Ranked on student honesty: purchase cost, running cost for essays and readings, phone printing, and a body that survives a dorm or shared flat.
The Best Home Printers for Students (2026)
Printers for students: cheap to buy, cheap enough to run, and able to handle essays, forms, and late-night print jobs.
Our top picks at a glance
Best cheapest student printer
HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Colour Inkjet PrinterLight printers, students, and anyone testing whether a home printer earns its keep.
Best student all-in-one
Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless PrinterBudget buyers who still need fax and a feeder, and who print in modest volume.
Best for heavy student printing
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 All-in-One Supertank PrinterFamilies that print steadily through the school year and want ink costs to stop being a recurring worry.
The HP DeskJet 2755e is the student pick for light use and the lowest outlay. Students who print readings all year should buy the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 instead, since tank ink pays back quickly, and essay-heavy students who print black only should buy the HP LaserJet M110w for sharp text that never clogs.
The picks, ranked
| Pick | Functions | Print technology | Cartridges | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best cheapest student printerHP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Colour Inkjet Printer | Print, scan, copy | Colour inkjet | HP 67 series | Check price |
| Best student all-in-oneCanon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer | Print, scan, copy, fax | Colour inkjet | Canon PG-275 black, CL-276 colour | Check price |
| Best for heavy student printingEpson EcoTank ET-2800 All-in-One Supertank Printer | Print, scan, copy | - | - | Check price |
 Best for shared student housingBrother MFC-J1010DW Wireless Colour Inkjet All-in-One Printer | Print, scan, copy, fax | Colour inkjet | - | Check price |
 Best for essay-heavy studentsHP LaserJet M110w Wireless Monochrome Printer | Print only | Monochrome laser | - | Check price |
Best cheapest student printer
HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Colour Inkjet Printer
The cheapest way in: a simple colour all-in-one for light printing, homework, and the odd photo.
Strengths
- The lowest purchase cost here makes it a low-risk first printer for a household that prints occasionally.
- Simple setup and wireless printing from a phone mean it works for users who just want to print and move on.
- Its small size fits a bedroom desk or a shelf without rearranging the room.
Limitations
- No automatic duplex and no document feeder, so two-sided and multi-page jobs are manual work.
- Cartridge capacity is small, so frequent printers replace cartridges often and pay more per page.
- Print speeds are slow, and the paper tray suits light use rather than batch printing.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- The low price makes a first printer an easy decision
- Simple phone printing covers homework and forms with no fuss
- The small size fits a bedroom desk without rearranging anything
Common complaints
- Two-sided printing means flipping pages by hand
- Cartridges run out quickly for anyone printing regularly
- The tray suits light use and struggles with batch jobs
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
| Functions | Print, scan, copy |
|---|---|
| Print technology | Colour inkjet |
| Cartridges | HP 67 series |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB |
| Duplex | Manual two-sided printing |
Best for: Light printers, students, and anyone testing whether a home printer earns its keep.
Skip if: You print often, need duplex, or want a feeder for multi-page scanning.
Best student all-in-one
Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer
The budget all-in-one that still does fax: print, scan, copy, and fax for the price of a basic printer.
Strengths
- Fax plus a document feeder at a budget position is rare, and it covers paperwork that cheaper printers simply cannot handle.
- Canon colour output suits photos and school projects better than most printers at this level.
- Wireless and mobile printing work from phones without a computer in the loop.
Limitations
- Cartridge costs add up for heavy users, and the small cartridges need replacing more often than tank ink.
- Print speeds are slow, so long documents and large colour jobs test patience.
- The paper tray is modest, and the control panel is basic compared with touchscreen models.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- Fax at this price feels like a genuine bonus for paperwork households
- Colour output suits photos and school projects nicely
- The feeder saves time on multi-page copying jobs
Common complaints
- Small cartridges need replacing more often than owners would like
- Print speeds feel slow on longer documents
- The basic control panel offers little guidance for new users
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
| Functions | Print, scan, copy, fax |
|---|---|
| Print technology | Colour inkjet |
| Document feeder | 20 pages, automatic |
| Cartridges | Canon PG-275 black, CL-276 colour |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB |
Best for: Budget buyers who still need fax and a feeder, and who print in modest volume.
Skip if: You print heavily, where cartridges get expensive, or you want fast colour output.
Best for heavy student printing
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 All-in-One Supertank Printer
The entry tank printer: cartridge-free printing for a household that has had enough of running out of ink.
Strengths
- Bottled ink included in the box covers a large volume of printing before any refill is needed, which changes how a family thinks about printing.
- Wireless printing from phones and tablets is straightforward, and the control panel stays simple enough for occasional users.
- Running costs stay low for years, since a bottle of ink costs far less per page than a set of cartridges.
Limitations
- There is no automatic document feeder, so multi-page scanning and copying means lifting the lid for each page.
- Print speeds are modest, so long documents take their time compared with a laser or a faster OfficeJet.
- The input tray holds 100 sheets, so heavy users refill paper more often than on office-style machines.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- Ink lasts so long that families stop rationing school printing
- Phone printing works smoothly for homework and everyday documents
- The simple controls suit occasional users who dislike fiddly menus
Common complaints
- Scanning several pages means lifting the lid for each one
- Long documents print at an unhurried pace
- The paper tray needs refilling sooner than on larger office machines
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
| Functions | Print, scan, copy |
|---|---|
| Ink system | EcoTank refillable tanks, 522 ink bottles |
| Input tray | 100 sheets |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB |
| Duplex | Manual two-sided printing |
Best for: Families that print steadily through the school year and want ink costs to stop being a recurring worry.
Skip if: You need a document feeder, fax, or Ethernet, all of which the ET-4850 adds.
Best for shared student housing
Brother MFC-J1010DW Wireless Colour Inkjet All-in-One Printer
The compact Brother all-in-one: duplex, a feeder, and a small footprint for a desk that has no room to spare.
Strengths
- Automatic duplex printing and a 20-page feeder pack office features into a body that fits a small desk.
- A 150-sheet input tray is generous for a compact machine, so paper refills are less frequent than on cheaper rivals.
- Wireless, Wi-Fi Direct, and USB connections cover phones, laptops, and a shared household without fuss.
Limitations
- It still uses cartridges, so the cost per page is higher than on any tank printer here over a busy year.
- Colour print speeds are modest, so large colour jobs take a while.
- The small colour display is functional rather than generous, and deeper settings need the computer or app.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- A feeder and two-sided printing in such a small body surprise owners pleasantly
- The tray holds enough paper to avoid constant topping up
- Wireless sharing across a household works without repeated reconnection
Common complaints
- Cartridge changes come around sooner than tank owners would like
- Colour jobs take their time on larger documents
- The small display makes deeper settings harder to reach
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
| Functions | Print, scan, copy, fax |
|---|---|
| Print technology | Colour inkjet |
| Print speed | Up to 17 ppm black, 9.5 ppm colour |
| Document feeder | 20 pages, automatic |
| Input tray | 150 sheets |
Best for: Small desks and home offices that need print, scan, copy, and fax without a large machine.
Skip if: You print in high volume, where tank running costs beat cartridges, or you want photo-lab quality colour.
Best for essay-heavy students
HP LaserJet M110w Wireless Monochrome Printer
The smallest laser here: a tiny black-only printer for desks, shelves, and rooms where space is the whole problem.
Strengths
- Its tiny footprint fits shelves and small desks where most printers cannot go, which is its whole reason to exist.
- Laser output gives crisp black text that does not smudge, and toner stays ready after long idle periods.
- Setup through the HP Smart app is quick, and wireless printing from a phone covers most home needs.
Limitations
- It prints only, with no scanner, so copying and scanning need a phone camera or another device.
- The paper tray is small, so frequent printers refill it often.
- Manual duplex means two-sided documents need a second pass through the printer by hand.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- The tiny body tucks onto a shelf where no other printer would fit
- Black text comes out crisp and clean every time
- Phone setup finishes quickly with little fuss
Common complaints
- No scanning or copying forces owners to improvise with a phone camera
- The small tray empties fast during batch printing
- Two-sided documents need manual flipping through a second pass
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
| Functions | Print only |
|---|---|
| Print technology | Monochrome laser |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB |
| Duplex | Manual two-sided printing |
| Design | Compact, smallest in its laser class |
Best for: Small rooms and students who print black documents and need a printer that almost disappears.
Skip if: You need colour, scanning, or copying, or you print long documents daily where a bigger tray helps.
Questions, answered
Should a student buy a tank printer?
Only if printing is genuinely heavy, such as long readings every week. Light printers save little, since the higher purchase cost takes years to repay, while heavy printers save from the first term onward.
Is colour printing worth paying for as a student?
For most coursework, no. Essays, forms, and readings print fine in black, which is why a mono laser suits many students. Colour matters for design, photography, and presentation work, where an inkjet or tank printer earns its place.
Can several students share one printer?
Yes, through Wi-Fi. Every printer here supports wireless printing from phones and laptops, so housemates can share one machine without passing a USB cable around, though one person should own paper and ink duties.