Choosing the Best All-in-One Printer for College Students

In this blog, we explore the top all-in-one printers that are ideal for college students’ needs. We consider factors like printing speed, quality, multi-functionality (scanning, copying, and printing), as well as cost-effectiveness, particularly for those on a tight budget. Additionally, we look at features such as wireless connectivity, ease of use, and compact design to fit in small dorm spaces. We also present a range of options, from affordable basic models to more advanced printers with additional features like cloud printing, catering to different academic requirements. Our recommendations are based on thorough research, user reviews, and hands-on testing, ensuring students get a reliable and efficient printer for their college work.

With over 15 years of experience in office and educational technology, we’ve helped numerous students and educators select the best printing solutions. Our all-in-one printer buying guide for college students is based on real-world usability and technological trends to give you relevant and useful options for your academic printing needs.

Here is the list of the best printers for college students ranked based on their performance, features, and reliability.

Best Cheap Printers for College Student Reviews 2024

Table of Contents

Epson ECOTank ET-3710 Wireless Printer

Here is one of the most favorable printers, infused with a super-sized ink tank. Cartridge-free printing, accompanied by easy-to-fill tanks, can print about 5,200 pages, which is equal to 30 ink cartridge sets. Additionally, you can also get ink bottles in the replacement ink set, which can last up to 2 years easily.

With the low-cost replacement ink bottles, you can get up to 2 years of printing, costing about 2 cents per page. However, by using Genuine Epson Inks, you can get assured quality printing. It is highly recommended to use only the genuine ink formulated for your specific printer.

You can save a lot of time with the 150 sheets of paper tray that is easy to set up and navigate with a 2.4-inch color display. Besides, two-sided auto printing, scanning, copying, and borderless printing are also enabled.

Wireless printing has been taken to a whole new level, whether it is connected to smartphones or tablets. Wi-Fi Direct (7) plus Ethernet connectivity makes printing faster and more reliable to use.

Pros

  • Innovative voice-activated printing.
  • Advanced, space-saving, compatible design.
  • Ultimate wireless connectivity.
  • Sharp color documents with faster printing capability

Cons

  • No support for cardstock.
  • No wireless 5g connectivity.
  • I can’t print photos in high quality.

FAQs On Epson ECOTank ET-3710 Wireless Printer

How can I load the ink into the tank?

There is a super tank with the ink sufficient for up to 2 years easily for moderate users, but you can directly pour the ink until the tank is full.

Does it support printing legal-size paper?

Yes, it supports a legal-size paper of 8.5×14, but it is recommended to use only genuine Epson ink for better quality.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for never-ending ink for printing, then this Epson Expression EcoTank is the best student printer for all types of bulk printing.

Canon Pixma iP110 Wireless Mobile Printer

Incredible image quality and compact design, along with superior wireless connectivity features, make it the best printer for college students in 2024. With flawless wireless connectivity, you can save a lot of time by controlling the printer from any device. All you need is internet access, and you can easily edit and print your photos.

The Pixma Printing Solutions app is quite handy and can let you print photos or documents from your mobile. Moreover, you can also print directly from the chosen online cloud services on our mobile device using this PPS app, which is free to use.

You can edit and print the photos from anywhere if you have access to the internet. Besides, there is also the support of Wi-Fi and a wireless PictBridge for wireless transfers from anywhere in the house.

It has a maximum color dpi of 9600 x 2400, which delivers a high resolution for both photos and documents. The best thing about the iP110 model printer from Canon Pixma is that it is compatible with all Mac and Windows OS, besides Android, iOS, and Windows RT as well.

What We Like

  • The compact and lightweight design is quite favorable for both official and personal usage.
  • Separate printheads are available with different color tanks.
  • Fast, borderless printing is enabled.
  • It supports easy photo printing to edit and print photos from anywhere.

What We Don’t Like

  • Low page yields for print cartridges.

FAQs On Canon Pixma iP110 Wireless Mobile Printer

Does this printer come with separate ink bottles?

Yes, it comes with one black and one colon, but you should use only canon ink to refill instead of any other for better quality.

Is this printer compatible with the latest Macbook?

Yes, it is compatible with every laptop running macOS. You can also use the Canon app to access the printer.

Bottom Line

The Canon Pixma printer is the most convenient and feasible printer available to date due to the PPS app, which makes printing super fast and easy. You can transfer the documents easily for printing without needing to transfer them to a PC.

HP Office jet 3830 All-in-One Wireless Printer

Printers that are perfect for home are often limited to a certain performance level, but this 3830 model of wireless printer from HP is one of the most sophisticated ones. With incredible features such as an auto document feeder, a touch screen, and high-yield cartridges, it is one of the top-rated printers on the list of good printers for college students.

Every feature of this printer can be controlled by a smartphone. All you have to do is scan from your smartphone, order, and print from the cloud, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud. You can easily print high-resolution photos and documents from your mobile device.

The compact and lightweight design is favorable for home usage, as you can fit in on the desk, on the shelf, or anywhere else easily.

The 3830 model from HP is an all-in-one printer that can scan, copy, print, fax, and also perform wireless printing using cloud services. Besides, you can easily set up your printer by using the HP Smart app.

What We Like

  • All kinds of commonly used paper sizes are supported.
  • Optional quiet mode keeps the noise to a minimum.
  • Compatible with all clouds, starting from AirPrint to Google Drive and Dropbox.
  • The HP Smart app makes printing fast and smart too.

What We Don’t Like

  • Not a double-sided printer

FAQs On HP Office jet 3830 All-in-One Wireless Printer

Does it need an internet cord to connect with the smartphone?

No, unless you set it up for wireless printing, which opens many convenient ways to print in high resolution.

Is wireless connectivity faster than a USB connection on this printer?

No, not if your internet is fast enough to send the scanned photos and documents to the printer through cloud services. However, the USB connection is reliably faster.

HP OfficeJet 3830 All-in-One Wireless Printer, HP...
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Bottom Line

It is an all-in-one device that can perform print, copy, scan, fax, and borderless printing by using flawless wireless connectivity from a smartphone.

Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

This compact monochrome laser printer from Brother is one of the feature-packed devices that will lead the list of the best printers for college students in 2024. Starting from the automatic 2-sided printing feature to wireless mobile device printing and high-yield replacement toner, this printer has a wide number of options.

The compact and productive design of this printer perfectly fits a desk in tight spaces, which makes it a perfect solution for home usage.

The printer is highly optimized for efficiency with the HL L2350DW, which enables a print speed of 32 pages per minute.
Wireless printing allows you to submit printing tasks from any device, such as laptops, smartphones, desktops, and tablets.

What We Like

  • High-resolution prints with reliable speed
  • 250-sheet paper capacity improves efficiency
  • Both side print with automatic duplex support
  • All types of connectivity, such as Wi-Fi Direct, USB 2.0, etc. are available

What We Don’t Like

  • Supports one color, as in the name
  • Wireless connectivity is a bit laggy sometimes

FAQs On Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

Does it support the printing of thick paper or card stock?

Yes, it does support printing any thick paper or card stock easily at the same speed as other supported papers.

Is the printer compatible with Airprint?

Yes, it is compatible with Airprint as well as the cloud services of Google.

Bottom Line

This printer from Brother is one of the smart choices in this price range if you need to print only documents for record work or project work.

Brother MFC-J805DW Color Inkjet All-in-one printer

An all-in-one printer that supports all kinds of features, such as mobile device printing, enough ink to print for a long time, and mainly the indicator for ink, can favor the needs of college students in all aspects. This Inkjet All-in-One Printer from Brother is one such device that can live up to your expectations.

The printer provides uninterrupted printing with a large storage tank that can contain up to one year of ink in the box. You can print up to 150 pages per month, as the re-engineered ink cartridges featured in this printer can hold more ink and can also work with ink storage.

One of the best features of this handy, efficient, and power-packed printer from Brother is the ink level indicator, which makes it a step ahead of this generation. You do not need to go with the guesswork for refilling, as the numerical way of indication says it all on display.

Mobile device printing takes wireless printing to a whole new level using Airprint, Google cloud print, Wi-Fi direct, etc. Besides, it also supports desktop, smartphone, tablet, and mobile device wireless printing too.

What We Like

  • It comes with an ink level indicator.
  • Re-engineered ink cartridges hold more ink and, once refilled, can be used for up to one year.
  • High-resolution prints with vivid colors and sharp black
  • Mobile device wireless printing is quite reliable.
  • Super convenient and compatible with all devices.

What We Don’t Like

  • It doesn't support 11x17-size paper.
  • Not compatible with printing from a USB flash drive.

FAQs On Brother MFC-J805DW Color Inkjet All-in-one printer

Is this printer refillable?

No, this printer is not a refillable ink tank printer.

Does this print support USB flash drive printing?

No, this printer is not compatible with a USB flash drive.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a personal printer for college work to be set up at home, then you can't find a better choice than this printer in this price range.

HP Officejet Pro 8035 All-in-One Wireless Printer

The Officejet Pro 8035 model wireless printer from HP comes with some incredible features that make it a reliable device for college students to accomplish any task.

But the HP Smart App enhances its level of usage to a step ahead and makes it the best printer for college students in 2024. Starting from remote-activated printing to voice printing and incredible wireless connectivity, it is packed with all the useful features.

This printer delivers faster printing of over 20 pages per minute, is capable of many features such as faxing and scanning to USB, and is compatible to suit any home desk easily, thus saving a lot of space as well.

Eight months of instant ink already come in it, which is based on printing 100 pages per month. With such ink storage, you can just sync your printer with cloud services such as Google Drive and get your college documents ready by using software like Smart Tasks.

Self-healing Wi-Fi is one of the highlights of this printer, as it can detect and resolve any connectivity issues with the Wi-Fi easily.

What We Like

  • Remote printing is enabled using the HP Smart App.
  • Sustainable design.
  • It comes with a one-year hardware warranty.
  • Eight months of ink storage.
  • The speed of 20 pages per minute is quite impressive.

What We Don’t Like

  • Not compatible with 11 x 17 paper size.

FAQs On HP Officejet Pro 8035 All-in-One Wireless Printer

What type of ink cartridges can be used in this printer?

It is formulated for HP 910 Black, Magenta, Cyan, and yellow cartridges, and it is better to use only these cartridges for better quality.

How can this printer receive a fax?

This printer can receive faxes when it is connected to a dedicated telephone landline number

Bottom Line

High-resolution supported prints, followed by incredible wireless connectivity and mobile connectivity for rich and vivid printing quality, make it the best choice for college students for project work submission.

Best College Printers Buying Guide 2024

An increase in the number of companies is creating immense confusion in selecting the best printers and leaving students in a dilemma. Expert buying guides can help in such a scenario to crack the best deal from the market for college printers.

What Is the Best All-in-One Printer for a College Student?

The best printer for a college student is one that can flawlessly accomplish all kinds of tasks and then have some advanced features for better convenience and storage space as well.

  • Whether it is a laser printer or an inkjet, it should have enough potential to print documents or photos faster and with high resolution.
  • Secondly, wireless connectivity to the printer plays an essential role.

As not all college students have laptops or desktops, mobile connecting printers can be quite favorable for transferring as well as printing faster from cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Air print, etc.

Benefits of Printers In The College

Saves time and expenses on printing: – Time and money are the first and foremost reasons for which a college student should surely have a printer. Traveling to the nearby internet car from time to time and spending time in that place for editing and transferring files is quite a time taking.

In the same way, printing is quite expensive, and when it comes to bulk printing for record books, you will have to pay an inch of money for sure. Having a printer at home can reduce all these expenses to a great extent.

Printed material is the official way of submission: – No matter whether you are on a project work of engineering or doing research work for Management courses, printed materials are the best way to submit your work to your professors. On the other hand, even though the digital world is growing rapidly, most professors prefer printed materials.

Make printed notes for assignments: – Assignments in professional courses carry a lot of marks of the semesters, and printed assignments are way more compelling than handwriting. Nowadays, universities are accepting only printed assignments too.

Factors to consider when selecting printers

After choosing among inkjet, laser, or multi-functional printers, you should consider all these essential factors before buying a printer.

Size: – Keep in mind that your printer will be placed in your home, and thus a compatible model that can easily be kept on the desk is a better choice. A lightweight one is also a favorable one as you may need to place it on the shelf as well.

Performance: – Second to size, performance plays an essential role in choosing a printer for your college needs. The speed of printing is one of the main criteria that one should consider while analyzing the performance of the printer. The printer with the highest images per minute is surely the best one.

Ink storage capacity: – Ink storage tank or cartridge capacity is also one of the major aspects that should be considered before buying. Many printers have ink tanks without needing to refill from time to time. In this case, the printer with the largest capacity is the best one. The modern printer also has a dedicated ink level indicator, which is a convenient way to look after the remaining ink.

Requirements of essential hardware interface: – A printer can work for your needs only when it is equipped with the required accessories in it. Starting from the better connectivity options to the connectivity ports, a printer should have all essential needs to fulfill the requirements of the college students from all aspects. On the other hand, a printer that can scan, fax, copy, and print two-sided are the best one to be preferred.

Image processing software: – Besides the hardware infused in it, the software also plays a major role in providing the best output from the printer. Software with the most advanced image processing technology is only capable of printing the vivid color of the image scanned.

Support for all kinds of paper: – The need for print can be in several forms, of which printing thick papers for record books is one of the most common ones. A printer should print all these papers, including thick papers too.
Besides these factors, there are several other essential needs, such as support for dropout colors, compatibility with various devices and OS, availability of USB port and Noise reduction features, etc. that one should see before buying a printer.

FAQs: Best Printers For College Students Reviews

Is a laser printer a good choice for college students?

The project works, and preparing record books for college needs bulk printing for many seminars, and finally, the book of submission.

  • All these works need faster performance from printers, which is why laser printers are the best choice for college students.
  • Not only about performance or speed, but laser printing is also known to be the best one for printing clear black text without any distortion with high resolution and clear text.
  • On the other hand, college students essentially need to print papers for which laser printers are the best fit in all aspects.

However, if you are into photo printing for some activities, then inkjet printers can make your work easier.

Which type of printer should be preferred—the one with the compatible size or the one with a huge ink storage tank?

A printer with a compatible size is surely a good choice for college students, as it should be placed on shelves or desks in addition to desktops.

  • For such spaces, printers are surely needed to be as compatible as possible so that they can be convenient for bulk paper printing at times too.
  • On the other hand, the size of the ink tank is also a considerable aspect. If you don't want the stress of refilling the tank often, then a printer with more capacity is surely convenient.

Nowadays, printers with incredible software processing also come with more tank capacity and ink to get you up to a year or two. But you have to make a choice between compatibility and convenience based on your situation at home. 

Which printer is the best for software image processing?

Although there are a lot of printers that are emerging rapidly one after another, printers from HP and Brother have one of the best models of printers that leads the market in software processing of images.

  • If you are looking for printing photos with sharpened edges, vivid colors, and high resolution, then these printers are considered the best ones on the market right now.

However, some other printers are also slowly making their way into this software department of processing. This includes Epson as well. But when it comes to printing colorful photos with high resolution, HP and Brother are surely a safe zone for your investment.

Should I prefer a double-sided printing-supported printer?

Double-sided printing or duplex functionality-supported printing is one of the best ways to reduce the time consumption of printing paper in bulk.

  • This also includes printing photos on specific paper sizes. However, the printers with this feature are surely the most favorable ones among the competitors in this range in the industry.
  • HP printers, when accompanied by smart applications and dual printing functionality, make the printing procedure way simpler to control.

If you are getting a printer that supports both sides' printing features in the expected price range, then it is surely a time reduction factor for printing, which is quite convenient.

Final Words

Printers for college students at home are quite essential these days, as the project work and research-based documents to be submitted in class need to be in paper format.

From this list of the best printers for college students in 2024, you can surely find the most suitable ones for your needs. But if you are looking for an all-over best model, then HP with HP smart App connectivity can make most of your printing work faster, more convenient, and more reliable.