Best Printer For College Student Reviews, Buying Guide and FAQs 2023

Finding the best printer for college students can be challenging, as one needs to consider many aspects. Students always want affordability, along with quality and more add-on features. Long back, getting all of these in one printer was not possible. But thanks to technology and the reliable manufacturers who have thought to make such printers!

This article brought to you the 10 best college printers widely used in different colleges.

Editors' Picks: Top Printers for College Student for 2023

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• Bestseller No. 1
  
  HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 Wide Format All-in-One Printer with Wireless Printing, Works with...
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• Bestseller No. 2
  
  Brother MFC-J4335DW INKvestment-Tank All-in-One Printer with Duplex and Wireless Printing...
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• Bestseller No. 3
  
  Brother MFC-J1205W INKvestment-Tank Wireless Multi-Function Color Inkjet Printer with Up...
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• Bestseller No. 4
  
  Canon PIXMA MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer with Mobile and Tablet...
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• Bestseller No. 5
  
  Brother MFCL2750DW Monochrome All-in-One Wireless Laser Printer, Duplex Copy & Scan,...
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• Bestseller No. 6
  
  Brother HL-L2325DW Monochrome Laser Printer, Wireless Networking & Duplex Printing
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Best Printer for a College Student: Comparison Table

Top 10 Best Printer For College Student: Reviews 2023

1. Canon PIXMA G6020 Wireless MegaTank All-In-One InkJet Printer

One of the highest reviewed and best-selling printers on the market is this PIXMA G6020 from Canon. It prints out glossy photo papers with the highest resolution than others and serves as the best printer for college students. You will forget its price once you get to know about its extraordinary features.

Key Features

• Inkjet
• Print media: glossy photo paper
• Resolution: 4800 x 1200dpi
• Uses pigment and dye-based ink
• Print, copy, scan

Highlighted Features

Convenience: To make your printing experience as hassle-free as possible, canon has included auto dual side printing. You can print photos, flyers, and more without worrying about the ink running out with three ink cartridges. Moreover, the LCD screen makes printing, scanning, and copying more comfy, along with the easy push buttons.

Output: You will get borderless and dense prints on the papers with 350 sheets capacity tray from this one of the best college printers. Moreover, the flatbed scanner enables a wide range of document scanning with crisp visuals.

Connectivity: The printer is mobile device compatible, making you convert any image, documents directly printed or scanned out by connecting the printer with your device via wi-fi.

Pros

• Provides high-resolution prints
• Have 7700 pages colored print capacity
• It can work wireless too
• Easy to operate with the display
• Has 13 ppm efficiency

Cons

• It does not have security features

2. Laserjet Pro Hp M404n Monocromatica W1A52A

This one is a laser printer from HP that provides sharp and vivid monochrome prints. With this printer with wide print media choices, students find it reliable to work on different projects. Moreover, the highest printing capacity of 40 ppm makes it more efficient to submit your projects on time.

Key Features

• Laser-technology
• Wireless network compatible
• Monthly volume: 4000 pages per month
• Contains security features
• LCD touch display

Highlighted Features

Convenience: Hp M404n is one of the best college printers with 550 tray capacity pages that prevent frequent refilling. Moreover, the printer's auto shut-off feature saves power when not in use for a long time. The two-line LCD screen provides ease of use for new printer users. Also, the printer has embedded security facilities to protect your documents from hackers.

Output: With 40 ppm monochrome printing, the printer provides the highest efficient usage. Prints come out sharp and accurate on every type of paper. The printer has 4000 sheets of printing capacity every month.

Connectivity: You can access your printing documents with the in-built ethernet technology. And you can share the documents with your friends too.

Pros

• High efficient printing
• Easy to use
• Can print wireless
• Compact and space-saving design
• Has auto on/ off technology

Cons

• Does have auto dual side printing.

3. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4730 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer

The Epson WorkForce Pro is usable for those who want more than just college document printing. It is a suitable high-end printer for college teachers too. This compact and powerful inkjet printer will provide you with photoshop quality prints in no time. Not only print, but you can scan, copy and fax also.

Key Features

• Inkjet
• 35-pages auto document feeder
• Ethernet connection compatible
• Compatible with Alexa
• Print media: plain paper, envelopes

Highlighted Features

Convenience: If you can invest in such a good printer for college students, then you will stay tension-free for years. You can print, scan, copy and fax at your convenience with the colored touchscreen. Also, the 500 sheets tray capacity prevents frequent refilling and saves your time.

Output: This tiny printer provides photo-shop quality print, both monochrome and colored. It prints 20 ppm, both colored and monochrome. Plus, it is dual-sided, for which your long-term paper cost is saved.

Connectivity: The printer allows wireless mobile, tablet, and PC print, scan, and fax. You require to connect it with the wi-fi or blue-tooth of your home and work directly from your device. You can also connect the printer with Alexa to command it to print, make a schedule, coloring ages and crosswords.

Pros

• Powerful printer with high efficiency
• Print comes out photoshop quality
• Works wireless too
• Compact and space-saving design
• Easy to use with colorful touchscreen

Cons

• Very expensive for students

4. HP ENVY Pro 6455 Wireless All-in-One Printer

A worthy printer to splurge on is the HP ENVY Pro all-in-one printer, and you won't regret it. This smart inkjet printer takes printing to another level of comfort and reliability. The borderless sharp ink pay-off on any matte or glossy paper is worth all the effort. Plus, wireless printing technology is the cherry on top.

Key Features

• Print, copy, scan, mobile fax
• Inkjet
• Wireless operation with wi-fi and blue-tooth
• Connects with HP smart app
• Print media: plain paper and glossy

Highlighted Features

Comfort : It is the best printer for college students, even if it takes a bit more investment. Firstly, the printer's compact and space-saving size makes it easy to fit in college dorm rooms. The contextual UI buttons light up for different notification purposes. Moreover, the auto dual side printing enables paper-saving for students.

Connectivity: HP always believes in smart; hence it has made its printers like that. HP has enabled wireless printing just right away from your device for ultra-safe and convenient printing, scanning, and copying. The smart app is quite easy to set up and operate, and you can send fax documents up to 24 months from there. Moreover, you can also connect the printer with Alexa for voice commands and securely share documents with a third party.

Output : You can create borderless, dense, and crisp output from the printer. It can print ten ppm of black and white color and seven ppm of colorful ones.

Pros

• Enables mobile printing
• Provides borderless and crisp output
• Saves paper and ink with auto dual side printing
• Can self-heal
• Has auto document feeder

Cons

• A bit expensive

5. Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

If you think you don't require investing in an inkjet printer, for now, you can buy this laser printer from Brother. You can fully rely on the quality of Brother with high-efficiency monochrome printing. Every word of fonts and image will come out sharp like none other.

Key Features

• Laser Printer
• Monochrome print
• LCD monitoring
• Print only
• 32 ppm

Highlighted Features

Output: The print output is monochrome with sharp, bold, and crisp images and texts. Even the tiniest of fonts will come out effectively with this printer. Moreover, every minute the printer prints out 32 pages and has 250 sheets input capacity with fewer refills.

Convenience: It is a good printer for college with enough convenience for students, such as the easy-to-operate LCD. You can easily view and monitor the operation on display, and with one touch, the printer starts its job. All the components used for the printer are highly environment-friendly.

Connectivity: It has both USB connectivity and dual-band wi-fi for wireless connection as per users' needs. You can directly print from your device, connecting it with a USB port, also with your home's wi-fi.

Pros

• Very efficient printing
• Has wireless technology
• Compact and lightweight
• Easy to use and monitor with LCD screen
• Compatible with mobile devices

Cons

• Cannot scan and copy

6. Canon Pixma MG2522 All-in-One Inkjet Printer, Scanner & Copier

Let us get into the most affordable printer on the list costing around 60 bucks, the CANON PIXMA MG2522. Canon's Pixma models are highly reliable and affordable for college students and are trusted as the best printers for school. This inkjet all-in-one printer model has the perfect suitability for home printing and provides excellent color pay-off.

Key Features

• Inkjet
• Print, copy, and scan
• Print media: matte and glossy paper
• Dual-side printing
• Operating system: windows and mac

Highlighted Features

Output: You can buy this affordable printer for three types of document work, such as printing, scanning, and copying. The ink output is fine, dense, and even on both plain and glossy papers. Also, the dual side printing helps you save time and also paper cost in the long run.

Convenience : It is one of the best compact printers for college students living in hostels or dorms with limited space. It makes document printing quite easy on both plain paper and glossy paper, providing equal color transfer.

Connectivity: The printer has a USB port to connect it with your device and print directly from there.

Pros

• Extremely affordable
• Compact and space-saving
• Auto dual side printing
• Works on both matte and glossy paper
• Ink output is excellent

Cons

• It cannot work wireless

7. HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer

If you are looking for a high-tech smart printer at an affordable price, nothing can come across this HP ENVY printer. It is surely a printer to envy because it consists of many features, which will help a college student with many different projects as it has many print media options. In other words, you can say it is the best student printer on the list, considering the price too.

Key Features

• Inkjet
• Print, copy, scan, fax
• Goes wireless too
• Auto document feeder- 35 sheets
• Touchscreen display

Highlighted Features

Convenience : For convenient printing, HP has provided a 2.65 inches colored touchscreen display. You can also print, scan, fax and copy sitting anywhere from the smart HP mobile app. In the SD card slot, you save any important document for future use. Lastly, this envy printer works with every paper type, starting from matte, glossy, labels, photo paper, etc.

Output : It is one of the most economical printers with an auto-duplex printing system that saves paper wastage. Plus, for black and white print, the output is 15 ppm, and for colorful prints, the output is ten ppm. The printer's input capacity is 125 pages at a time, which is considered the highest.

Connectivity: You can go wireless, connecting the printer via dual-band wi-fi and Bluetooth. HP envy provides users with reliable connectivity. Alexa can also connect with the printer so that you can voice command the printer.

Pros

• Has multi-tasking ability
• Easy to operate with touchscreen
• Auto duplex printing saves paper
• Works on almost every type of print media
• Very affordable for students

Cons

• It can be confusing for beginners to use

8. Canon Office and Business MB2720 Wireless All-in-one Printer

Although it names an office and business printer, there is nothing less for college students in it. You can highly rely on this inkjet printer to deliver high-quality prints enough to impress your professor. Moreover, the multi-tasking ability, such as scanning, faxing, and copying, makes this printer an eye-candy for college students.

Key Features

• Inkjet
• Print media: plain paper
• Auto duplex printing
• Operates with windows and mac
• USB connectivity

Highlighted Features

Output: The printer has an auto-duplex printing system, which allows you to save time from reversing the pages continuously. Plus, it helps to save your paper. The ink output is commendable with the rich, dense, and sharp print smudge-proof in every plain paper.

Connectivity: It has a USB port where you can connect the printer with your mobile device, both android, and apple, and print directly from there. Other than that, you can manually command the printer from the pushbuttons and display it placed on top of it.

Convenience: The convenience is much greater with this canon printer as you can print, fax, copy and scan your documents with the same device. The main menu in the display consists of all the commands.

Pros

• Works with both the operating system
• Saves paper with duplex printing
• Ink is smudge-proof
• It comes with two high paper capacity cassettes
• Colour pay-off is sharp and dense
• Can scan, copy and fax too

Cons

• It is not a wireless printer
• Bulky

9. Canon PIXMA TR4520 Wireless All in One Photo Printer

The Canon PIXMA TR4520 is one of the best college printers considered the best printer for school. It ought to deliver sharp texts and images of all sorts. It is a budget-friendly inkjet printer, which is a dream for every college student. The small, compact, and lightweight design makes it accommodating and transferable. The high-resolution color pay-off makes it applicable on glossy papers only.

Key Features

• Auto duplex print
• Inkjet
• Print media: glossy paper
• Connects with wi-fi and Alexa
• Works with Windows and Mac

Highlighted Features

Output: With black and white ink, the printer has a sufficient printing speed of 8 ppm. Moreover, the auto-dual side printing saves your time of reversing the pages and saves 50% paper waste. This inkjet printer can print every small piece of text and image with good resolution on glossy papers.

Convenience: The printer is compact, which makes it a great homeschool printer too. There are push buttons and a display from where you can command the printer to print, including the number of pages and ink color.

Connectivity: Canon Pixma comes with two vital types of connectivity; one is USB, where you connect the port with your device and print directly from there. Another is wireless connectivity, wi-fi, where you connect the printer with Wi-fi and print from anywhere you are. You can also voice command the printer by connecting it with Alexa. Alexa also notifies you whenever ink is about to finish so that you can refill it on time.

Pros

• Affordable
• Colour pay-off is excellent
• Auto dual side saves time and paper
• Works with both the operating system
• Compact and lightweight

Cons

• Works on glossy paper only

This product made it easier for me to complete my class assignments. I couldn't have completed those without using this device. We always look for ways of connecting to the internet when it comes to a device. And this printer does all Wifi jobs efficiently. The HP Smarts App associated with this printer makes it unique.

10. HP DeskJet Plus 4155 Wireless All-in-One Printer

The HP DeskJet Plus, 4155 Wireless all-in-one printer, is the right option for those who inspect to print, copy and scan easily without even replacing the costly ink cartridges. To use this HP printer, you don't have to be an expert as it has a simple processing function.

It is a time and money-saving printer as it prints in a short time, and the amount of ink required to print out is really ink-saving. The printer is also known to be a multi-tasking powerhouse as it will give you high quality and borderless picture.

Key features

• Mobile Printing
• Wireless printing
• Share across multiple devices
• Easy installation

Compact Printing: Print, scan, and copy from virtually anywhere with your smartphone, and share your documents to third-party software like Dropbox and Google Drive using the HP Smart app.

Instant Inks: The best feature of this printer is its instant inks. These are really incredibly helpful in case of printing colorful and sensitive images.

Multiple device printing: There will be no more worrying about working with multiple devices. One can share the inkjet printer across all devices.

Easy to set up: The students won't find it difficult to set up the printer even if they are a newbie in using a printer. The printer has an instruction book so that anyone can set up the printer easily, so it is often considered to be the best printer for college students.

Pros:

• Top-notch color printing.
• It is effortless to operate and set up.
• Excellent wifi range for wireless printing.
• Run with HP smart app.

Cons:

• It uses excessive amounts of inks which may cost more money.
• This printer sometimes slows down while processing large documents.

Buying Guide for the Best Printer for College Student

To find the best printer for college students, you need to look out for a few things.

Efficiency

Since, as a college student, you will work a lot harder and deal with your term assignments, presentations, etc., you require a more efficient printer than a regular. The printer's efficiency varies from one another; some can print 100 pages per minute, whereas others can 500. Therefore, according to your need, buy the most efficient printer.

Multi-tasking

Who doesn't like a multitasking printer? To save your time and bucks of money buying separate scanners and photocopy machines, you can simply invest one time in a multitasking printer. It will do the scanning and photocopy other than just printing your document. You just need to command it.

Laser or Inkjet

Usually, a laser printer is suitable for college students to print out sharp and crisp documents of every font. Also, a laser printer is cheaper and budget-friendly compared to inkjet printers. However, if you think you need to add more graphics and colorful designs to your documents, you can go for inkjet printers. You can also play with colors on inkjet printers.

Ink cost and payoff

As a college student, your budget might be limited and understandable. Good-quality printer inks are expensive, and if you work with cheaper inks, the payoff is horrible. So, look out for printers that have a lower ink cost. There are also printer brands that offer discounts on their inks.

Types of Printers for College Student

There are a few different types of printers that a college student might want to consider when purchasing a printer. The three most common types are inkjet, laser, and all-in-one printers.

Inkjet printers are the most popular type of printer for students because they are affordable and offer high quality prints. Inkjets typically use four colors of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. This type of printer is best for printing photos and documents with graphics and text.

Laser printers are more expensive than inkjet printers, but they offer high speed printing and produce high quality prints. They also tend to last longer than inkjet printers. Laser printers use toner cartridges, which contain black powder and a charged image drum. When the laser printer prints, the cartridge is heated and the powder is melted onto the image drum. The paper then passes over the drum and the toner is transferred to the paper.

All-in-one printers are a great option for students because they combine the functions of a printer, scanner, and copier into one machine. This type of printer is ideal for students who need to print, scan, and copy documents on a regular basis. All-in-one printers are typically more expensive than inkjet or laser printers, but they offer a lot of bang for your buck.

Choosing the right printer for your needs can be tricky, but hopefully this article has helped you make a decision. If you are still not sure which printer is right for you, be sure to ask your friends or family for advice.

Benefits of Owning a Printer for College Student

A printer is a necessity for any college student. Not only does it allow you to print out your coursework, but it also comes in handy for printing flyers, posters, and other materials for club meetings and events. Here are some of the top benefits of owning a printer while in college:

1. Convenience

Having a printer at home means that you can easily print out whatever you need without having to go to the library or campus computer lab. This can save you time and hassle, especially during busy weeks when you have a lot of work to do.

2. Cost-Effective

Printing at home is often much cheaper than printing at a local business or copy center. In addition, many printers come with ink cartridges that can last for a long time, making them a more cost-effective option in the long run.

3. Versatility

A printer can be used for much more than just printing out coursework. You can also use it to create flyers, posters, and other marketing materials for your club or organization. This can help you save money on outside printing services.

4. Convenience

Having a printer at home means that you can easily print out whatever you need without having to go to the library or campus computer lab. This can save you time and hassle, especially during busy weeks when you have a lot of work to do.

5. Flexibility

Most printers today are wireless, which means that you can print from anywhere in your house. This is a great feature for students who like to work from home or need to print documents while on the go.

In short, there are many benefits to owning a printer while in college. If you're looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to print out your coursework, flyers, and other materials, then consider investing in a printer of your own.

How is Printer Ink Made?

Printer ink is different from regular pen ink, as it is made from a mixture of varieties of ingredients. The raw materials that require to produce printer ink are:

• Resins: it works as a binder to bind the ink into the printed surface by binding the ink together into a film
• Solvents: It makes the ink flow so that it can even transfer onto the paper
• Additives: Additives change the ink's physical property so that it can suit different types of papers.
• Pigments : Lastly, pigments, we all know pigments give color to the ink and make it opaque.

Now let us see how ink is formulated within two simple steps:

Step 1: Base

The ink base, also known as Varnish, combines resins, solvents, and high-temperature additives to form a homogenous mixture. The resins in the mixture react with the other molecules to make the varnish more viscous. And, this mixture is kept for a longer time to react.

Step 2: Add pigments

A pigment of choice is dispersed into the base and makes them break up the clumps of varnish. Thus, the pigment is more evenly spread throughout the ink, and you are ready with the ink.

Why Is Printer Ink So Expensive?

You may think, if a pen filled with ink can cost only five cents, then why is printer ink so expensive? The case is that printer ink takes a lot of time and effort to form, too, with high-quality raw materials. If the raw material and procedure quality are not ensured, then users will immediately stop using it.

Cheaper brands sell low-quality inks; hence, that required top-notch and rich print is a far story for those. However, branded ink manufacturers never play with quality! They go through other pre and post steps of making ink that will provide quality and reliability. Customers will be bound to return even if they sell expensive inks.

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) brands go through sufficient research and development before making ink. They are constantly thinking of improving the texture and longevity of the ink. The ink is made with much scrutiny and technology; the ink goes through a quality management process to no customer receiving defective products.

Whether you want rich ink or want to save on the money and switch to buying non-OEM ink brands depends on you.

How To Print College Documents?

If you face issues printing homework for your college with a printer, these simple steps will teach you how to do so. Being a beginner with printers can sometimes prove technical to print out documents sometimes, but you are all sorted out once you know.

Step 1: Get the file ready.

If your file is already in a word document, then you don't have to do anything. However, if your file is in email, download it via word document to get it ready for print.

Step 2: Click print

Go to the print in the file bar, and click print. You can also hold and press 'Control +P' together to open the print bar.

Step 3: Review

Now review each page by clicking the zoom out and in the arrow on the keyboard. Keep reviewing unless you find every page is ok to print out.

Step 4: Print out

Now that everything is fine, click the number of copies you want to print. Then, click 'print' and let the printer do its job.

FAQ about Printers For College Students

Do college students need printers?

College students do require the printer to get their homework and other documents printed independently. However, it is not mandatory to own a printer because college computer labs already have printers.

Is it worth buying a printer for uni?

It is worth having a university student printer because they must do loads of assignments throughout those years. Having its printer makes it easier for them to depend on themselves. However, the student needs to make sure whether they can bear the ink cost or not.

Is printer ink bad for the environment?

The printer cartridges, in general, are harmful to the environment when disposed of because they contain heavy metal inks that pollute the water when dissolved and can also lead to soil damage to some extent.

Is printer ink vegan?

Not all printer ink manufacturers use the same method to make ink. Some use animal by-products, such as bone char, fat, shellac, honey, etc. If you are vegan, then you should look out for vegan ink.

How to connect the printer to college wifi?

Simply like you would connect with your home wi-fi. Turn on the printer's wireless mode and provide your college wi-fi password to it. Hence, it is ready to be used.

Buy on eBay, Etsy, Walmart (limited quantity)

Brother MFC-J4335DW INKvestment Tank All-in-One Printer with Duplex and Wireless Printing - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Epson EcoTank ET-2760 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer, HLL2390DW, Convenient Flatbed Copy & Scan, - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Canon PIXMA TR4520 Wireless All in One Photo Printer with Mobile Printing, Black, Works - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Brother MFC-J1205W INKvestment Tank Wireless Multi-Function Color Inkjet Printer with Up - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Conclusion on Printer Buyers for College Student

I hope that I was detailed enough about the best college printers to make you have a choice. Whether you are the parent thinking of buying a printer for your child's college or the student yourself, these printers are reliable enough to make the printing experience the best.

Happy Printing!

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