The 6 Best Printers For College Students - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best inkjet printer for college students that we've tested is the Brother MFC-J995DW. This all-in-one model is an outstanding option for college students while also being a smart choice for small businesses and family use. It has a sturdy build, and the ink cartridges are easily accessible from the front. It has a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder, which will be useful if you have to scan a large textbook.

Even if you're printing in large amounts, the cost-per-print is very affordable. The cartridge system also features Brother's INKvestment Tank ink system, meaning it'll last longer before needing replacement. It has some good connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet for a more reliable connection, and plugging it directly to your computer via USB. Also, it's compatible with the remarkable companion app, Brother iPrint&Scan, where you can print, scan, and copy directly from your mobile device.

Unfortunately, while printed photos look great and detailed, they often come out misaligned when performing borderless printing. Also, color accuracy is mediocre and isn't recommended for students in print media. Also, it lacks a Bluetooth connection and is relatively slow at printing black-only documents. That said, this is a superb option to help students save money in the long run and one of the best all-in-one printers that we've tested.

The best laser printer for students we've tested is the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw. This is a feature-rich all-in-one with an excellent cost-per-print. It isn't the most compact, but it's amazingly well-built and designed to give easy access to toner cartridges and paper jams. It has a flatbed scanner with a lid that can extend for thicker items like books and an automatic document feeder that supports duplex scanning.

The cartridge system is exceptional because it yields an incredible number of black and color pages, which means you shouldn't have to replace the toner cartridges often, saving you money over time. Plus, the drum unit is built into the cartridge, so you don't have to replace it manually. It isn't the fastest for printing black-only documents, but it churns out color documents very quickly. It can perform double-sided printing, and its input tray can hold up to 300 sheets of paper.

It has a lot of connectivity options, including support for USB drives, NFC, and direct printing via AirPrint or Mopria. Its companion mobile app is available for Android and iOS, and it lets you print, scan, and make copies directly from your smartphone. Unfortunately, while its color accuracy is impressive, its photo printing quality is only mediocre, which is expected of most laser printers. Nonetheless, it's an excellent color laser printer that should meet most student's needs.

The best printer for students we've tested in the budget category is the Canon PIXMA TR7520. It's a fairly compact, all-in-one inkjet model that should fit well in tight spaces, like a dorm room or a small desk. It has a high-resolution scanner that's great for scanning notes and pages from a textbook, and it also has an automatic document feeder to quickly process multiple pages at once.

It has great connectivity options, letting you print via USB cable, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and through its Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service support. Produced photos look great, with well-defined, deep, and reasonably accurate colors. It has a great cost-per-print, and there are high-yield versions of the cartridges that are expected to last even longer and save you more money in the long run, but we don't test for this.

Unfortunately, the black page yield is poor, so you may need to replace the cartridge often, especially if you print a lot. While it prints photos very quickly, it's quite slow at printing black-only and color documents. Also, it can't print directly off a USB thumb drive or SD card. That said, this is still a great printer for students if you're on a budget but still need a model that's packed with features.