Heading off to college within the next few months? You will want to have the best printer for students with you so you don’t have to hunt down the computer lab just to print out an assignment or even a larger paper. The best printers for college will do much more than print. These devices will also scan documents, copy them, or even send faxes.
Although looking for the top printer for college may seem daunting, you simply have to ask yourself a few questions. How often will you use it? Does it have a scanner? How big is it? Is it wireless? To help you out, we have created this list of the 7 best printers for college so you know where to start your search.
Table of Content:
- Best College Student Printers Chart
- Our choice of one Best Printer for Students
- Independent Detailed Review of Best Printers for College Students
- Wifi or USB? Which printer should students buy?
- Laser or Inkjet; what’s the difference?
- Black and White or Color Printer; Which one should college students buy?
Best Printers for College Students 2017:
| Image | Name | Wifi/Wired | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Canon Pixma MG3220 | Wifi | $$ | 4.9/5 |
 | HP Envy 5660 | Wifi | $$ | 4.8/5 |
 | Brother HL-2340W | Wifi | $$$ | 4.7/5 |
 | HP Envy 4520 | Wifi | $$$ | 4.6/5 |
 | Canon MG2220 | Wired | $$$ | 4.6/5 |
 | Epson Expression Home XP420 | Wifi | $$$ | 4.6/5 |
 | Dell Computer B1160w | Wifi | $$$ | 4.6/5 |
So which is the best printer for students?
Well…based on our detailed review of each printer below and the comparison table above our suggested printer for a college student would be:
HP Envy 4520 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier (best seller, very good reviews but a bit expensive – $74.99)
OR
Canon PIXMA MG3520 Wireless Color Printer with Scanner and Copier (costs less – $47.99, OK reviews and good seller)
Independent Review of Best Student Printers
#7 – Dell B1160W
This printer
#6 – Epson Expression Home XP-420 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner & Copier
The long name of this printer shouldn’t turn you off; it simply means that it is small enough for a dorm room but still has great features and produces very clear text. As an added bonus, this all-in-one wireless printer also has a scanner and the ability to scan to or print from a memory card.
Ink Cartridge for this printer available here.
#5 – Canon PIXMA MG2220 Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier
You can tell right off the bat that this Canon printer is great for scanning or copying documents or printing, whether you need to print an assignment or a photo of your friends. This printer connects via a USB and is a basic model, but that means that you save money on your purchase, helping it land a spot as a top printer for college.
Ink Cartridge of Canon PIXMA MG2220.
#4 – HP Deskjet 1000 Printer
This is one of the most affordable printers on the list due to the fact that it is just the printer without a scanner or copier. It only offers the services you truly need and does so with a reasonable print speed. The quality of printed text is comparable to that of expensive laser printers.
Ink Cartridge of HP Deskjet 1000 can be bought from here.
#3 – Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer, Wireless, Duplex Printing
This Brother printer is wireless and incredibly easy to use, making it convenient for college students that need to print quickly before rushing off to class. It is small enough to fit in a dorm room and the text output is of high quality. This is therefore one of the best home printer of 2014.
Toner of Brother HL-2270DW is available here.
#2 – HP Envy 5660 Wifi Printer
This particular device from HP is one of the best printers for college students who need a device that truly does everything. This printer is also in our list of best printers for mac. As the name implies, this printer can print documents or images, scan, make copies, and even send faxes. Although it costs more than some of the others, this printer is well worth the price.
Compatible Ink Cartridge Replacement for HP Envy 5660
#1 – Canon PIXMA MG3220 All-in-One Printer
This is an incredibly affordable printer for printing, scanning, and making copies. It is also wireless so you don’t have to worry about USB cables cluttering your desk. It isn’t ideal for printing pictures, but excels at everything else.
Canon Office Products PG-240XL/CL-241XL with Canon GP502 Glossy Photo Paper – Combo Pack Ink
You may have seen what you thought was a top printer for college, but remember that you need to look at the overall picture. The best printers for college don’t need a large paper capacity; instead small size, features, and affordability are crucial. Consider your requirements and you can easily find the right one to take to school.
Wifi or USB Printer – Which one should a college student buy?
The answer to this question depends on your budget. However, not much changes are in the price these days between the wired and wireless printers since Wifi printers have now become a norm of the market. When you factor in the convenience and the price together I would suggest going with a wifi printer because as a student it would be lot easier for you to print. Also many wifi printers allow you to print using your smartphone. This saves you the hassle of turning on your laptop if you want print an email attachment or an email itself. So my suggestion for students is to buy a wifi printer because with an extra $20 you get the convenience as well as good quality printer that can last for four years of your college life.
LaserJet or Inkjet – What’s the difference and which one is recommended for a college student?
LaserJet printers use a toner while the inkjet printers use a ink cartridge. If you are going to print huge number of pages, then I recommend a LaserJet printer. But usually college students do not have a need to print huge number of pages and hence an inkjet printer is what I would recommend. LaserJet printers are also comparatively inexpensive.
Color or Black/White Printer for students:
This depends on your major. If you have chosen a major that is into digital art and requires color designing and printing as part of projects and assignments, then color printer would be ideal for you. But if that is not the case and you would only be using printer to print essays, quizzes and textual assignments then you do not need a color printer. Purchasing a inkjet printer also gives you the flexibility to use black and white cartridge or color cartridge. If you are a freshman and do not know which type of printer would be ideal then I suggest choosing an inkjet printer with a black and white cartridge and in future, after the college has started you can then order your color cartridges if needed.
I hope this answered all your questions about college printing. If not then let me know your questions in the comments below and I would be happy to answer them for you.
