet and supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. You can also use the companion app to print, scan, and copy from your smartphone. Its color accuracy is adequate, and it prints okay-looking photos that are good enough for casual use. All in all, it's a great all-in-one printer that should fit the needs of any student.

For those shopping on a limited budget, go with the Brother MFC-J1205W. Its compact size is perfect for tight spaces, and it feels impressively well-built. It has a high-resolution flatbed scanner to digitize notes and course packs, USB and Wi-Fi connectivity, and it's compatible with the Brother Mobile Connect app, which you can use to perform maintenance tasks and order supplies right from your mobile device.

You can print over 1000 black or 750 color pages before the ink cartridges run low, and the cartridges are cheap, so the maintenance costs remain low even if you print a lot. It prints up to nine black or six color pages per minute, which is a little on the slow side, so you may be waiting around a while if you print long research articles or papers. That said, it's still a fantastic choice if you're looking for a budget-friendly printer.

If you just need something cheap that can get the job done for those occasional projects, get the Canon PIXMA MG3620. It isn't super sturdy and lacks an automatic feeder, but it prints good-quality documents and photos. The main drawback of a cheap model like this is its low page yield. It only yields about 200 black or color prints, meaning you'll have to replace them often, and since it uses a tri-color cartridge, you'll have to replace it even if just one color runs out.

The cartridges aren't expensive, but your maintenance cost will still add up quickly if you print a lot. All this to say that this printer is only a good option if you print occasionally. Otherwise, you're better off with the slightly more expensive Brother MFC-J1205W because you'll likely save money in the long run.

If you only need to print black text documents, it might be better to get a laser printer like the Brother MFC-L2710DW. It prints much faster than most inkjet models at 32 pages per minute, which is great for printing long essays. Laser models also require less maintenance as you don't have to deal with clogged printheads or dried ink. The toner cartridge yields around 2000 pages, there are high-yield cartridges available if you need more, and it also works with third-party toner, which might be cheaper. The only downside is that the drum is a separate unit that you'll have to spend extra to replace. The scanner can process up to 50 pages per minute through its feeder and supports optical character recognition, allowing you to scan documents into text files for quick keyword searches or edits.

If you don't need a scanner and want to save some money, get the HP LaserJet Pro M15w. It's a compact print-only unit that doesn't take up much space. Its black toner cartridge yields almost 2000 pages before you need to replace it, and it has the drum unit built-in, so you don't have to worry about spending more money on maintenance.

There aren't any high-yield cartridges available, but it accepts third-party toner, which might help you save cash. Needless to say, the cost-per-print is remarkably low. It can get a single page out in around eight seconds, and it prints at an acceptable speed of about 12 pages per minute.