Essentials
RedPocket · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Network not stated
- No contract
$10/mo$120first year
Best phone plans for college students
Plans between $15 and $35 with enough data for campus life, ranked by real cost.
Prices on this page were last verified on .
20 plans in the catalogue currently match this brief. Monthly prices in this selection run from $7.50 to $25.
Ranked on the real cost over 24 months, the best option today is the RedPocket Essentials: $10.00 a month, or $10.00 a month on average once the promotional period and any activation fee are included ($240.00 over two years).
Matching plans (20)
Unlimited 10
MobileX · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon
- No contract
$14.88/mo$178.56first year
12 Months of Unlimited Flex
US Mobile · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$17.50/mo$210first year
17GB — 12 months prepaid
Mint Mobile · 1 line
- 17 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$15 for the first 12 months, then $20 · 25% below the standard rate
$15/mo$180first year
12 Months of Unlimited Starter
US Mobile · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$16.58 for the first 12 months, then $22.50 · 26% below the standard rate
$16.58/mo$198.96first year
Plus
RedPocket · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Network not stated
- No contract
$10 for the first 1 month, then $20 · 50% below the standard rate
$10/mo$230first year
Power 20 GB
Tello · 1 line
- 20 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$20/mo$240first year
23GB — 12 months prepaid
Mint Mobile · 1 line
- 23 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$15 for the first 12 months, then $25 · 40% below the standard rate
$15/mo$180first year
12-month unlimited (10 GB hotspot) — prepaid
AT&T · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- AT&T
- No contract
$20/mo$240first year
Total MAX 5G BYO
Total Wireless · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon
- No contract
$20/mo$240first year
Unlimited
Boost Mobile · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$10 for the first 6 months, then $25 · 60% below the standard rate
$10/mo$210first year
Visible
Visible · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon
- No contract
$19 for the first 12 months, then $25 · 24% below the standard rate
$19/mo$228first year
Unlimited — 12 months prepaid
Mint Mobile · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$15 for the first 12 months, then $30 · 50% below the standard rate
$15/mo$180first year
Unlimited 30
MobileX · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon
- No contract
$24.88/mo$298.56first year
Unlimited Starter
US Mobile · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$25/mo$300first year
Max Unlimited
Tello · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$25/mo$300first year
Unlimited — 5-year price lock
AT&T · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- AT&T
- No contract
$25/mo$300first year
15 GB Data Plan
Total Wireless · 1 line
- 15 GB data
- 1 line
- Verizon
- No contract
$25/mo$300first year
Unlimited 25
Ting Mobile · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Network not stated
- No contract
$25/mo$300first year
High Data Plan — 18 GB
Lyca Mobile · 1 line
- 18 GB data
- 1 line
- Network not stated
- No contract
$7.50 for the first 6 months, then $33 · 77% below the standard rate
$7.50/mo$243first year
Open this selection in the full comparator
We are funded by advertising, not by the plans we list. No operator pays for a position in this comparison. How we work.
Frequently asked questions
- How much data does a student need?
- Campus and student housing usually provide Wi-Fi, so 15 to 25 GB covers the gaps: commuting, between classes and evenings out. The exception is anyone tethering a laptop, which needs a hotspot allowance as well.
- Can a student keep the family plan?
- Often yes, and it is usually the cheapest option per line. Leaving the family account only makes sense when the line is being used as leverage, or when the account holder wants to stop paying.
- Do student discounts exist on prepaid plans?
- Rarely on prepaid. Discounts are more common on postpaid family accounts, which is one reason a family plan can beat a cheap individual plan for a student.
Related guides
Best prepaid phone plans under $25
Every plan we track at $25/month or less, ranked by the real 12-month cost.
Best phone plans under $20 a monthThe cheapest plans in the catalogue, with the 24-month cost for each.
Best phone plans for light data usersPlans with 5 GB or less, for people who mostly use Wi-Fi.