8 Best Tablets For College Students In 2023 (Reviews)

Are you looking for tablets for college students? A computer or tablet is necessary for the current educations system. With the advanced learning modes, the students need a computer system. Scholars usually need a lightweight, multifunctional, and easily portable tablet.

The tablets can help you take notes right away and complete many other demanding college assignments.

A tablet is easy to use and portable, and as a student, you can share or copy your work, even if it’s your coursework and creative work.

You can also relax on social media or watch YouTube and Netflix with a tablet.

Students can easily download and install the essential applications from the play store or read an e-book on their tablets anywhere. The student doesn’t want to carry a heavy laptop and huge textbooks. That’s why many students prefer tablets instead of laptops.

Who are tablets for?

In terms of their form factor, tablets are not the most powerful devices in their price category. However, the performance of all the tablets listed below is sufficient for everyday research work with Chrome, Word, and even for simple image processing with Photoshop or GIMP.

The devices mentioned are sufficient for writing more extended work, for which you have to do intensive research. However, if you aim for a technical degree, such as computer science or media design, you should either have a more powerful desktop PC at home or buy a more powerful laptop.

The tablets with pen support are convenient when you can carry out tasks directly. You no longer need printouts but can do tasks from the university on the tablet and send the PDF for submission. You save yourself the printing and scanning of quite a few documents per semester.

In a Hurry! Then this is my Best Pick

This year’s best tablet for college students is Apple iPad because Apple is known for its quality products. It has a 10.2-inch Retina display with an A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, 8MP camera, and 1080p video recording. Large storage capacity of 128 GB with 10 hours of battery life.

Also, it is budget-friendly. That is why I selected this. If you don’t have much time, you can go with this. Please read more information about it below.

What Should You Look For When Looking For The Best Tablets For College Students?

Students want a tablet that can track (or surpass) the functionality of a simple laptop, especially since the average student’s needs are generally more than a means of taking notes or taking the occasional quiz.

Student tablets should be a bit more rugged, with enough storage space, a fast processor, a readable screen, and the ability to run essential applications that make the tablet a helpful tool.

1. Price

Price is an essential factor when choosing the best tablets for college students. If you have a low budget, then spend according to your budget. Try to look for a tablet with a fair price and excellent quality.

2. Display

Many tablets come with an IPS (LCD) display, which is older than an AMOLED display. The most significant advantages of AMOLED displays are their low energy requirements, high contrasts, and rich colors. So it is best to go with a tablet with an AMOLED display.

Also, make sure it has a minimum 8 inches screen size with a 1920 x 1080 (FHD) display.

3. Storage

You will save lots of lessons and notes for reference if the tablet has enough storage. The file size is generally large, and you need to make sure that the tab does not run out of space quickly. So choose a tablet that has storage of a minimum of 32 GB.

4. Battery Life

It is best if the tablet has longer battery life. So a tablet must have an average of 6 hours of battery life.

5. Processor

Nobody would like to use an electronic device that is not fast. It entirely depends on the type of processor that the gadget has. If you want your tablet to work more quickly, make sure it has a quad-core processor or upper.

6. RAM

2 GB of RAM works fine, but 4 GB or 8 GB is best.

7. Weight

If you are looking for a tablet that you can carry everywhere without any hassle, I recommend tablets with weight of not more than 2 lbs.

You have read the essential factors to consider when buying tablets for college students. Now let’s see the 8 best tablets for college students, which I have listed based on these 7 factors. You can also find FAQs at the end of this article.

10 Best Tablets For College Students 2023 – At a Glance

#	Product
1	Apple iPad	View on Amazon
2	Apple iPad Air	View on Amazon
3	Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	View on Amazon
4	Samsung Galaxy Tab S7	View on Amazon
5	Fire HD 10 Tablet	View on Amazon
6	Microsoft Surface Pro 7	View on Amazon
7	Lenovo Tab M10 Plus	View on Amazon
8	Microsoft Surface Pro X	View on Amazon

Now, let’s see a detailed review of these tablets and their features, display, processor, RAM, performance, and pros and cons. I hope this may help you to choose a tablet.

So, let’s get into it.

1. Apple iPad – Best Pick

Design

First Tablet For Students is the Apple iPad. The rear is finished in aluminum and gold/silver/space gray. The touch is charming. How could it be otherwise? And the good thing about this type of finish is that it helps the footprints not remain marked. I find the camera integrated into the chassis and the antenna on the top in this rear, but nothing else.

We have the Lightning port (and not the USB-C port) and the two speakers. On the right, we find the volume buttons in an easily accessible position when holding the tablet horizontally and the SIM card slot. This tablet has Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity options.

On the left, we have the advanced port to connect the keyboard case; and on the top, we have the headphone jack port ( almost in danger of extinction ), one of the microphones, and the power button, also in a comfortable position. Unfortunately, iPad does not have memory card slots or any MicroSD card slot.

Display & Audio

It has a 10.2-inch LCD panel screen size with 2,160 x 1,620 pixels of resolution, 264 pixels per inch, and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. It is a screen more than a solvent used in broad daylight, although we will most likely use it in the home/school/college environment and, therefore, indoors.

Like the 2020 model, the iPad (2021) is compatible with Apple Pencil, specifically with the first-generation model.

In short, it is a perfect screen to be Apple’s entry model. Whether used to read, watch a movie, or play, the iPad panel (2021) comes out well.

As for the sound, the iPad (2021) performs well. The device has given us an excellent experience watching movie content on YouTube and lives on Twitch. It is also suitable for listening to music, and here is a mini point for Apple to keep the headphone jack.

Performance & Hardware

It comes with Apple A13 Bionic, a processor that we already know more than well and offers outstanding performance.

Some will argue that it only has 4 GB of RAM (like last year) and that it is little, but the truth is that we cannot compare 4 GB of RAM in an iPad and 4 GB of RAM in an Android tablet or smartphone. With 4 GB of RAM, it is more than enough to do with this tablet.

It comes with 64 GB or 256 GB of built-in storage. If you use it intensively, I recommend going directly to the 256 GB model to heal your health.

iPadOS 14 shines on its own, not just because of how well integrated it is with other products in the Apple ecosystem but also because of the number of well-optimized apps.

There are many applications adapted to the iPad, including the classic office automation that now, in addition, we can use split-screen, something interesting to take notes, work, or study.

The battery has never been a problem in an iPad, and this time it was not going to be less. Battery backup for 10 hours to watch movies and videos, play a game, and use the device to navigate.

2. Apple iPad Air – Most Recommended For Students

Design

We come to the tablet, and of course, the comparison with the predecessor comes first. The iPad Air is one of the best-recommended tablets for students. The iPad Air took a huge leap forward in 2020. The new generation moves closer to the Pro series with the angular unibody made from 100 percent recycled aluminum.

Because the dimensions are almost the same, the Air is compatible with the accessories of the iPad Pro – the Apple Pencil, for example, docks magnetically onto the frame without any problems.

The front side also benefits from the new design. The display bezels are a bit wider than on the Pro models. The modern look is convincing, especially since Cupertino serves the usual high standards of quality and feel.

Display & Audio

Apple iPad Air has a screen size of 10.9-inch and a Liquid Retina display, one of the highest quality screens on the tablet market. In addition, it offers a high resolution of 2,360 x 1,640 pixels in the 4.3: 3 format of the iPad Pro 11.

This format is particularly well suited for working and reading, but for series and films traditionally offered in 16:9 format, this means thick black borders. In contrast to its direct predecessor, the now fourth iPad Air provides an 81 percent display area because it does not have a home button.

Apart from its high resolution, the IPS display is also convincing: We measured a very high brightness of 515 cd / m² and a good checkerboard contrast of 138:1. But the special highlight of the Air-Display lies in its colors.

This tablet is one of the most recommended for students. Watch movies or play games with high-quality landscape stereo speakers.

Performance & Hardware

Although it is significantly cheaper than its Pro colleagues, equipped with the new Apple A14 Bionic, the Apple tablets are among the most influential models in our entire list of the best.

With the iPad Air, all processes happen extremely quickly, be it the startup process, opening applications, or multitasking. Extensive video and image editing is no problem using the appropriate apps, and 3D gaming runs smoothly.

But apart from subjective impressions, the iPad scores with its performance. The tablet achieved excellent results in the performance benchmark: 3DMark determined a strong 8,007 points, while the complex GFX benchmark “Manhattan Onscreen” earned an average of 45.4 images per second.

With a productivity score of 1,892 points and, in particular, the high-speed rendering of our test PDF within just 2 seconds, the Air easily secured first place on the podium at the time of the test. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is the only Android tablet to offer comparable performance.

The performance of the 7,730 mAh battery in the iPad Air is decent, albeit not outstanding. The tablet lasted for around 10 hours in the test, which applies to continuous video playback and surfing the net.

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 – Best 2-In-1 Tablet

Design

Narrow display bezels on tablets always trigger mixed feelings. Yes, the tablet is remarkably compact, and it looks impressive when the 10.5-inch screen of the Galaxy Tab S6 covers the front by 82.5 percent. However, your fingers look like the visually very similar Apple iPad Pro from 2018, where you can hold the tablet safely.

You can do that with the Tab S6 without significant fatigue effects because, at 430 grams, the Tab S6 is lightweight. It feels more like a heavy smartphone and underpins this impression with a case thickness of only 5.7 millimeters. Since Samsung uses high-quality materials, the tablet appears stable enough to be transported without a case.

Because you won’t find wide gaps on the Galaxy Tab S6, the three buttons on the right and the vibration motor make a good impression. The antenna guides, which Samsung leaves unpainted around the device, make the tablet look old-fashioned.

You can connect it with a detachable keyboard, but it is sold separately, frustrating.

Display & Audio

The 10.5-inch Samsung tablet display has a resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 pixels in WQXGA and displays 16 million colors. Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology makes the screen shine and, as usual, delivers very high contrasts.

The display is fantastic and offers enough brightness to be read on the go. As is typical for Samsung, the color balance is a little oversaturated.

If you watch Netflix films on your tablet, everything looks a little too colorful – if you don’t like it, you can turn down the saturation using the “Natural” screen mode. However, Samsung also switches off the blue filter, which is easy on your eyes in the evening hours.

When the tablet was slightly bent, we couldn’t determine any halos, pixel errors, or pressure points. Samsung proves once again a flair for magnificent displays.

Samsung has also installed a fingerprint sensor in the display, which is not visible to your eyes. The four speakers deserve a special mention, and thanks to their sufficient power, they almost sound like an inexpensive Bluetooth speakers.

Performance & Hardware

It features a Snapdragon 855 processor in a tablet. The octa-core processor ensures perfectly smooth performance in the system, and only a higher frame rate (e.g., 90Hz) on display could increase the experience even more. The device also processes current 3D games from the Playstore without any restrictions.

The benchmark values also speak for themselves. Of course, the modern UFS 3 storage system also helps a lot. The WiFi version is only available with 128GB of memory, and if you need 256GB, you have to use the LTE version. However, the memory can be expanded as required with a micro SD, accompanied by a significant difference in speed compared to the main memory—surfing, daddling, and working.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 masters these disciplines to perfection. The WiFi version is available with 6GB RAM and the LTE version with 8GB, sufficient for multitasking. The RAM achieves above-average transfer rates of 27 GB/s.

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – Best Samsung Tablet For College Students

Design

I think the design of the Galaxy Tab S7 series looks very modern. Samsung is now using sharper edges, just like with the iPad Pro. The case is made of aluminum and feels very high quality – just as you would expect from a premium tablet.

At just 5.7mm, the larger one is a bit thinner than the 6.3mm regular Tab S7. Samsung sells the devices in black, silver, and bronze. As is now familiar with higher quality devices, there is no headphone jack.

We still get a MicroSD card slot and a USB C 3.2 Gen 1 port. You can not only connect accessories such as SSDs, but also external monitors.

The Galaxy Tab S7 + fingerprint scanner sits under the screen, which looks very modern. However, in the simple Tab S7, the fingerprint reader is built into the power button. Both work very precisely and quickly.

Display & Audio

The Galaxy Tab S7 also supports 120Hz. And with 2560 x 1600 pixels, it is even a little sharper at 11 inches. But unfortunately, the similarities with the Tab S7 + end here. Samsung decided to equip the S7 with an LCD panel instead of an AMOLED. This isn’t very pleasant. Sure, it’s a good LCD compared to other Android tablets. But in direct comparison with the S7 +, the black looks washed out.

With earlier AMOLED displays from Samsung, you could sometimes see a kind of rolling shutter effect when scrolling horizontally. You can watch Netflix with HD resolution on both devices.

So if the screen is essential to you and you want to watch films and series, the S7 offers a better experience. This also applies to the sound quality. It has quad speakers tuned by AKG with Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Performance & Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC, which is one of the fastest chips for Android. Depending on the version, 6GB or 8GB RAM are included, 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB internal memory. LTE and 5G are also an option.

In benchmarks such as Geekbench 5 and 3D Mark, this tablet does significantly better than the Galaxy Tab S6 from last year. This makes them more potent than any other Android tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is still the fastest Android tablet you can buy right now for college students, and you can play pretty much any game with the highest graphics settings. Fortnite, for example, also runs smoothly if you set the graphics to “Epic.” And the same goes for PUBG Mobile and Call Of Duty.

Most games don’t support 120Hz displays yet, but some do. These include Mortal Kombat, Grimvalor, and Off The Road. They’re going great.

Everything else is also fluid. I worked a lot with the Samsung DeX desktop mode and used Microsoft Word, Chrome, YouTube, Samsung Notes, and others simultaneously, and it runs very smoothly.

5. Fire HD 10 Tablet – Best Selling Tablet

Design

Thick housing frame, wide display bezels, plastic surfaces all around, and a visible and tangible transition between the chassis and the glass cover: with its retro design, the Amazon Fire HD 10 looks rather old-fashioned and exudes anything but a high-quality feel.

In addition, it weighs an impressive 504 grams, more than any of the other 10 x inch competitors that were used for comparison. This should be surprising because the low purchase price leaves no room for metal surfaces, specially treated surfaces, or other design highlights.

The Fire HD 10 cannot and does not want to compete with premium tablets but classifies itself as inexpensive surfing, multimedia, and shopping tablet. Besides, Fire HD 10 is one of the best budget tablets.

Display & Audio

Amazon has given the Fire HD 10 the same 10.1-inch IPS display as its predecessor. Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet comes with an aspect ratio of 16:10 along with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. The display also has excellent features that set it apart from cheaper tablets. The color rendering is also good, and it is fully laminated.

The brightness is not excellent but fine. An active stylus is not supported. But it supports the necessary DRM standards so that you can watch Netflix with HD resolution. So the display isn’t new, but it’s still perfect for this price range.

On one of the long sides, there are a total of two loudspeakers, with which you can perceive a real stereo separation. There are two speakers, and therefore the sound quality is not as good as with tablets with four. For the price, I think the sound is good enough. You can watch YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Video properly with it.

Performance & Hardware

The Amazon Fire HD 10 has twice as many CPU cores as the 2017 version. The built-in octa-core processor. Amazon does not make big leaps because the hardware is still lower middle class.

The performance is satisfactory for everyday tasks. Standard apps load fast enough and run smoothly. It would be best if you got less demanding games to work on. The benchmark results are okay for the price of the Fire HD 10. It is at least enough for multimedia and home office control.

The battery life of the Amazon Fire HD 10 is pleasing: the tablet managed a continuous loop of video for 15:34 hours, which is currently the top value in the list of the best. The runtime with simulated internet usage is also good at 12:50 hours. Only the charging time is quite long at 4:15 hours. A 9-watt power supply is included in the scope of delivery. Overall, the battery result is good.

6. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – Best Windows Tablet

Design

The design and construction of the Surface Pro 7 are traced to those of the Surface Pro 6. This convertible laptop has a very successful design, although not perfect, with a first-division construction.

Again, the fold-out stands on the back with the eye-catching Microsoft logo. Available in matte black, black, and platinum. Besides, it has high rigidity and excellent shock absorption capacity.

The volume rockers and the on / off switch offer a solid pressure point. Only the relatively wide frame around the display no longer looks very contemporary.

The front camera is enclosed, and the main camera is located precisely on the opposite side. A magnesium housing is used on the rear of the materials. Its low weight (800g) and high stability meet medical students’ needs.

Display & Audio

One of the most vital features of the Surface Pro 7 is the excellent touch display with a diagonal of 12.3 inches in a 3: 2 format. It offers very high color fidelity, good contrasts, and razor-sharp image sharpness thanks to the high resolution of 2,736×1,824 pixels. This ensures a more than adequate pixel density of almost 270 PPI – pixels are practically invisible at an average working distance from the eye to the screen.

The screen creates a maximum brightness of 420 cd / m². That’s more than enough to work with the Surface outdoors. Indirect sunlight, on the other hand, could be scarce. In addition, the touchscreen reacts very quickly to touch inputs – both with the hand and with the Surface Pen.

It offers a comprehensive, balanced range of highs and lows sound experiences. In addition, it includes Dolby Audio along with the Realtek Audio Console app.

Performance & Hardware

It comes with Windows 10 Home, but you can switch to Windows Pro or Business. It comes with 3 different variants with Intel processors Core i3, i5, or i7, RAM with 4, 8, or 16 GB, and an SSD size of 128, 256, 512, or 1024 GByte.

The format of the SSD is unusual, however. It is significantly smaller than conventional ultrabooks with a 22 x 30 millimeters size, where 22 x 80 millimeters are standard. This makes it easier to upgrade the storage capacity at a later date.

The Surface Pro 7 relies on current standards for wireless connections: WLAN with 802.11ax and Bluetooth in version 5. In addition, an LTE module is used for mobile use. As with the previous model, the connection options are manageable.

It has two USB ports, each as type A and type C sockets that support USB 3.1. There is no protocol for Thunderbolt. An HDMI connection or mini display port is also missing. The special Surface Connect connection is available for the power supply unit. After all, there is also a 3.5-millimeter jack plug for headphones on board.

Features include Intel Iris Plus Graphics for i7 and i5 processors and Intel UHD Graphics for i3 processors. If we talk about its battery life, then I must say you will need over 9 hours to empty the battery to 20 percent. So this laptop is best for medical students.

7. Lenovo Tab M10 Plus – Best Budget Option

Design

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus can only score positively in design and quality. The tablet has a metal housing, making it feel very high quality. And higher quality than the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 – it is on a similar level to the simple iPads. However, there are thin plastic covers at the top and bottom.

The M10 Plus weighs only 689g and is 8.3mm thin. I think both dimensions are acceptable for this price. And it is also the best affordable tablet available on the market.

At the bottom, there is a USB-C port used to charge it, and you can also connect accessories such as mice or hard drives. You can find a headphone jack at the top, a power button, and volume control on the right. Below is space for a microSD card, which is expandable up to 256 GB.

The 5-megapixel front camera for video chats and simple selfies with the 8-megapixel camera on the back. I wonder where the 8 megapixels are because the photos are not detailed. Here, too, I can only describe the quality as just usable.

Display & Audio

The display size is a bit unusual. At 10.3 inches, it’s a little bigger than most of its competitors’ 10.1-inch screens. The 10.3-inch display has a FullHD resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. It’s not quite, but I always consider a FullHD display with 10 inches sharp enough.

The color rendering is excellent and bright enough, and it’s an IPS panel. It means that you can also see something well from the sides. In addition, its display is entirely laminated. As a result, no air gap is visible under the touchscreen.

It’s fun to play games and watch YouTube on the screen. But there are problems with Netflix. You cannot watch Netflix with HD resolution because M10 Plus has a level of L3. Instead, films and series are limited to 960 x 540 pixels.

It is perfect for watching films and series anyway. There are two loudspeakers on this tablet. One on the left and the second on the right, but the sound quality is okay. The sound is usable, but there is no bass, and the tone sounds flat.

Performance & Hardware

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus has a MediaTek Helio P22T Octa-Core processor. It is available in 2 GB RAM and 32 GB storage/4 GB RAM, and 64 GB storage/4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage.

The graphics performance is not so excellent, but this is the best tablet for college students in this price range. You can play games like Call of Duty or PUBG Mobile on low graphics settings, and it runs very smoothly. However, the graphics don’t look very fancy as a result. I saw something similar with Asphalt 9.

On the other hand, it is positive that other popular apps such as Chrome, Microsoft Word, YouTube, or Skype run smoothly. Chrome also works well with many tabs open simultaneously, and they all remain saved when you switch between them.

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus is not a gaming tablet. But thanks to the 4GB RAM. As a result, it is well suited for college students’ typical office work, including multitasking or comparison purposes.

8. Microsoft Surface Pro X – Best Performance Tablet

Design

We’ll start this test with the design and quality. In this regard, every Microsoft Surface has a lot to offer, and with the Surface Pro X, they have improved the creation of the Pro series again. Microsoft has enlarged the display from 12.3 to 13 inches without enlarging the case. As a result, the display frames are now very narrow, especially on the sides.

The tablet is also thinner than the Surface Pro 7 at 7.3mm and weighs just under 800g. Microsoft no longer relies on a magnesium alloy but a black aluminum housing with rounded corners.

It looks exquisite, but it makes it easier to see fingerprints on the back. Since the ARM processor is passively cooled, the tablet has no fan slots and is noiseless.

It made a more stable impression on me than the even thinner Apple iPad Pro. I always felt accidentally bending the case without the cover – that never happened, but it makes a more fragile impression.

Like all Surface Tablets, the Pro X has a built-in stand on the back that can fold out very far. In addition, the folding stand seems to be built to be stable and can be opened and closed smoothly.

Display & Audio

There are two things that I like about its new display. First, it’s 13 inches tall, more significant than all Surface tablets before. Second, it’s nice that it still has an aspect ratio of 3: 2 because that’s the best format for office work. It has a larger screen size than Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet.

The Microsoft Surface Pro X has a PixelSense display and a resolution of 2880 x 1920 pixels. But since the screen got physically more significant, the pixel density is like the Pro 7 at 267ppi.

The display is excellent and clear, especially for a Windows tablet. The wide viewing angle and perfect imitation of contrast and color make this tablet the best for college students. It’s precisely the display I expect from a premium tablet.

The Pro X has two speakers on the sides of the display that offer pretty good sound quality. So on this point, it is in the same league as other premium tablets.

Performance & Hardware

When it comes to performance, it all depends on how you use the Microsoft Surface pro X. ARM64 programs, such as the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, run fast. Because of its speed and the “Collections” feature, clear dossiers can be created from texts, images, and videos.

On the other hand, windows 32-bit programs can occasionally degenerate into a jerky show like Tidal’s streaming app. Chrome is also very slow and memory intensive. But 32-bit emulation doesn’t always mean that it runs slowly.

Excel, Word, and Co. also count in the ranks of 32-bit programs. But you can work with it without delay for the most part. You hardly notice any difference between an ultrabook or convertible with an 8th generation Core i5; Microsoft’s performance compares to the SQ1.

I often have one or two browsers open with multiple windows, Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, Tidal, and the Microsoft app “Your Smartphone,” which results in 30 to 50 percent CPU and 70 percent RAM utilization (5 of 8 GB ) leads. So I can quickly jump back and forth between these apps. But I also screwed the power regulator up. Overall, Microsoft Surface Pro X is the most powerful tablet available.

I also recommend a more powerful version with 16 GB of RAM to those interested in the Surface Pro X.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

All the tablets shown are perfectly suited for basic work in everyday school, university, or college life. For technical studies with higher requirements, you should consider stronger options. Everyone else can choose one of these tablets depending on their budget, and we think you will not be delighted.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that tablets are on a budget and premium hardware. Accordingly, they are also more expensive than notebooks, but they offer more. You get touchscreens, pen input, and a more compact form factor.

Before choosing a tablet, see the criteria to select the best tablet. But if you don’t want to, I listed the 8 best tablets for college students.

Now I hope you have a clear idea of choosing a tablet.

For any doubt, “reach out to us through the comment sections, and I will be happy to answer any questions.