Finest Telephone Plans For School College students In 2026

Cell telephones are a should have for school college students in all places.  Many faculty college students begin leaving their dad and mom’ household plan, however do not know the place to go to seek out the very best offers. And it may be complicated to try to discover the very best cellphone plans to save cash with all of the choices on the market. 

Cellphone plans aren’t low-cost. You’ve got the price of the telephone, the month-to-month plan price – and every firm does one thing totally different for pricing. It may be exhausting to determine what’s the finest cellphone plan.  That is why we have damaged down all of the choices we might discover that will profit faculty college students.  

This is what elements we have been when ranking cellphone plans for school college students:

We chosen these key areas as a result of faculty college students use textual content and information – so much! It is estimated that the typical faculty pupil makes use of upwards of 5GB of knowledge per 30 days. 

Plus, they want cheap pricing for his or her plans. Additionally they need smartphones, however they do not need to pay $100s for the most recent telephones. Lastly, college students are traveling – they’re in school for a part of the 12 months, house at different instances, and generally even touring throughout the nation. School college students want cell telephones that give them protection in all places.

Lastly, just remember to’re contacting every firm and on the lookout for cell phone discounts for college students.

After all the main plans and corporations on the market, listed here are the very best cellphone plans for school college students.

Please evaluation the present expenses and price data related to the plans listed, you should definitely evaluation the phrases & situations and price schedule of every plan earlier than making use of. They alter always and we attempt to preserve this listing up to date however gross sales and pricing change.

Our High Three Picks For Finest Cell Telephone Plans In 2026

This is our picks for the highest cellphone plans for 2026. 

This is our full listing of cellphone suppliers. This listing adjustments always, as new suppliers proceed to vary the sport, and older corporations provide new plans.

Cell Telephone Plans Much less Than $20 Per Month

These cellphone plans price lower than $20 per 30 days. Whereas which may seem to be an ideal deal – these plans are sometimes “naked bones” in what you get. A few of these are prepaid plans, so be sure to try our information on Prepaid vs. Contract Cell Phones.

FreedomPop

FreedomPop provides a primary plan that’s $10 per 30 days. 

The fundamental plan may be very restricted however does have limitless discuss and textual content. The place you get caught is you solely get 1GB of 5G+ speeds – that is seemingly not going to get you very far.

Additionally, for school college students, in case you’re good about utilizing information, you need to use WiFi calling on campus and elsewhere to keep away from utilizing any minutes and information. 

It is necessary to notice that there are additionally activation charges and a cost to port your quantity. 

Pink Pocket

RedPocket is one other plan that gives an inexpensive primary stage of service for simply $10 per 30 days. The $10 per 30 days plan will get you limitless discuss, textual content, and information, however there are caps on velocity..

Their plans go all the way in which as much as limitless, however even for simply $30 extra per 30 days, you rise up to 50GB of 5G information, plus 20GB of hotspot information. 

All of their plans are comparatively cheap, and haven’t any contracts.  

MintMobile

MintMobile is an attention-grabbing cellphone service that sends you a SIM card to make use of along with your telephone. MintMobile’s pricing is fairly distinctive in that you just pay up entrance. For instance, to get the $15 per 30 days deal, you prepay for 3 months upfront — they name it shopping for “wi-fi in bulk.”

Their present deal provides you limitless discuss and textual content with 5GB of 4G LTE information for $15, so long as you buy three months upfront. Plus, they lately launched their Limitless Plan for $30 per 30 days, which provides you limitless home discuss and textual content, and limitless information! 

You’ve got the choice of customizing your plan upfront for 3 to 12 months.

Right here is their pricing:

Learn our full Mint Mobile review here.

Venture FI

Project FI is Google’s plan to vary the cellphone trade. The Venture FI plan prices $20 for limitless home discuss and textual content, limitless worldwide texts, WiFi tethering to make use of your telephone as a hotspot and extra.
This plan is right for somebody who must textual content worldwide numbers or travels continuously, since Venture Fi provides mobile protection in 135 nations.
Information prices $10 per GB. As a result of information is not actually included of their plans, and it might get expensive in case you max out (you are an $80 invoice), we could not put Venture FI in our high picks. Nevertheless, in case you simply use the fundamentals, it may be a sensible choice.

Cell Telephone Plans Extra Than $20 Per Month

These plans price extra every month, however they normally include much more options and choices – like limitless information and extra. That is why Verizon Wireless made our high choose for the very best cellphone plan – it is low pricing for all of the options it provides.

Enhance Cell

Boost is one other low price cellphone supplier that gives a vast plan with discuss, textual content, and information for $25/mo eternally. With it, you get 30GB of premium information.

It is necessary to notice that this plan does not embody a tool, and does not embody taxes – so you may seemingly have some extra out of pocket bills. They do provide barely dearer plans that embody extra options.

Nonetheless an ideal possibility if you’d like a low price cellphone plan.

Cricket Wi-fi

Cricket Wireless was one of many authentic low price cellphone suppliers that attempted to vary the sport a number of years in the past. Now, many corporations provide related pricing and plans, and Cricket hasn’t actually stored up. 

Cricket’s foremost plan goes for $35 a month, and also you get limitless discuss, textual content, and information. The one requirement is you setup autopay. 

If you happen to don’t want a lot information, they provide a chat and textual content plan with simply 10GB of knowledge for $30 a month. You should buy a telephone or carry your personal.

Verizon

Verizon has significantly upped their cellphone pricing recreation during the last two years. A number of years in the past, they have been one of the costly cellphone plan suppliers on this listing. Nevertheless, they now take the highest spot as our primary suggestion for a cellphone plan. Why? Worth and options.

First, no contract is required. All plans included limitless discuss and textual content and information. That is an ideal begin. 

Welcome Limitless
$65/mo
Limitless 5G

Limitless Plus
$80/mo
5G
30GB premium hotspot then throttled
Limitless Limitless
$90/mo
5G
Limitless hotspot
Verizon does cost a $30 activation price per line.

This pricing is a number of the finest we have seen for the options, protection, telephone choices, and reliability.

Learn our full Verizon review here.

AT&T

AT&T Wireless was once one of many least expensive suppliers, and so they’re again with a low price limitless plan – which is sweet to see..

AT&T has gone forwards and backwards on providing limitless information, which is disappointing. All of their plans do provide limitless discuss and textual content, which is on par with different corporations, and so they provide rollover on your information.

They do cost an Entry Cost per telephone, and you have to do installment funds when buying a brand new telephone. That is complicated and it seems that you may pay extra for the telephone versus signing a 2 12 months settlement. 

This is what AT&T’s pricing seems to be like presently.

Limitless For One 12 months
$25/mo (should prepay $300 for the whole 12 months)

Limitless Necessities 
$40/mo
Limitless Max
$55/mo
Limitless discuss, textual content, and information

T Cell

T Mobile was an in depth competitor to being within the high cellphone plans for school college students, nevertheless, over the previous few years, we have solely seen their costs rise.  Proper now, you may get limitless discuss, textual content, and information for simply $50 per 30 days. This worth now appears excessive in comparison with the competitors. 

T Cell’s pricing is pretty easy and easy, which is refreshing. Additionally they provide 2 12 months contracts on your telephone, which is nice.

This is T Cell’s pricing:

$50/mo
Limitless discuss and textual content
50GB of premium information

Seen

Visible is the most recent firm on this listing, and they’re simply rolling out service in 2018. They’re a carry your personal telephone firm (presently solely iPhone), and so they use an app to deal with all of the “stuff” wanted.

They provide 3 plans, Seen, Seen+, and Seen+ Professional, beginning at simply $19 per 30 days for limitless discuss, textual content, and information. Seen+ is $29 month-to-month, and extra hotspot functionality and worldwide textual content and calling.

Seen makes use of Verizon’s community, so that you get dependable service and pricing. The massive factor that holds us again from them being on the high is that it may be complicated to carry your personal telephone, and so they solely work with Apple telephones presently.

Learn our full Visible Mobile review here.

Vital Concerns

When determining which cellphone plan makes probably the most sense for you, it is actually necessary to consider your personal utilization.

How a lot information do you utilize? I personally use about 8GB per 30 days.

How a lot voice do you utilize? I do not use a lot anymore (please do not name me).

How a lot textual content do you utilize? Quite a bit. I exploit about 1000 texts per 30 days (textual content me).

When determining the very best plan for you, that you must know your numbers with the intention to precisely resolve how a lot you want.

If you happen to’re a school pupil determining your plan, think about one of many WiFi plans – it is nice for school as a result of most faculty campuses have WiFi in all places. Plus, most locations have WiFi in all places!

Widespread Cell Telephone Plan FAQs

Listed below are some widespread questions we see so much in the case of searching for cellphone plans. As a result of, everyone knows at this cut-off date, searching for a brand new cellphone plan is not a enjoyable exercise.

Who has the very best cellphone plan?

The perfect cellphone plan varies based mostly in your wants. Every plan has strengths and weaknesses, particularly round pricing for limitless information. Relying on what options you utilize, there is a plan on the market that is best for you.

What’s the finest limitless calling and information plan?

At present, virtually each service provides limitless calling. Nevertheless, in case you’re on the lookout for worldwide calling, that you must examine your plan. For limitless information, there are a lot of carriers that provide this, however be sure to want limitless information first. It’s possible you’ll be stunned that you just solely find yourself utilizing about 8GB of knowledge per 30 days (or much less).

Which service provides the most cost effective information plan?

The most affordable plan goes to be based mostly on what options and companies you utilize. Plans on this listing vary from free to $90 per 30 days. All of it depends upon what you’re going to want on your life-style.

Is information actually limitless or do they throttle it?

When cellphone corporations say limitless information, they won’t shut off your information entry. Nevertheless, after a sure utilization stage, most corporations will throttle the velocity at which you’ll entry your information. For instance, you may usually get 4G LTE speeds, however after 35GB of knowledge, you drop right down to 3G or decrease speeds.

Do I’ve to enter a retailer or can I do the whole lot on-line and at house?

Sure! You now not have to enter a cellphone retailer to activate new service. You possibly can order your plan and telephone on-line, and activate it your self at house. It is very easy and it solely takes minutes.

Closing Ideas

If you need an ideal plan at low price, try Mint Mobile. If you need a full service, sturdy plan, then AT&T is the very best plan possibility for you.

In case you have your personal machine already, then try Boost Mobile. They’ve an ideal plan at a fraction of the worth.

If you are able to do actually naked bones cellphone plan, then FreedomPop’s free plan might be an effective way to go!