10 Best Tablets for College Students of 2021 Windows, Android & IPads for Taking Notes at College

Our college years can be the best time of our life, although that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few things to worry about when we first get started. Perhaps the largest of these is making sure that we’re prepared for classes and can take proper notes to review before exams.

While finding a good tablet for note-taking in college can be relatively straightforward, the majority of us will want something that does more than this. Doing projects and other tasks can often be a vital part of this. However, that doesn’t mean that all of us have the money to buy an expensive device.

We’ve been through dozens of products to try to find the best tablets for college students on a budget, with there being a few that stand out from others. When comparing them, there were a few specific things that we looked at, including battery life, memory, and much more.

While there are a large number of them that work well, there are ten in particular that are well worth considering and shouldn’t mean that you’ll have to break the bank to buy them.

Our Top Recommended Tablets for College Students

• ASUS Transformer Book T101HA-C4-GR
• 10 Inch IPS WXGA touchscreen Display
• Intel CHERRY Trail Quad Core x5-Z8350 1.44GHz (Turbo up to 1.92GHz) 64-bit

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• Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e 64GB WiFi Tablet
• 10.5 inches Super AMOLED display with an immersive 16: 10 ratio widescreen.
• Processor - 2 GHz 8032

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• New Apple iPad (10.2-Inch, Wi-Fi, 32GB)
• 10. 2-inch Retina display
• Chip - A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture, Embedded M10 coprocessor

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Top 10 Best Tablets for College Students on the Market:

1. ASUS Transformer Book T101HA-C4-GR

As a 2-in-1 laptop and touch screen, there are a variety of benefits to this ASUS Transformer Book, with the majority of these being driven by its lightweight design. This should mean that you’ll be able to carry it around campus with ease and without it wearing on your shoulder while in a bag.

This portability is something that ASUS put a significant amount of time into, with the Transformer Book T101HA-C4-GR weighing only 2.2-pounds with a keyboard. There’s also the fact that it’s just over 0,35 inches thick, which helps add to its portability.

Alongside this, the ASUS has a decent amount of built-in memory, so you should be able to take a significant amount of notes without having to worry about getting a USB.

Another primary benefit is that it includes a battery that should last up to 11 hours with video playback. This could mean that you’ll be able to get through all of your classes without needing to charge it.

However, people who’ve bought this ASUS model before have noted that there are a few issues with it. One of the more irritating of these is that the screen has a tendency to freeze, which could be quite a problem in the middle of class.

Some buyers have also noted that the charging cable is quite short, which could be an issue if you need to charge it when you’re in class or the library. This is further compounded by the fact that there are relatively few other chargers that can work with it.

This is a strong contender for being the best Windows tablet for college students, especially considering its relatively low price. As such, it’s something that the majority of students should think about buying.

2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e 64GB WiFi Tablet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e offers quite a large variety of features, with these being on the show almost immediately. Perhaps the most obvious of these is the ultra-lightweight design, so you’ll barely notice the weight of the tablet when you’re holding it or when it’s in your bag.

However, this hasn’t meant that Samsung has skimped on internal features.

Instead, there are a few notable ones to take advantage of, with the most significant of these being a considerable amount of battery life, with this being up to 15 hours, depending on usage.

A large amount of internal memory is also beneficial, especially if you’re taking a significant number of notes.

However, some owners have suggested that there are a few problems with this Samsung device. Prominent among these is the fact that it can have relatively slow performance. While this shouldn’t be an issue when you’re taking notes, it could provide a few other problems.

Alongside this is the fact that it might not connect to the internet when held sideways. Though this is avoidable, it’s something that the majority of users may have a problem with when using the device.

When it comes to the best android tablets for college students, this is clearly a standout and is well-recommended for the majority of people working on a budget.

3. New Apple iPad 10.2-Inch Wi-Fi 32GB

Apple iPads have quite a significant number of features to boast about, with each of these being on show here. Some of the most notable of these focus on security, with this device having a fingerprint touch ID, which ensures that you’ll be the only one who can unlock it.

This can be quite a benefit if you want to make sure that nobody else gets to your notes.

Alongside this is the fact that the battery included here lasts a significant amount of time, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it going dead in the middle of class.

A decent amount of memory is also included, which is another notable advantage.

Lastly is the fact that it’s designed to be as efficient and responsive as possible, so you should be able to take notes without any issues arising.

However, people who’ve purchased this before now have highlighted several problems with the Apple iPad.

The first of these is that the Touch ID might not be as high-quality as you might expect, which could cause a variety of issues, so it may be best left avoided.

Alongside this is the fact that the device can heat up quite quickly, especially with a significant amount of use. As such, you may not want to use it for extended periods.

There are a variety of great tablets for college students, with this shining out among them. With the features that it boasts, alongside a relatively affordable price tag, this is a recommended option for many.

4. Microsoft Surface Pro 6

There are a variety of benefits to the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, with many of these carrying over from previous editions of the device. As such, you should be able to take advantage of a significant amount of memory, so you’ll be able to store a large number of notes without having to get an external hard drive.

The device also features a lightweight design, which should mean that you’ll be able to carry it around campus without it weighing down your shoulder or your bag.

One of the last notable benefits seen here is that it offers a large amount of battery life, with the device boasting up to 13.5 hours, depending on overall usage.

However, there have been a variety of drawbacks highlighted by previous owners. One of the most prominent of these is that there’s less RAM available here than can be seen elsewhere. As such, the Surface Pro 6 could perform noticeably slower than many other devices.

Alongside this is the screen, which could be of a lower quality than you might have anticipated. As a result, you could find it becoming relatively glitchy not long after you begin using it, which could be a large issue.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 can be one of the more highly recommended tablets for students, thanks to the various features that are on show. Alongside this is the cost-effective price, which should make it a consideration for the majority of people.

5. Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB)

The Apple iPad Pro offers quite a significant number of benefits. Similar to the non-Pro version, many of these focus on security, although taken to another level.

As such, you’ll be able to capitalize on Face ID technology, which should mean that you shouldn’t have to worry about anybody breaking into your tablet.

Alongside this is a decent amount of battery life, although this can vary somewhat, depending on usage.

An intuitive design also means that you’ll be able to navigate through the Apple iPad Pro quite quickly and easily, with a minimum of hassle.

However, some owners have pointed out several issues with the device. One of the largest of these is that it could develop a habit of freezing, although this may not affect every owner. Alongside this is the fact that it’s not compatible with the majority of USB cables, which will be a large issue for a considerable number of people.

For its price, the Apple iPad Pro is a good tablet for university students, especially considering its relatively low cost. With all of the benefits that it can offer, it’s worth making this one of your first choices when comparing devices.

6. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 32GB

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A boasts quite a large variety of benefits, many of which should be immediately apparent.

The first of these is that it can be quite comfortable to use, primarily thanks to the beveled edges. This also extends to navigation, which should be quite easy to do.

There’s also the fact that there’s a large amount of built-in memory, which should prove to be beneficial to the majority of students.

Lastly is the battery life, of which you should be able to expect up to 10 hours, depending on your usage.

However, there have been several issues pointed out by some previous buyers, with the first being that the screen can develop spots over time.

While these might not be too noticeable at first, they could prove to be distracting. Alongside this is a short Wi-Fi range, which could be an issue.

This is one of the more affordable tablets for college students, although that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t offer a variety of benefits. In contrast, this helps to make it one of the more budget-friendly options, which makes it worth considering.

7. New Microsoft Surface Go

The Microsoft Surface Go offers a large number of benefits and features, with the most notable of these being a lightweight design that makes it quite portable.

As such, you shouldn’t have any problems carrying it around campus all day.

Alongside this is the design of the system itself, which makes it quite easy to navigate and use a variety of applications.

As such, there shouldn’t be any problems with taking notes or getting any of your projects done. Lastly is a large amount of storage, which should mean that you might not need to use a MicroSD card with it.

However, owners have noted that the battery life available here is noticeably shorter than other devices, which could be a problem for many students.

Alongside this is the fact that it could perform much slower than many other devices, which could prove to be irritating for many people.

Finding the best tablets with keyboards for college students can be quite difficult. However, the Microsoft Surface Go is one of the standouts among those that are available. Coupled with each of the benefits that the device has, it’s worth considering this ahead of its competitors.

8. Lenovo Yoga Book- FHD 10.1″ Android Tablet

The Lenovo Yoga Book boasts quite a large number of benefits, with this primarily being seen in how easy to use and navigate it is.

This is driven mainly by the fact that it includes a responsive design, which should mean that taking notes will be a breeze.

There’s also the inclusion of a long-lasting battery life, which should keep going for up to 12 hours, depending on use. As such, you shouldn’t need to worry about it draining while you’re in class.

Their internal storage is also impressive, with there being more included here as standard than many of its competitors.

However, a number of owners have suggested that there are a few drawbacks to the Lenovo Yoga Book. The first of these is that it can be quite slow to start-up, which can be an annoyance for many owners.

Alongside this is that the keyboard attachment may be uncomfortable to use, which may cause problems for a variety of students. Further compounding this is the fact that the on-screen keyboard might not be as user-friendly as you might imagine. Though it can be effective, it could take a certain amount of time to get used to.

Trying to find good tablets for high school students can often be more difficult than finding some for college students. However, the Lenovo Yoga Book can be one of better-recommended options on the market, which is why it’s worth considering.

9. All-New Fire HD 10 Tablet

The Fire HD 10 offers quite a significant upgrade to previous editions in the series. As such, there are a variety of features that you’ll be able to take advantage of, with the majority of these focusing on integration with other Amazon products. Outside of this, there are a few specific benefits that you’ll be able to capitalize on.

The first of these is that it’s designed to be as responsive as possible, so you shouldn’t notice any performance issues when taking notes, which also extends to many other pieces of software.

Alongside this is a decent amount of storage space as standard.

Rounding this off is a long-lasting battery, which should offer up to 12 hours of use, depending on how much you’re using it. However, some previous owners have suggested that there are some issues with the Fire HD 10.

Firstly is the fact that, despite being efficient with many Amazon services, there can be a lag with software that’s been developed by other firms. This could present some issues for many users.

There’s also the fact that you might not be able to personalize it as much as you might want, with few of the screens being customizable. Though this isn’t a large issue, it could be an annoyance for many users.

Finding good cheap tablets for college students can take much more time than many people might assume. However, the Fire HD 10 tops many lists for a variety of reasons, which is why it’s well-recommended.

10. 2018 RCA Cambio 2-in-1 10.1″ Touchscreen Tablet

There are a few important reasons why college students should consider the RCA Cambio 2-in-1, with one of the more notable of these being that it has a large amount of built-in battery life.

This is enhanced by the MicroSD slot, which should mean that you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of memory anytime soon.

The Intel processor that this runs on also means that the RCA Cambio offers quite a smooth and efficient experience, so you should have no problems making notes during class.

Lastly is the fact that it provides a decent amount of battery life. While some tablets offer more, there are a significant number of them that offer considerably less.

Despite the benefits that the 2-in-1 tablet has, many customers have claimed that there are several issues with the device. Perhaps the largest of these is that it could develop a habit of automatically rebooting, which could become much more regular than you may want.

Alongside this is that it can be quite slow to start up, with many previous buyers claiming that this can be much longer than the majority of other devices. Much of this seems to be focused on a few bugs, so you may need to get it looked at not long after initially buying it.

When it comes to buying the best inexpensive tablet for college students, this is one of the strongest contenders. As such, it should be near the top of the list when you’re comparing devices.

Conclusion

Each of the above can be considered some of the best note-taking tablets for college students on the market. However, many people still might have difficulty choosing between each of the options. If you are, then there are one or two that come well-recommended.

Perhaps the most notable of these is the ASUS Transformer Book T101HA-C4-GR. While it does come with its issues, these are relatively minor, especially compared to the drawbacks that could affect many other affordable tablets on the market.

Alongside this is the fact that it offers a variety of benefits for college students to take advantage of. Combined with its relatively low price, it’s one of the more cost-effective options currently on the market, with there being only a small compromise on overall performance and use. As such, it’s the stands out among its competition.