8 Best Tablets for Students of 2026

The iPad Air with M4 takes first place because it pairs laptop-class performance with the note-taking tools most students actually use. Apple's spec sheet lists the M4 chip with an 8-core CPU, a 9-core GPU and 12GB of unified memory in every model, which gives it the most headroom of any iPad here for large PDFs, many open apps and Apple Intelligence features. The 11-inch Liquid Retina display is fully laminated with an antireflective coating and supports Apple Pencil Pro with hover, which the base iPad does not support. It weighs 1.02 pounds and is rated for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video. A 13-inch model is available for students who want two pages side by side. The weak point is the add-on cost: Apple Pencil Pro is $119 and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air is $249 at education prices, so a full setup costs more than many laptops.

The base iPad is the easiest recommendation for students who mostly read, type notes and watch lectures. Apple's education store listed it at $429 on the day we checked, $20 below the regular $449, and every model now starts at 128GB of storage. The 11-inch Liquid Retina display has the same 2360 by 1640 resolution and 500 nits as the 11-inch iPad Air, and Apple rates the battery for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video. The A16 chip handles note apps, textbooks, video calls and streaming. The trade-offs show up for heavy handwriting: Apple lists full lamination and an antireflective coating only for the iPad Air, and this iPad supports Apple Pencil (USB-C), which costs $69 at education prices, rather than Apple Pencil Pro. The Magic Keyboard Folio adds a trackpad for $229 at education pricing. The USB-C port runs at USB 2.0 speeds, which only matters if you move large files often.

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE ranks third because it is the cheapest tablet here that comes with a capable pen in the box and still offers premium touches. Samsung lists the S Pen as included, along with Math Solver in Samsung Notes, which solves handwritten equations, and Circle to Search for quick lookups. The 10.9-inch LCD runs at up to 90Hz and reaches up to 800 nits with Vision Booster, and the Exynos 1580 chipset comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the base model. Samsung rates the battery for up to 20 hours of video playback, about double Apple's rating for its iPads, and the IP68 rating means a spilled drink is less of a worry. A microSD slot takes cards up to 2TB for downloaded lectures and books. At $549.99 it costs more than the base iPad, but once you add a pencil to the iPad the gap narrows.

The new iPad mini is the best small tablet for students, and the hardest to justify on value alone. Apple's spec sheet lists an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display at 2316 by 1512 and 326 ppi, an A20 Pro chip, an IP67 rating for water and dust, and a weight of 0.56 pound for the Wi-Fi model. It supports Apple Pencil Pro with hover, so it works well as a digital notebook you can hold in one hand, and Apple rates the battery for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video. The base model has 128GB of storage, and a nano-texture glass option is offered on 256GB and 512GB models. The limits are size and price: at $649 with education pricing it costs more than the 11-inch base iPad, and the small screen makes split-screen work and full-page PDFs cramped. Apple's buy page offers a $79 Smart Folio but no keyboard.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Lite is the cheapest way to get a tablet with a proper pen in the box. Samsung lists the S Pen as included, and Samsung Notes adds Math Solver for written equations and Handwriting Help, which straightens lines and corrects letter shapes. The 10.9-inch LCD runs at up to 90Hz with Vision Booster and blue light reduction, and Samsung rates the battery for up to 16 hours of video playback. Inside is an Exynos 1380 chipset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the base model, or 8GB and 256GB for $489.99, plus a microSD slot for cards up to 2TB. It is the right pick for notes, reading and streaming, but it gives up the IP68 rating and newer chipset of the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, and at 1.15 pounds it is a little heavier than the 11-inch iPads. At $399.99 it costs less than the base iPad plus an Apple Pencil.

The Galaxy Tab S11 is the strongest Android tablet on this list and the most expensive one aimed at notes rather than laptop replacement. Samsung lists an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 2560 by 1600, a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset with 12GB of RAM, and a weight of 1.03 pounds at 5.5 mm thin. A redesigned S Pen comes in the box, and Galaxy AI adds Note Assist, which Samsung says summarizes lecture and meeting notes, plus Writing Assist for fixing errors. Samsung DeX turns it into a desktop-style workspace with the Book Cover Keyboard or an external monitor, and the IP68 rating covers spills. Battery is rated at up to 18 hours of video playback. The problem for students is price: $999.99 at Samsung for the 128GB model is more than the iPad Air with an Apple Pencil Pro at education prices, and it ranks below cheaper tablets on value.

The Galaxy Tab A11+ is the cheapest tablet on this list and a sensible pick for students who read, browse and watch lectures more than they write by hand. Samsung's US store listed it at $299.99 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with a 256GB model at $379.99 and a 5G version. The 11-inch TFT display runs at 1920 by 1200, the MediaTek MT8775 chipset handles everyday apps, and Samsung rates the battery for up to 15 hours of video playback with 25W Super Fast Charging. Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos make recorded lectures easy to follow without headphones, and the microSD slot accepts cards up to 2TB. The big limit for students is handwriting: Samsung's comparison table lists the S Pen as not compatible, so it is a typing and reading tablet. Spend $100 more on the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite if you want a pen included.

The Surface Pro is on this list for one group of students: those whose program requires Windows software but who want to write on a screen. Microsoft's store listed the Surface Pro 12-inch at $1,149.99, with a 6-core Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, a 12-inch PixelSense LCD touchscreen at 2196 by 1464 and 90Hz, and up to 15.5 hours of local video playback or 13 hours of web browsing. It weighs 1.5 pounds without a keyboard and has two USB-C ports, Windows Hello face sign-in and the built-in kickstand. The Surface Slim Pen stores and charges magnetically on the back, and the Ink Canvas app comes preinstalled. Microsoft says the pen and keyboard are sold separately, which pushes a complete setup well past the price of most laptops on our student laptop list. A 13-inch model starts at $1,199.99. Check that any required course software runs on Windows on Snapdragon before buying.