With the summer nearing an end and fall semester just around the corner we wanted to share a list of good VPN services for college students. The list differs from our overall top 10 because we consider price especially important. Let’s face it, students need the privacy of a fast, reliable VPN service at a reasonable price. One that meets your budget. Check out our list of the best VPNs for college students. They will help protect your privacy, avoid firewall restrictions, and access content in other countries.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
We won’t spend much time on reasons for using a VPN while at school. If you found our post from Google or were referred by a friend then you likely already have the need. In short, a VPN will help protect your privacy while connected to your college network. Whether you plan to game, stream content, or download torrents a VPN will help protect your privacy.
The key benefit of using a VPN is encryption. When you connect to a VPN server you’ll be assigned a new IP address belonging to the VPN company. From there your data will be seen as coming from that IP address. The encryption offered by protocols like OpenVPN and L2TP will keep prying eyes from spying on your online activities.
Let’s jump right in and take a look at the best VPNs for college students.
1. Best VPN for College Students: ExpressVPN
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Founded in 2009, ExpressVPN has a long track record of being one of the top VPN providers in the industry. Experts often tout them for the size, consistent speed, and quality of their network. With the addition of several features that the service offers, it is not hard to see why they are regularly one of the top choices in the community. Even though their service may be at a higher cost than some others, we feel the value, speed, and features more than make up for the difference.
Streaming media is one of the fun things you can do when you are using ExpressVPN. Because there are servers and locations in 94 different countries, you can use it to open your favorite streaming services. The biggest one, of course, is Netflix. The United States has the most extensive library, with some other countries getting closes in the number of titles offered. Since the libraries have different titles available, connecting to a VPN will give you access to your favorite shows and movies. The same is true for other streaming services in the US and beyond.
ExpressVPN launched in 2009 and has grown into a premier VPN service. Whether you want to protect your privacy online, enjoy your favorite streaming services while traveling, or watch live sports, ExpressVPN is a great choice. You can rely on their network for fast, stable connections. This is true for VPN users and those who rely on their MediaStreamer feature to extend functionality to game consoles and more. We suggest signing up for our ExpressVPN deal which includes 3 months free when you subscribe for 12 months. The savings, along with a 30-day money-back guarantee make ExpressVPN an excellent choice.
2. Best VPN for College Students: NordVPN
When you take a look at encryption protocols, NordVPN has you covered. Instead of dealing with some of the less secure ones like PPTP, the company offers you three different alternatives to use. Whether you like the highly adaptable IKEv2, known as an NGE (Next Generation Encryption) protocol, OpenVPN (which many experts consider to be the gold standard), or the newcomer to the group, NordLynx (a proprietary protocol that uses WireGuard technology), you can find them all with NordVPN. While some may worry about using WireGuard because of the flaws, the company made its protocol to address those issues.
If you are a fan of a top-level sports team and happen to be in the city where they play, you already know that the broadcasters will stop you from seeing them online. That is usually because of licensing rights and they call them blackouts. Of course, you can watch them on TV, but some do not have TVs anymore. The solution to the problem is to connect to a VPN by using NordVPN. In this case, you simply need to select a server that is not in the market area. Then, you can watch your favorite team play.
3. Best VPN for College Students: PIA
The United States has some excellent streaming services such as Hulu, HBO Now, the US versions of Netflix and Amazon, and more. If you have a fondness for US TV shows and movies, like to travel abroad, or even just want to check out one of the great shows, you can’t go wrong by connecting to a VPN server from Private Internet Access. When you do, you can quickly gain access to all of those services and more by simply selecting a server in the US.
Sports is still one of the biggest draws of TV watchers. More often than not, viewers want to watch their favorite events at the scheduled time. Unfortunately, you may not always be able to view your favorite sport because of licensing rights from other countries. By connecting to a VPN server from Private Internet Access, however, you can watch your favorite no matter where it is. All you would have to do is select the country where the sport is, have access to the channel for watching and enjoy them.
4. Best VPN for College Students: CyberGhost
Once you sign up for your VPN service with CyberGhost, the company provides you with seven simultaneous connections. While that will take care of most families or groups, it may not solve the problems of everyone. If you are worried about running out of connections, setting up your VPN through a router may help you. When you do so, you will ensure that all of the devices that you attach to your network are protected. Of course, that will help you free up some connections.
If you are familiar with the Amazon Firestick, Roku, or other streaming devices that you plug into your TV, you know they are great. What you may not know, however, is that a vast amount of the content is only available in the US. If you are traveling abroad or outside the country, connecting to a CyberGhost VPN server located in the US is crucial. When you do so, you will be able to gain access to your favorite shows and movies, all at your fingers.
5. Best VPN for College Students: IPVanish
For everyone concerned that the setup for your IPVanish account is going to be complicated or you will not be able to get it quickly and easily established, they offer several different apps to use. Those include apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Linux, and Chrome OS. Additionally, you will find easy setup guides for your router. Of course, you will find others available as well. As you can see, IPVanish has you covered, so whichever system you use will be smooth.
One of the big things that streaming viewers still want to watch live is sports. If you are a sports fan, you know that some sports have an international following. Unfortunately, you may not be able to watch unless you connect to a VPN from IPvanish. Often, that is because of the licensing rights of some media companies. If you are a country that does not offer coverage, you would generally miss out. Instead, just connect to a server in the home country, log in with your credentials to the streaming service, and enjoy.
