Students are often painfully short of money. And so it's natural to want to seek out the absolute cheapest tablet. However, if you're using this for educational purposes, you don't want to cut off your nose to spite your face. You still want something pretty decent, both to help you be more productive in your studies, and help you relax and unwind when you get some downtime.
To help you make the right choice, we've put our tech experts to work. They've assessed a range of tablets, looking at everything from power, versatility and size to accessories and available apps. We've put this information together weighed up the pros and cons, and come up with a list of what we feel are the best tablets for students today, balancing price, power and performance.
This slim, powerful, and lightweight tablet comes with Apple's own M1 chip, making it immensely capable - especially when it comes to creative software. The screen is sharp and vibrant, while the front camera and USB-C have been improved from the previous devices. Read more below
With Apple Pencil 2 compatibility and a processor boost, this powerful and compact little iPad is a great option if you care more about portability than screen size. The brightness is even, the colour accuracy is impressive, and we love the new USB-C port. Read more below
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is a powerful tablet that, like iPad Pro, can be turned into a decent desktop computer by clicking in a cover/keyboard hybrid. Whichever model you choose – we advise the Intel builds, this is a quality tablet, with a fantastic screen and light and tactile build. Read more below
If Android tablets are more your speed, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra offers plenty of power at a reasonable price. It's a spacious slate, making it great for note-taking or sketching, and has some pretty powerful configurations too. Read more below
The Galaxy Tab 6 Lite may not be the newest tablet on the market, but you can still pick it up online, and often at a very tempting price. This means you can respectable performance and build quality, plus the S-Pen, for less. Read more below
If you're looking for a tablet/laptop hybrid, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 10.1 is a fine option. Not only does it come at a great price, it's perfect for things like research, writing and organisational tasks, and it's good for video conferencing too. Read more below
We were already big fans of the iPad Air. Now the new M2 version adds a level of power that comes very close to making it an iPad Pro. It's a powerful, slim and lightweight with a gorgeous screen, with great black levels, good brightness and the truetone option.
In our review, we found it capable of handling almost any task asked of it, from art apps such as Procreate to digital sculpting to video editing with Lumavision. Yes, the iPad Pro M4 is more powerful still, but quite frankly we feel this is overkill for students. And so the much more affordable price makes the iPad Air M2 the best tablet for students in our eyes. See our full Apple iPad Air (5th Gen) review for more details.
Ever since it received Apple Pencil support the iPad Mini has been a firm favourite of ours, and the September 2021 update made it an even better option, adding Apple Pencil 2 compatibility. It also got a processor boost that makes it a pretty powerful compact little device.
This iteration uses a reworked version of the A15 Bionic chip for powerful processing, and while some users may feel frustrated by only 4GB of RAM, realistically this should be enough for the tasks you'd want to do on a screen this small. We found the compact size and lightweight (less than 300g) make the tablet perfect for use on the go, for example on transport.
There's a very welcome USB-C port, which opens up a lot of possibilities. We found the brightness to be very even, making it pleasant to use for long periods, and we were very impressed with the colour accuracy. So while you're still paying a fairly premium Apple price, the iPad Mini 2021 offers solid value for money. See our full iPad mini 6 review for more details.
If you're looking for a powerful and adaptable tablet than runs Windows, then Surface Pro 9 is an excellent option. Like the iPad Pro, can be turned into a decent desktop computer by clicking in a cover/keyboard hybrid. Our Surface Pro 9 review found it comes with a fantastic screen, some neat features – such as the excellent web camera, and the ability to run full software, without relying on paired-down apps.
The thing to watch here is the build. The Intel i5 and i7 models are excellent high-end machines while the 5G SQ3 model is built for battery life, and so lacks some power to run complex software. For the money, I'd opt for the Intel i5 model, which can run full software such as Photoshop with ease and can be paired with the excellent Surface Pro stylus and keyboard for a complete package.
If you prefer an Android tablet and need plenty of power, the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra delivers that, and for a very reasonable price given its specs. You get a very big screen for a tablet – 14.6 in, which dwarves the largest iPad Pro. This makes it a good choice for those looking to take notes or sketch using the S Pen stylus, which refreshingly comes included as standard, making this even better value for a premium tablet.
You can take the specs up to pretty powerful configurations too, with up to 16GB in RAM and 512GB storage. The size makes this heavier than many tablets, and not so conveniently portable. But it does have a lovely slim, sleek design and we found the punchy screen fantastic for watching media and editing photos.
If you don't need the specs of the Ultra version, though, you might consider the cheaper standard Tab S8. See our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review for more details.
We've already recommended the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra above as the best tablet for students looking for an Android device. But if you don't need those specs, or you don't want such a large tablet, you could save money by going for an older, more budget Galaxy Tab.
The Galaxy Tab 6 Lite has long been superseded, but you can still pick it up online, and often at a very tempting price. It still provides respectable performance and build quality, and again, it comes with the S-Pen included. While it can't compete with some of the more advanced styluses out there, it's fine for note-taking and doodles.
Weight: 430g (tablet only), 920g (with full cover & keyboard)
Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
Screen size: 10.1 inches
Storage: 64 GB / 128 GB
Reasons to buy
+
Good 13-hour battery life
+
Stand and keyboard included
+
Neat and portable design
Reasons to avoid
-
Lack of power for high-demanding tasks
If you're looking for a tablet/laptop hybrid, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 10.1 is a fine option. Not only does it come at a great price, it's perfect for things like research, writing and organisational tasks, and it's good for video conferencing too.
The downside to running Chrome OS is the tablet lacks the power of an Apple or Windows device, and won't run desktop or intensive software. That aside, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 10.1 performs most tasks happily, and many desktop apps have mobile editions that can prove just as useful and are often far cheaper.
Overall, the Lenovo Duet is a well-designed tablet. It's a little chunky compared to Apple devices but that also means it's a sturdy device. The fact it comes packaged with a keyboard and stand is a bonus, and only serves to reinforce the value-for-money this budget tablet offers.
If you don't have a lot of money to spend, you can still get a tablet. It won't be able to do all the things the others on this list can, but you will be able to use it for basic things like emails, web browsing and streaming entertainment.
The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022) is similar to a cheap Android tablet, except it can't run Android apps: it's got Amazon's own operating system that's quite limited. But at this super-low price you can't complain.
Note that with Amazon Fire tablets, the number refers to the size of the tablet (as opposed to Samsung, Microsoft and Apple tablets in which the number refers to the generation). If you need a larger tablet, there's the Fire HD 10, but we like this 8in version for its compact size.
Which option is the best student tablet for you will depend on your requirements. We'd suggest considering size and weight: you'll want a tablet that can easily fit into your bag. Even with the largest tablets, like the 14in Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, they're still lighter and more portable than a laptop, but one of the reasons we rate the iPad mini so highly is that it offers good specs but also a very convenient size.
Some students will need high-level specs, especially those on creative courses who need to edit images or video. This is why we've included several of the most premium tablets around on our list. Unfortunately, these don't have such student-friendly prices, but you may be able to get an Apple student discount.
Otherwise, if you're studying a course that doesn't entail use of more demanding creative software, then you may be just fine with a cheaper tablet like an older Galaxy Tab S or the 2020 iPad Air, or the super economical Amazon Fire.
How we tested the best tablets for students
We review many tablets hands on at Creative Bloq, both drawing tablets and general-use devices. For our buying guides, we only include tablets that we have awarded three stars and above. We spend time with each tablet to test its usability, design, performance and portability, as well as assess the screen in terms of brightness, clarity and overall quality of the colours.
We test tablets under a mix of conditions, both in the home and on the go. As well as running benchmark tests, we use each tablet for our own projects and daily work tasks to test how well it copes with a real workflow. To test battery life we use the tablet on full charge and let it run down, and make a note of how long the battery lasts.
Yes, modern tablets are designed to be used for streaming video and video calls. Whether it's the latest Apple or a Chromebook you'll find new tablets are excellent for taking online classes. You will, however, need a stand so make sure you cost this in; Apple and Microsoft sell these separately while Chromebooks tend to come with them.
Is a laptop or tablet best for college?
Laptops tend to be better workhorses and come with the extra protection of a folding case to keep the screen safe and clean. However, tablets released in the 12 months, such as Apple iPad Air (5th Gen) or Microsoft Surface Pro 8, offer the best of both worlds – power and the portability of a tablet. To explore laptop options, see our pick of the best student laptops.
Is a tablet good for college?
We'd say so, the portability of a tablet, and ideally one with a touchscreen, stylus and keyboard, is a good option for daily classes and campus jostling. If you're looking to take notes, record audio and write a tablet is great. As a companion to a laptop, a Chromebook tablet is a good option as they're cheap and save to cloud storage / Google Drive.
How much do the best student tablets cost?
Of course, when choosing the best student tablet, price is a factor. Some students will require high-end specs that are inevitably expensive, especially those on creative courses that involve the use of graphically demanding software that requires a powerful chip and lots of RAM for a smooth experience. Such students will probably want to go for options like the iPad Pro or Surface Pro, which can even replace a laptop in some cases.
However, students on courses that don't require visual design software won't need that level of power and will be fine with a much more affordable tablet. In our pick of the best student tablets above, we've been sure to include some more economical options for those on a budget or who don't need the highest-end specs for their study.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
