Best tablets for students in 2024 – our top picks for college
If you are looking for the best tablet for students, then you have landed on the right page.
Whether you’re going green or looking for smart solutions to sync your homework, a tablet can surely make your student life a lot easier. Ideally, you’d want a tablet that has a good display, supports peripherals, and provides seamless access and storage to files. For instance, iPads and Samsung Galaxy tablets both come with “official” stylus pens and support their respective detachable keyboards, which adds versatility.
At the moment, if you have a look at the available options, you will find iPads, Android tablets, and Windows tablets. Most options are portable, offer amazing battery life, accessible storage, support versatile peripherals, and other features that make student life easier.
With that said, there are quite a lot of tablets that are suitable for school and college students. To help you pick the best one for your needs, we have rounded up what we think are some of the best tablets for students.
Products at a Glance
How we picked
For this guide, we looked at several tablets from different manufacturers, compared them, and then shortlisted the ones we thought were the best. The tablets have been selected based on performance, display, battery life, portability, and features that make student life easier. Further, we keep updating our guides with new products frequently, so check back here for new updates.
Product Reviews
- Large 12.9-inch display
- Powerful M2 chip
- All-day battery
- Apple Pencil not included
If you want the best laptop for your college or university work, then you should check out the Apple iPad Pro (6th generation).
To start with, the iPad comes equipped with a powerful M2 chip that has an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU built right into it. The chip can handle most of the tasks that you throw at it, so you can expect it to breeze through your everyday tasks.
Much like some of the best large-screen tablets, the iPad sports a big 12.9-inch screen with high resolution, so you can expect stunning picture quality. Plus, it is a Liquid Retina XDR display, which, combined with True Tone technology, should give you clear text and a comfortable viewing experience – so you can read for hours without straining your eyes.
As far as peripherals are concerned, the iPad supports Apple Pencil 2, which should help you take notes and even sketch and draw. Plus, the iPad offers support for the Magic keyboard, which should make typing easier for you. There’s one thing to note here – the accessories are sold separately, so it can be quite an investment for you.
If you commute a lot, then you’d be happy to know that the iPad Pro weighs only 1.5 pounds despite the big screen. Plus, it is quite sleek, so you should be able to fit it right into your bag. To add to its portability, the iPad Pro also offers all-day battery life – so you can power through your day without worrying about the battery.
- 12.7-inch 3K display
- Lenovo Pen Plus included
- Lightweight and portable
- Somewhat limited storage
If you are in the market for a powerful school tablet within a reasonable price range, then you should check out the Lenovo P12 tablet that came out in 2023.
To begin with, the tablet is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 Octa-Core processor that promises reliable performance for everyday tasks like note-taking, watching lectures, and running common study apps. As this is an eight-core chip, you can expect a lag-free and stutter-free performance.
Coming to the display, the tablet sports a big 12.7-inch screen with a 3K resolution, so you can expect detailed, clear visuals. You can read ebooks, watch lectures, and create projects on the spacious screen without straining your eyes.
To help with your studies and homework, you get a Lenovo Pen Plus, which lets you take notes, annotate PDFs, draw diagrams, and do much more. The best part is that the stylus pen is included in the package, so you don’t have to shell out extra money. You can also plug in a detachable keyboard for typing essays, reports, and emails quickly and easily (the keyboard is sold separately).
As far as portability is concerned, the Lenovo tablet weighs only 1.39 pounds, so you should barely feel any burden at all. Plus, the tablet has a massive 10200mAh battery that can last for about 10 hours, which should be enough for an average school day.
- 10.9-inch WQXGA LCD display
- S-Pen included
- 18-hour battery life
- Lacks a headphone jack
If you are looking for an Android tablet to replace your notebook and pen, then the Samsung Galaxy S9 FE tablet is quite the machine for it.
The tablet sports a 10.9-inch WQXGA LCD display, so you can expect better quality visuals than an average FHD display. Plus, the display offers a 90Hz refresh rate, which should give you a smoother performance.
On the inside, the tablet is equipped with a Samsung Exynos 1380 processor, which should deliver a smoother experience for your daily tasks, power through games, and also give you an efficient battery performance.
As far as taking notes is concerned, the Samsung tablet comes with an S-Pen that promises to deliver a real-life pen and paper experience on the tablet screen. Much like some of the best tablets with stylus, you should be able to write notes and sketch diagrams just like you would on paper. Further, you can also get the Book Cover Keyboard if you want to type essays.
Coming to portability, the Samsung tablet is quite lightweight – it weighs just 1.5 pounds, so you should be able to lug it around without feeling any bulk. Further, the tablet has an 8,000 mAh battery, which should last you for around 18 hours.
- 13-inch display
- Intel 12th Gen i7 processor
- Versatile 2-in-1 design
- Expensive
If you are a student looking for a Windows tablet, then you should check out the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 laptop-tablet hybrid.
Much like some of the best Windows tablets, the Microsoft tablet-laptop comes with a powerful Intel processor. To be more specific, the device comes with an Intel 12th Gen i7 processor, which is good for handling demanding tasks like coding, data analysis, and running multiple apps at the same time. You can also go for other chipsets if you don’t need so much power.
Now, the best part about this device is that it’s convertible. Much like some of the best 2-in-1 laptops, this one can be flipped into a tablet. All you have to do is detach the keyboard and flip the kickstand, and you have a tablet. Plus, you get Surface Slim Pen 2, which promises precision and responsiveness while taking notes. A quick note – the Surface Slim Pen 2 is included in the package, but the keyboard is not.
As far as the display goes, you get a 13-inch PixelSense Flow display, which should give you enough screen space to type, take notes, and watch lectures. Plus, you get 2880 x 1920p resolution, so you can expect an immersive picture quality.
Coming to portability, the tablet weighs only 1.9 pounds, which should be quite portable for most people. To add to that, you get an all-day battery life that should power through a full day of classes, library sessions, and late-night study sessions.
How to pick the best tablet for students
Here are a few things to consider when getting a new tablet for your college or university work –
Performance
Now, considering that you will be taking notes, sharing files, and possibly doing some demanding tasks, you should look for a processor that can handle this load. For instance, if you are looking to write and type, then a mid Snapdragon or MediaTek processor should be sufficient. However,
Portability
Lugging around heavy devices is no joke, especially if you commute back and forth for hours. To avoid getting bulked down, you should look for a tablet that is lightweight and has a slim profile.
Another important thing to consider here is the battery life – you want your tablet to last at least a few hours. Thankfully, most tablets offer a battery life of 8 to 10 hours, which should be sufficient for most students. However, some tablets offer an all-day battery life – so look out for these if you want more battery life.
Display
Now, you can find tablets that are 8 inches and you can find tablets that are as big as 14 inches. The screen size will depend a lot on your preference, but it should be big enough to let you work on it easily. Further, the display should have a high resolution (at least FHD) and good brightness for comfortable viewing in well-lit rooms.
Peripherals
To make your work easier, you should look for tablets that can support accessories like stylus pens, keyboards, and even mice. For instance, if you have to type a lot, then a detachable keyboard can be a game changer for you as it will make typing easier. Further, a stylus pen can help take down notes faster. And if you add a mouse to the set, then you will have a mini portable computer setup.
Memory and storage
When it comes to RAM, we’d recommend getting at least 8GB of it, so you can get quicker app launches and overall faster performance. And as far as storage is concerned, you should look for at least 128GB.
Is it worth getting a tablet for students?
Yes, a tablet is a worthwhile investment for students. With a tablet, you can ensure that all of your work stays in one place (for instance, cloud storage), and it can give you access to files on multiple devices. Further, you can use accessories like stylus pens and keyboards to take notes or type essays.
Which is better for a student, a tablet or a laptop?
For portability, a tablet wins hands down. Meanwhile, for more power, RAM, and arguably easier typing, a laptop is a good way to go. However, considering that tablets now have powerful processors and you can attach peripherals like a keyboard, tablets can arguably be more convenient.
Our Verdict
If you are looking for the absolute best tablet for your college or university, then we think that the iPad Pro (6th generation) is a good choice. The tablet is a powerhouse with the M2 chip, and it has several useful tools for students. You also get a huge display and support for Apple Pencil and Magic keyboard, which should make your work easier. Plus, if you have an Apple ecosystem, the iPad will seamlessly integrate with other devices, making files accessible for you. And of course, the Apple iPad is lightweight, portable, and comes with an almost all-day battery life, which adds to its appeal.