Top Printers for Students of 2024 Ranked

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By

Evan Shephard Avatar

Reviewed By

Evan Shephard
Updated Jun 11, 2024 1:16 PM
best printer students guide that shows the top best printer model

A whopping 75% of electronic and appliance reviews are untrustworthy. That’s why every reviewer gets a Trust Rating so our True Score System filters out the fake reviews. See how we do it.

When you’re choosing a printer for students, key features like affordability, ease of use, and versatility are essential. Student printers need to handle everything from essays to color projects efficiently. Important pain points include high ink costs and slow printing speeds, so it’s critical to find models that minimize these issues while offering dependable performance.

We analyzed over 30 printers and filtered out fake reviews to present the top four models in our guide. Our process involved certifying tested products and scrutinizing 149,235 reviews, identifying that 67% of experts weren’t trustworthy. Using our proprietary Trust Score, we ensure the winning models are the best printers in their class.

How Did We Rank the Best Printers for Students?

Our comprehensive printer guide for students is the product of rigorous analysis, drawing from over 200 sites. We examined testing methods, customer feedback, and expert reviews to identify 2 essential test results, 2 additional desirable results, and 1 critical specifications. This process ensures that we highlight the most relevant features and performance metrics, providing students with a trusted resource for choosing the perfect printer.

Our commitment to unbiased reviews is powered by our ‘True Score’ system, targeting low quality and fake reviews. When you shop through our links, you’re backing our mission. Dive deeper to see how.

?️ Minimum Specifications

  • Low price, low printing cost.

? Test Criteria

  • Print Speed: Black & White Printing Speed exceeds 20 pages per minute (ppm).
  • Printing Costs: Printing costs are less than 7 cents per page.

? “Nice To Haves”

  • Color Accuracy: Color accuracy is maintained with a deviation (dE) of less than 6.
  • Print Speed: Color Printing Speed surpasses 12 pages per minute (ppm).

Latest Updates

  • 06/11/2024: Republished the list to include the best printers for students based on our True Score system.

Top Printers for Students For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Canon imageCLASS MF455DW

    • Best For Canon

    Ideal for students, the Canon imageCLASS MF455DW excels in efficiency and versatility, offering speedy, cost-effective monochrome printing with comprehensive connectivity and all-in-one functionality.

    Canon imageCLASS MF455DW Review →

    True Score

    89
    90
    2

    Experts

    88
    999

    Customers

    SAVE $150
    $369.99
    $219.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Brother HL-L2325DW

    • Best For Chromebook

    The budget-friendly Brother HL-L2325DW excels in fast, monochrome printing, offering simplicity, cost efficiency, and robust connectivity, ideal for students and text-heavy tasks.

    Brother HL-L2325DW Review →

    True Score

    79
    77
    2

    Experts

    87
    2k

    Customers

    $189.99

    Category Snapshot

    Printers

    • Total Brands/Products Tested

      5 Brands, 26 Products

    • Top 2 Brands

      Epson, Canon

    • Price Range (Budget-Premium)

      $30-$1,000

    • Average True Score

      80.95

    • Important Test Criteria

      Mono & Color Print Speed (in/s, cm/s)

      Color Accuracy (dE)

    • Most Trusted Testers

      rtings and tech gear lab logos

    • Top Printer Experts

      Ryan Lim, Lesley Robinson

    • Typical Warranty

      1 year

    • Covered by Insurance

      Yes – AKKO

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840

    • Best For Epson

    The Epson WF-7840 is a versatile printer that excels with fast, accurate color printing for academic and creative needs despite its mid-range price.

    Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Review →

    True Score

    78
    77
    2

    Experts

    82
    3k

    Customers

    SAVE $120
    $349.99
    $229.99

Which Criteria Matters for Testing Best Printers for Students?

By focusing on these criteria (1 required, 1 nice to have), anyone can quickly and easily compare these printers and how they’ll perform. This helps you make an informed decision and purchase a printer for a student.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
B&W Print Speed> 20 ppmYesHow fast a printer can produce purely black and white pages while printing.
B&W Printing Costs< 7 centsYesHow much a black and white page costs to print.
Color Print Speed> 12 ppmNo (Nice to have)How fast a printer can produce color pages and photos while printing.
Color Accuracy< 6 dENo (Nice to have)How much the color printed by a printer deviates, on average, from the reference color.

Our Trusted Data Sources

We looked at 80+ printers reviewers and found that 23 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Rating). The three we have listed below are our most trusted for printers.

  1. Ryan Lim – Rtings, LinkedIn
  2. Lesley Robinson – TechGearLab, LinkedIn
  3. Ben Keough – Wirecutter, MuckRack, LinkedIn

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every printer review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Ratings from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

Printers Test Data & Results

1. Print Speed, Black & White (PPM)

The primary job of a printer is to print out pages, and black & white print speed tests are just measurements of how long it takes a printer to produce pages that are purely black and white. The better a printer is at printing in black and white, the more pages it’s able to produce in a minute.

Print speed is largely a matter of convenience, so while we have a minimum speed we suggest (generally around 20 pages per minute) there’s no real downside to a printer being slower if you’re using it at home – you’ll just end up having to wait longer to finish printing out a document. However, printers in professional settings need to be snappy because they’re going to be used constantly, and the faster a printer is able to produce documents, the better.

Print Speed, Black & White (PPM; higher is better)

2. B&W Printing Costs (Cents per page)

Using your printer uses up ink, which means it costs money. Printing costs are usually measured as cost per print (or page) and are gauged by calculating how much each print costs by comparing the cost of an ink or toner cartridge to the total number of pages printed by the cartridge.

Print costs should ideally be as low as possible, with the greatest number of pages per cartridge being the obvious “goal” to aim for. Black ink, being the cheaper ink, means that black and white printing costs are usually lower on a per page basis. If you’re printing constantly, getting the cost as low as you can means you’ll be spending less on cartridges in the long run.

B&W Printing Costs (in cents per page; lower is better)

3. Print Speed, Color (PPM)

Much like black and white print speeds, color printing speed is simply a measure of how long it takes a printer to print out color documents and photos. If you’re purely printing photos, you’ll see an ever further reduced speed (given the size of photographs and the detail they demand.)

Color print speed is less important (generally) than black and white speeds, simply because it’s usually done less. However, if you’re constantly printing photos at home or in the office, higher print speeds are good to keep you from waiting around for a print job to finish.

Print Speed, Color (PPM; higher is better)

4. Color Printing Costs (cents per page)

The other side of the coin when it comes to printing costs is the cost for printing using colored ink or toner. While it’s measured the same was as you’d measure black and white printing costs, the acceptable cost is much, much different. Colored ink is more expensive than black and white ink, and if you’re constantly printing photos, the cost of printing in color will ramp up very fast.

We therefore recommend that your printer print color pages at a cost of 40 cents per page or less. Less is always better – getting the cost as low as possible without compromising print quality is the ideal, after all.

Color Printing Costs (in cents per page; lower is better)

5. Color Accuracy (dE)

Color accuracy with printers uses a mix of standardized references (like the Adobe ColorChecker) and a color control sensor to check the accuracy of the colors printed by a printer and then grades the accuracy on a 10-point+ scale. Unlike most scales, where 10 is good, color accuracy scores are reversed, with 0 and 1 being the most desirable score, as it indicates little to no deviation from the reference color.

Generally speaking, color accuracy should be at least a 5 or lower to be considered “good.” At 6 or higher, the colors are noticeably different, which is an issue if you’re printing photos and hoping for accurate colors.

Color Accuracy (lower is better)

Best Printers for Students: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Overlooking Budget Considerations: While affordability is important for students, it’s essential to balance upfront costs with long-term expenses. Consider not only the initial price of the printer but also ongoing costs such as ink or toner cartridges. For those prioritizing cost-effectiveness, the best printer with cheap ink can substantially lower the overall cost of ownership, making it an ideal choice for students who require frequent printing without the financial strain.

  2. Ignoring Printing Needs: Assess your specific printing needs as a student. Do you primarily print text documents, essays, or research papers? Or do you also require color printing for presentations or graphics? If your coursework requires printing large-format materials like posters or architectural plans, consider investing in the best large-format printer. Similarly, if you need to print on both sides of the paper frequently, look for a great duplex printer to save on paper and enhance efficiency. Choose a printer that meets your printing requirements without unnecessary features that inflate the price.

  3. Disregarding Space Constraints: Consider the available space in your dorm room or apartment. Opt for a compact printer that fits comfortably on a desk or shelf without taking up too much space. All-in-one printers (with scanning and copying capabilities) can save space by combining multiple functions into one device.

  4. Underestimating Printing Speed: As a student, you may have tight deadlines and need to print documents quickly. Look for a printer with fast printing speeds to minimize waiting times and maximize productivity, especially during busy periods like midterm or final exams.

The Best Printers for Students Tests Compared

Product
True Score
B&W Print Speed
Color Print Speed
B&W Printing Cost (per page)
Color Printing Cost (per page)
Color Accuracy
89
  • 24.95 ppm

  • No Data ppm

  • 3.6¢

  • 6.8¢

  • 0

$219.99
$370
$150

Brother HL-L2325DW

  • Best for Chromebook

79
  • 25.3 ppm

  • No Data ppm

  • 3.8¢

  • No Data¢

  • 0

$189.99
78
  • 22.75 ppm

  • 9.5 ppm

  • 4.4¢

  • 12.2¢

  • 6.33 dE

$229.99
$350
$120

Printers for Students Questions (FAQ)

What are the key features to look for in a student printer?

Students should look for affordability, reliability, and cost-effective printing. Compact size and wireless connectivity are also important for dorm room settings.

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