Best tablets for students in 2023

Work hard (or hardly work) with these excellent tablets for school or college

Picking the best tablet as a student requires a careful compromise between affordability and performance. You'll want a tablet that won't break the bank but has good battery life, productivity features, and support for streaming services and games to relax with.

Fortunately, the variety of Android tablets in 2023 means you don't have to compromise when picking a tablet for school (and, we'll reluctantly admit, some iPads are alright too). Our choices are ideal for students who want something more versatile than the best student Chromebooks without sacrificing the productivity of a laptop.

Productivity features are essential when picking a tablet for students, but these aren't universal across tablets. Some offer E Ink displays perfect for note-taking, while others support keyboards and styluses to help you stay on top of coursework and projects.

An excellent, affordable Android tablet

The OnePlus Pad treads a fine line between affordability and performance, but the result is a reliable Android tablet with strong performance and battery life. It's also got all the accessories you need for typing or note-taking.

At just shy of $500, the OnePlus Pad is a remarkable achievement for the company's first Android tablet. Students will appreciate the dedicated accessories that turn it into a versatile workstation, while the capable chipset can handle multitasking with ease.

The optional keyboard and stylus accessories increase the overall price to $700, which is unnecessarily expensive, but fortunately these are often available at discounted bundle rates. You may only need one or the other; either way, you won't be disappointed.

The OnePlus Pad's battery is the most attractive feature for students. Not only can it handle multiple days without a charge, but it'll barely drain the battery on standby and will charge to full in less than two hours. It's perfect if you want a tablet that lives in your bag most of the time.

For students who don't want to compromise on performance

Students needing performance over all else should look no further than the Galaxy Tab S9+. The powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset can handle all your multitasking needs, and the 12.4-inch AMOLED display won't disappoint when it comes to streaming.

We guarantee you won't be disappointed if you're willing to shell out the $1000 to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+. If you're looking for a tablet to take you through your entire tenure at college without getting sluggish in your final year, this is the best Android tablet you can buy.

The regular Galaxy Tab S9 is $200 cheaper and doesn't sacrifice performance, but its smaller 11-inch screen isn't ideal for productivity. The Tab S9+'s 12.4-inch display is perfect for Samsung's DeX mode, which turns the Tab S9+ into a PC with a couple of taps.

The Tab S9+ ships with either 256 or 512 GB storage, enough to handle all your files and media. Those looking to spend extra might be eyeing up the Tab S9 Ultra, but that tablet really is overkill for all but the most demanding students.

Affordable without sacrificing essential features

The affordability of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 is at odds with its capable hardware. Add in the optional stylus and keyboard, and you've got an Android tablet that can compete with the best.

For a hair over $300, you can pick up an Android tablet with 4GB RAM, an OLED display, and a large 8,100mAh battery. The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 ticks all the boxes to be one of the best budget Android tablets without sacrificing performance or battery life

The P11 Pro is ideal for students that need a tablet that's just as at home taking notes in a lecture hall as it is streaming media in the evenings. The MediaTek Kompanio 1300T chipset is admittedly a little under-powered for multitasking, but keep one app open at a time and you'll find the tablet can comfortably handle day-to-day work or light gaming.

As long as you're not using the P11 Pro for your entire workload, you won't be disappointed. In our review the 8,200mAh battery lasted 14 hours with typical use, more than enough to handle a day in the life of a student.

A unique Android tablet that's always there when you need it

The mix of a color E Ink display and Android makes the Boox Tab Ultra C a versatile choice for students. Add in the optional keyboard, and you've got a lightweight tablet perfect for note-taking or typing up essays - though bear in mind that the screen means it's not so great for watching Netflix or playing games when you need to unwind.

The E Ink display of the Boox Tab Ultra C is a versatile feature that's relatively unique. Unlike most tablets, whose battery life is measured in hours or days, the Boox Tab Ultra C will easily last for over a week. This means you can chuck the tablet in your bag and not worry about pulling it out with a flat battery. The display is also usable outside in bright sunlight.

With just 4GB RAM and a basic Snapdragon 662 chipset it isn't exactly a powerhouse, but this doesn't mean you'll constantly be dealing with sluggish performance. The Boox Tab Ultra C is sufficient for note-taking, reading papers, or light web browsing. Add in the optional $110 keyboard case and you can type up your essays like you're using a laptop.

Unlike previous Onyx devices and most E Ink tablets, the Boox Tab Ultra C doesn't ship with a restricted version of Android. It has Google Play Store pre-installed so that you can install all your favorite productivity apps. Just remember that while the E Ink screen is excellent for essays, it's not so well-suited to TV shows or movie nights.

Premium Samsung features for an affordable price

The perfect compromise between performance and price, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022) is a refresh of the original 2020 version that will fulfill all your productivity use cases in a pinch.

If not for the lack of dedicated keyboard support, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022) would be our pick for Best Value tablet. However, this is the only thing it gets wrong for students as the rest of the tablet is a remarkable achievement in both value-for-money and productivity.

The Tab S6 Lite (2022) ships with an S Pen and supports DeX mode, just like the Tab S9+ at triple the price. Whether you're taking notes, working with multiple monitors, or producing sketches, the S6 Lite is the perfect companion. Its hardware, while a little dated, is still capable of handling multitasking, and the premium appearance is the cherry on the top.

The perfect compromise between laptop and tablet

The Lenovo Duet 3 hits all the right points for a student-friendly tablet. Portable, affordable, and with a detachable keyboard, it's perfect for those who can't decide between a Chromebook or a tablet.

Chromebooks offer a lightweight alternative to Windows and macOS laptops, and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 takes it a step further by doubling as a reliable tablet. Students who struggle with productivity on Android tablets will find the Duet 3 a perfect companion as it's a laptop first, tablet second - and as a ChromeOS device, it can also run most Android apps.

ChromeOS is usually awkward on tablets, but the Lenovo Duet 3's processing power, excellent 11-inch screen, and included keyboard make it a perfect companion for note-taking during class or typing up essays on the go. It doesn't include a stylus by default, but these are available for less than $50.

The most reliable tablet at this price

The entry-level iPad remains a benchmark for midrange tablets, bringing all the advantages of being a part of Apple's ecosystem. It's a reliable product that is just as effective for taking notes as streaming media.

It's impossible to talk about midrange tablets without mentioning Apple's 2022 entry-level iPad for good reason. From work to play, the iPad performs its tasks with ease. For students looking for a tablet that (here it comes) "just works," the iPad is the best choice.

Apple's limitations on what apps can multitask can be frustrating, and the lack of display lamination is a problem for artists as your pen strokes won't quite match what appears on the screen. However, if you're willing to put up with these drawbacks, you'll have the perfect tablet on hand. Its battery is adequate for daily use, averaging six or seven hours with mixed-use.

Fantastic value, once you've installed the Google Play Store

If you're willing to perform the workaround to install the Google Play Store, the Amazon Fire Max 11 is an effective tablet at a competitive price. It can handle basic note-taking and word-processing, and it's screen is ideal for streaming TV or movies.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is fantastic value, but it's vital to install the Google Play Store for it to be of any use for school. Once you've performed this necessary and painless task, you'll find the Fire Max 11 to be well worth the $230 and, as an Amazon product, you'll usually find it cheaper.

The Fire Max 11's 2000 x 1200 screen is perfect for viewing multiple apps at once, although heavy multi-tasking will cause the processor to struggle. But if you need to reference a document as you type, you'll find the 11-inch screen perfect. When you finish work, the screen is equally adept for viewing media.

The perfect companion for note-taking on the go

The TCL TabMax 10.4 offers excellent hardware for the price; it's rare to find 6GB of RAM for $200. With 256GB of storage, it's an effective tablet that can handle all your work. It's also extremely light, so you can easily carry it around all day.

The TCL TabMax 10.4 is perfect if you need a tablet for work, not play. While the 10.4-inch screen offers high-quality visuals, the lack of support for HD streaming and mediocre speakers is frustrating. However, it's ideal for note-taking on the go.

While there's no stylus included, you can pick one up for under $20. This brings the overall price to $220. The 6GB RAM and 256GB storage included by default means opening your documents is snappy. While performance may suffer with heavy workloads, there are a few better Android tablets for note-taking and document viewing at this price.

Thanks to its excellent battery life, powerful hardware, and a price that won't break the bank, the OnePlus Pad is our best overall tablet for students. This is a capable midrange Android tablet that packs a strong chipset, beautiful display, and decent software experience while costing half the price of our premium pick. You'll have to pay extra if you want the magnetic keyboard or stylus, but if you do you'll have everything you need to complete your daily workload.

Depending on your projects, you may want something with more oomph than most tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ might seem expensive, but for the price you get a large screen and the hardware to multitask with ease. For students who do everything on a tablet, it's perfect.

Students on a tighter budget don't need to compromise for a great tablet though. The Lenovo Duet 3 is technically a Chromebook, but thanks to its detachable keyboard and compact size, it fulfills the same niche as Android tablets. For less than $400, you get a tablet that can do everything you need, although frequent multi-taskers might want to look elsewhere.

Affordable Android tablet built for both work and play

The OnePlus Pad is an impressive first tablet from the company, coming in hard at a midrange price where it has little competition. You get the power and performance of a top device for half the price, with optional keyboard and stylus accessories to complete the productivity package.

Jon has been a freelance writer at Android Police since 2021. He primarily writes how-to guides and round-ups, but occasionally covers news. His favorite Android device was the Pixel 2 XL, and he regards the three-month period where he owned an iPhone as a time of the utmost shame. Jon graduated with a History degree in 2018, but quickly realized his writing skills were better put to use writing about tech rather than essays. He started writing and editing for startups shortly after graduating, where he did everything from writing website copy to managing and editing for a group of writers. In his free time, you can find him fiddling with computers and spending his entire paycheck on vinyl records.