The best iPad can be a smart investment for students. Yes they're expensive, but the latest iPads are powerful enough to replace laptops, making them suitable for tasks like drawing, editing images, writing essays, and even gaming.
You can use them for drawing and painting thanks to the Apple Pencil. Attach a Bluetooth mouse and iPad keyboard, or get one of the best iPad docks, and you have a laptop. And students can also benefit from Apple’s student discount.
But which model is best? We've narrowed down a list of the best iPads for students below, for a variety of price points. Meanwhile, if you want to compare and contrast all the models, check out our guide to the different iPad generations.
The best iPad for students overall
1. iPad Air (2024)
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The iPad Air (M2, 2024) starts at £799, so it's not cheap at all. But it strikes a good balance between performance and affordability, making it the best iPad we can recommend for students today.
The 13-inch display provides ample space for working, with solid brightness and an anti-glare coating. Powered by the M2 chip and equipped with 8GB of RAM, it handles even demanding software smoothly, and storage options now extend to 1TB,. The iPad Air also supports the new Apple Pencil Pro, offering advanced features like haptic feedback and hover capabilities, which enhance editing precision.
While it Air lacks some high-end features of the iPad Pro—such as the Ultra Retina XDR display, superior GPU performance, and Magic Keyboard compatibility—it will be more than capable for most students, even if you wish to use it for creative work.
Best large iPad for students
2. iPad Pro 12.9in M2
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Rather like a laptop that forgot its keyboard, the 12.9in iPad Pro is the best of Apple’s tablets. The M2 chip in this model is the same one you find in MacBooks, meaning there's more than enough computing power on offer for photo and video editing, games, or whatever else you want to do with it.
The iPad Pro also makes the best of iPadOS, which allows you to connect an external monitor and extend your desktop onto it just like you would with any other computer. Hook up an external keyboard and mouse, and you can use it just like you would with a laptop, before sliding the tablet into your bag to take with you. The USB port on the bottom of the tablet is a Thunderbolt port on the Pro, meaning you can use adapters to connect it to just about anything.
The battery life is immense, and despite the powerful components it’s completely silent in operation. It may be expensive, especially if you go for the models with the most storage, but in its ability to do the job of several different gadgets, it’s almost a bargain.
Best iPad for students studying 3D or video editing
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The Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) is the most powerful iPad on the market today, so it's good choice if you want to use resource-intensive 3D design, video editing or photo editing software on the go. Its M4 chip handles such demanding tasks with ease, while the Ultra Retina XDR display offers vibrant color accuracy and HDR support, making it perfect for precise video and photo work.
The iPad Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate ensures smooth interactions, while its compatibility with Final Cut Pro and Apple Pencil offers a seamless editing and design experience. Weighing just 446 grams and being only 5.3mm thick, it’s easy to carry and work from anywhere. Additionally, the iPad Pro supports up to 2TB of storage, accommodating large project files.
Overall, the iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) delivers powerful performance, an excellent display, and versatile editing capabilities in a highly portable design. It’s a solid choice for creative students, offering the flexibility to work across devices and locations, making it a worthwhile investment despite its premium price.
Best basic iPad for students
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Apple’s basic iPad has reached its tenth generation since its launch in 2010, and has gained an extra inch in screen diagonal over its 9.7in predecessors. This makes it a more useful size for getting things done on, rivalling the 11in MacBook Air of old in terms of screen space.
Its A14 Bionic chip comes from the iPhone 12, so is lagging a bit behind the extreme cutting edge, but it still provides plenty of processing oomph for office documents, a little light photo editing, games and media consumption.
The iPad 9th Gen may be cheaper, but the larger screen of the iPad 10th Gen marks it out as the best choice for students.
Read our full Apple iPad (10th Gen, 2022) review
Best budget iPad for students
5. iPad 9th Gen
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The 9th Gen iPad, from 2021, is still on sale as we write, and represents the best value in the whole iPad range. Its A13 Bionic chipset, also seen in the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE (2020), is outclassed by Apple’s M-series chips, but can still give a good account of itself if things like reading, streaming, and word processing are what you’re interested in.
With an A-series chip and a Lightning port in place of the USB Type-C seen on the rest of the range (plus a home button too), you’re not going to be connecting this tablet up to external monitors as easily, but with the right stand, and a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, it can still be pressed into service for writing essays.
With a price point that’s in the same area as Android tablet devices like the OnePlus Pad and Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite, however, it’s up against some strict competition and is perhaps best for die-hard Apple fans who don’t want to shell out any more cash.
