Best Tablets for College Students That Aren't iPads (2025)

iPads are genuinely good tablets. They’re also $600 for the base iPad Air, $800 for the Pro, and they work best when you’re already paying Apple for everything else. If you’re on Android, if you run Windows apps for your major, or if you just don’t want to hand Apple another several hundred dollars, the alternatives on this list are real options — not consolation prizes.

Here are the three best non-iPad tablets for college students in 2025, covering every budget from $220 to $900.

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Our Top Picks

🥇 Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 — Best Overall (≈$600)

The Galaxy Tab S9 is the answer to the question “what do I get if I want iPad-quality without the iPad?” Samsung’s AMOLED display technology produces deeper blacks, more vivid color, and better outdoor visibility than the LCD panels that most Android tablets use at this price. At 11 inches with a 120Hz refresh rate, the screen is genuinely pleasant to read on for extended study sessions — the kind of panel you stop noticing because it never looks bad.

The S Pen stylus is included in the box, which matters more than it sounds. Apple charges $130 for the Apple Pencil. Samsung includes the S Pen and it’s pressure-sensitive, low-latency, and accurate enough for handwritten notes, PDF annotation, and quick sketching. If note-taking with a stylus is on your list, the included S Pen changes the value calculation significantly.

Performance runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is the same chip class as Samsung’s flagship phones. It handles multitasking, document editing, and media playback without hesitation, and it will stay performant through four years of college without slowing down. The IP68 water resistance is a real feature for students who use their tablet at the pool, in the rain, or near a dining hall sink.

DeX mode turns the Tab S9 into a desktop experience when you plug it into a monitor — useful if you want your tablet to occasionally serve as a desktop replacement.

Display: 11” AMOLED 120Hz • Stylus: S Pen included • Battery: ≈12 hours • OS: Android 13

Check Galaxy Tab S9 Price

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🏷️ Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus — Best Budget (≈$220)

The Galaxy Tab A9 Plus is the pragmatic choice: a large, capable tablet that does everything most students actually need without requiring you to spend $600. The 11-inch LCD display isn’t AMOLED — colors are less vibrant and contrast is lower — but it’s sharp enough at 1080p for reading, video calls, and lecture slides without eyestrain.

For the price, the A9 Plus punches well. The Snapdragon 695 handles streaming, document editing, PDF annotation, and light multitasking without frustration. It’s not a performance tablet — don’t expect smooth multitasking with five apps open simultaneously — but for the study, read, and watch use case that defines most student tablet use, it performs.

The main limitation is stylus support. The A9 Plus is compatible with Samsung’s S Pen (sold separately, ≈$30), but it uses a less precise version without tilt sensitivity. For light annotation and note-taking it works fine. For serious handwriting-heavy workflows, the Tab S9’s included S Pen is meaningfully better.

Where the A9 Plus shines: battery life hits 10 to 12 hours in real use, the speakers are louder than you’d expect at this price, and the form factor is genuinely portable at 474g. If a $220 tablet does 80% of what a $600 tablet does, and your budget is $220, the 80% is what matters.

Display: 11” LCD 90Hz • Stylus: S Pen compatible (sold separately) • Battery: ≈12 hours • OS: Android 13

Check Galaxy Tab A9 Plus Price

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💻 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 — Best Windows Tablet (≈$900)

The Surface Pro 9 is a different product category than the Samsung tablets. It’s a full Windows laptop in a tablet body — not an Android device with a keyboard accessory, but a machine running Windows 11 with Intel Core i5 or i7 performance that can run any desktop application your major requires.

For engineering, architecture, business, or any major where software like AutoCAD, MATLAB, Excel with full macros, or Adobe Creative Suite is in the coursework: the Surface Pro 9 is the only tablet on this list that handles it. Android tablets, regardless of price, cannot run Windows desktop applications. The Surface Pro 9 can run everything.

The Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus (sold separately, ≈$130) is exceptional — low latency, pressure sensitivity, and haptic feedback that makes digital handwriting feel close to writing on paper. Microsoft’s OneNote integration is tight, and the pen experience on Windows is better than most students expect from a non-Apple device.

The cost of entry is real. The base Surface Pro 9 starts at ≈$900, the keyboard cover that makes it a laptop costs another ≈$180, and the Slim Pen 2 adds another ≈$130. You’re realistically looking at ≈$1,200 for a fully configured setup. For students who need a Windows machine and want the option to use it as a tablet for inking and portability, that may be the right spend. For students who just want a tablet for reading and note-taking, it’s the wrong tool for the job.

Display: 13” PixelSense IPS 120Hz • Stylus: Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately) • Battery: ≈8 hours • OS: Windows 11

Check Surface Pro 9 Price

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Android Tablet vs iPad for College

The honest comparison:

iPad wins on apps. The iPad app ecosystem is meaningfully better than Android for serious productivity apps. GoodNotes 5, Notability, and Procreate are iPad-native apps optimized for the Apple Pencil. Their Android equivalents exist but are generally less polished. If you’re doing heavy creative work or depend on specific iPad apps, that matters.

Android wins on price and flexibility. The Galaxy Tab S9 at ≈$600 includes the S Pen and matches the base iPad Air on display quality and performance. The Galaxy Tab A9 Plus at ≈$220 has no iPad equivalent at that price point. Android also supports USB-C peripherals, SD card storage expansion, and sideloading apps without restrictions.

For most students: if you already own an iPhone, the iPad ecosystem fits naturally. If you’re on Android, the Galaxy Tab S9 gives you a better cross-device experience and saves money. If your phone is Android and your laptop is Windows, an iPad introduces a third ecosystem that doesn’t communicate cleanly with either.

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Can a Tablet Replace a Laptop for College?

Surface Pro 9: yes, for most majors. Full Windows 11 means every web app, every desktop app, every development tool works. With the keyboard cover attached it’s functionally a laptop. For students who want one device for everything, it’s the only tablet on this list that’s genuinely laptop-capable.

Samsung Galaxy tablets: no, for most majors. Android has gotten significantly better for productivity, and for students whose entire workflow lives in a browser or Google Workspace, it comes close. But the moment your major requires specific Windows software — and most STEM, business, and design majors do — an Android tablet becomes a companion device, not a replacement. Buy a laptop first, add a tablet if the use case demands it.

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Best Stylus for Android Tablets

Samsung S Pen — The obvious choice for Galaxy tablets. Included with the Tab S9, sold separately (≈$30) for the A9 Plus. Pressure-sensitive, low latency, no battery required. Works best within the Samsung ecosystem.

Staedtler Noris Digital (≈$50) — A capacitive stylus that works on any touch screen. Less precise than the S Pen but compatible with tablets that don’t support active stylus input. Good for light annotation.

ZAGG Pro Stylus 2 (≈$70) — Active stylus with Bluetooth that works across Android and iPad. The pick if you switch between devices or your tablet supports universal active stylus input rather than Samsung’s proprietary protocol.

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Best Note-Taking Apps for Android Tablets

Samsung Notes — Pre-installed on Galaxy tablets, deeply integrated with the S Pen. Handwriting-to-text conversion is surprisingly accurate, organization is clean, and it syncs across Samsung devices. The first app to try if you’re new to a Galaxy tablet.

Noteshelf (≈$10 one-time) — The Android equivalent of Notability. Realistic paper textures, clean UI, and audio recording synced to your handwriting. The pick if you want a premium note-taking experience without a subscription.

GoodNotes for Android (free with subscription tier) — GoodNotes launched an Android version that’s improving rapidly. If you’re switching from iPad and want to keep your note library, this is the cleanest migration path.

Microsoft OneNote (free) — The default pick if your college uses Microsoft 365. Syncs across Windows, Android, and iOS, and the Surface Pen integration on the Surface Pro 9 is particularly tight.

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How They Compare

	Galaxy Tab S9	Galaxy Tab A9 Plus	Surface Pro 9
Price	≈$600	≈$220	≈$900+
Display	11” AMOLED 120Hz	11” LCD 90Hz	13” IPS 120Hz
Stylus	S Pen included	S Pen (extra ≈$30)	Slim Pen 2 (extra ≈$130)
OS	Android 13	Android 13	Windows 11
Battery	≈12 hours	≈12 hours	≈8 hours
Best For	Android power users	Budget note-taking	Laptop replacement

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: Pros & Cons

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Who Should Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Buy it if: You’re committed to Android and want the best tablet experience it offers. The included S Pen, AMOLED display, and four years of software update support make it the clear choice for students who want a premium Android tablet without iOS ecosystem lock-in. Also the right buy if you’re a Samsung phone user who wants seamless cross-device copy-paste, handoff, and notification sync.

Skip it if: Your major requires specific Windows desktop software — get the Surface Pro 9. Also skip it if $600 is a stretch — the Galaxy Tab A9 Plus does 80% of what the S9 does for 37% of the price, and the gap is mostly in display quality and S Pen precision rather than core functionality.

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Final Verdict

For most students who want a non-iPad tablet: the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus at ≈$220 is where to start. It covers reading, lecture slide viewing, video calls, light note-taking, and media without spending real money. If your note-taking workflow is serious and you want the best Android tablet regardless of price, step up to the Galaxy Tab S9 and its included S Pen. If you need Windows — genuinely need it, not just prefer it — the Surface Pro 9 is the only tablet that delivers it.

Check Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus Price on Amazon

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