Do You Need a Printer in College? 2026 Buying Guide

📅 Updated 2026-07-16 · ⏱️ 1 min read · ✍️ DormGuides Tech Team ★★★★★ 4.1/5

✅ Key takeaways

Check your print quota first — many schools include free pages; a printer may be redundant.
Ink cost beats purchase price. A 'cheap' printer with pricey cartridges is the real trap.
Compact inkjet with refillable tanks is the dorm-friendly winner.
Wi-Fi + phone printing saves you from laptop-driver hell.
Resale is poor — a printer is a depreciating appliance, so buy used or minimal.

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The printer is the dorm appliance students buy on a panic the week before classes, use twice, then trip over for nine months. Here’s the honest case for and against.

The free option is usually enough

Before spending a dime, check your school’s print quota. Many bundle free pages into fees; libraries and computer labs handle the rest. If you print a few times a semester, you’re done — no device, no ink, no clutter.

When a printer is worth it

You print weekly (frequent assignments, color handouts).
You need color regularly for posters or portfolios.
Your housing is far from campus printing and you value the convenience.

If none of those describe you, skip it.

The ink trap

The real cost isn’t the printer — it’s the ink. A $40 device with $30 cartridges you replace constantly is the classic scam. Look at cost per page and prefer refillable tank models, where ink is cheap and lasts.

What to buy if you commit

A compact inkjet with refillable tanks — small, color, cheap to run.
Wi-Fi + phone printing so you’re not installing drivers on a locked-down school laptop.
Nothing bulky. Your floor space is precious.

Resale reality

Printers depreciate hard and resell poorly. Buy used from a graduating student, or the minimal new model. Don’t treat it like an investment.

How we picked

We weighted running cost per page, footprint, and wireless simplicity over raw price. The cheapest sticker price is almost always the most expensive owner.

Bottom line

Most students should use the library. If you print weekly or need color often, get a small refillable-tank inkjet with Wi-Fi — and ignore the $40 ink-guzzler on the shelf.

Frequently asked questions

Do most college students need a printer?

No. Most schools bundle a print quota into fees or offer cheap per-page printing in libraries and computer labs. If you only print occasionally, the free option wins every time. Buy a printer only if you print weekly, need color often, or your housing is far from campus services.

What's the biggest printer mistake students make?

Buying a '$40' printer whose ink costs more than the device within two semesters. Look at the cost per page and whether it uses refillable tanks. Cheap inkjet cartridges are the classic money pit.

Inkjet or laser?

For a dorm, a compact inkjet with refillable tanks is usually best — color, small footprint, low running cost. A laser is great if you print hundreds of black-and-white pages, but it's bulky and overkill for most students.

Should I buy new or used?

Printers depreciate fast and resell poorly, so a gently used one from a graduating student is smart — or buy the minimum new model you need. Don't over-invest in an appliance you'll ditch at move-out.

🏆 Our verdict ★★★★★

Most students don't need a printer — campus print quotas and the library cover 95% of needs for free. Buy one only if you print weekly, need color, or live far from campus services. If you do, get a compact inkjet with cheap refillable ink, not a laser behemoth.

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