Best VPN for School: Which VPN is Best for Features, Speed, and Privacy?

Schoolwork requires a lot of research and gathering of data and information. If you are concerned with online security and want to keep your personal information safe while using school WiFi, a VPN is a great way to go.

A VPN can also help you bypass school firewalls and unblock social media sites, YouTube, and other potentially restricted content.

In a hurry? If you want the best VPN for privacy, security, or speed, here are our editor’s picks for the best VPNs overall — each with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click through now to get our best discount on your subscription:

• ExpressVPN: A global leader among VPNs, ExpressVPN offers one-click ease with high speed servers in 105 countries — and it also unblocks Netflix. Get 3 months free when you purchase a 12-month subscription.
• NordVPN: Compatible with many streaming services, featuring malware prevention and ad blocking. Get up to 68% off + 3 free months with NordVPN’s Back to School special when you choose a 2-year plan with our special offer.
• Surfshark: Award-winning VPN for unlimited devices, featuring worldwide connections with 10 GBit servers in 100 countries. Get up to 86% off your Surfshark 2-year subscription price.

Quick Guide to Choosing a VPN For School

You will want to choose a VPN with a no-logs policy to keep your data private and make sure it is compatible with your device. Also, choose a VPN with fast speeds to ensure it doesn’t throttle your internet connection, and that it has a good bandwidth allowance to be sure you can use it for all your schoolwork.

A VPN can also increase or decrease your speed. If your school WiFi throttles your bandwidth, a VPN can help you bypass that and increase your speed. If your school’s network is congested, a VPN can also help you find a less crowded server and improve your speed.

However, a VPN is an extra step in the process of internet connection, and this could slow your connection speed if you are using a VPN with limited servers. Connecting to a server close to you can also reduce your lag time.

The Best VPNs For School in 2023

Here is a review of the best VPNs for school:

Best & Worst:

Best feature for use at school: Well-priced, good coverage, and a reliable VPN.

Worst feature for use at school: Doesn’t offer a free trial.

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Secure Network

Surfshark has a strict no-logging policy, and the only data that Surfshark collects is the frequency of use of the app, the aggregated performance data, and the unsuccessful connection attempts if any. All this data is strictly for analytical purposes.

Thus, they don’t store any uniquely identifiable information about you. You will be able to access all the material you need for your schoolwork and entertainment without having to worry about a thing.

Surfshark uses several encryption protocols to secure its users’ internet traffic. The protocols used are OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPSec. OpenVPN is the most commonly used protocol and is considered the most secure. It uses 256-bit encryption as a default but also offers other ciphers such as AES and Blowfish.

IKEv2 is a fast protocol that is ideal for mobile users, as well as computer and tablet users. 

Features

The larger the number of servers a VPN has, the more options you will have for spoofing, which is a technique used to hide your location by changing your IP address. The VPN’s network includes 3,200 servers in 100 different countries.

Surfshark’s torrenting and streaming speeds are high, and because they have DNS leak protection, you don’t risk leaking your data or anyone knowing your online whereabouts.

Surfshark is compatible with all major devices. It works with all major operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. You also have an unlimited number of simultaneous connections, meaning that all you have to do is pay for one account, and you will be able to use it on all the devices you want.

Value for Money

The monthly plan costs $15.45/mo. You can opt for the yearly plan, which comes with 3 free months and costs $2.79/mo, or the 2-year plan, which also comes with 3 free months and costs only $2.19/mo. All subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You have many options for how to pay, from credit card to Sofort, Google Pay, or Amazon Pay, and several cryptocurrencies including Ethereum and Bitcoin.

No Free Version

Many VPNs have a free version; it limits the number of servers available, in addition to the amount of data you can use. All of this, though, is free. Surfshark doesn’t have a free version, so you have to pay to get what you want.

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Read our full Surfshark review.

NordVPN is based in Panama, a country whose laws assure your online safety. It is not part of the 14-Eyes Alliance nor any other signal-sharing treaties.

Located in a Privacy Haven

It is appropriate when it comes to safety and security. It has put in place all the necessary protocols to ensure that all your data and online activities are safe, and only you can access it by using military-grade encryption protocols, such as Open VPN and Ikev2/IPsec.

Moreover, as was indicated in the table, it has a strict no-logging policy. This privacy policy was backed up when PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted an audit and concluded that NordVPN doesn’t store any personal data, apart from your billing details, of course.

HTTPS protection – Sites with HTTPS encryption are not necessarily safe. As innocent a site as it may seem, such as a research site, it may affect your device by introducing ransomware, malware, and other threats.

NordVPN comes with a feature known as CyberSec that protects you from unsafe connections and unwanted ads as well as a double VPN, which passes your connection through two servers to encrypt it.

DDoS Protection – Hackers use DDoS, distributed denial-of-service, to flood your device with so much traffic that it crushes. This is most often a decoy so that they can get your data, such as credit card details, or install malicious software into your device.

You are most prone to DDoS attacks if you use public Wi-Fi signals, which are more common in learning institutions. Therefore, you have to make sure that you are protected at all times.

NordVPN can help you with this. It comes with an Anti-DDoS Protection feature that will make sure you have all the protection you need.

Features

NordVPN has fast servers, though it is not one of the fastest in the business. However, as stated earlier, you will get value for your money. 

NordVPN also launched a new product called NordVPN Teams. This is similar to Microsoft Teams, which enables communication between co-workers. However, as you can expect from a privacy company – NordVPN Teams can be a much safer choice.

One thing we don’t like is that the interface sites may seem a bit cramped and sometimes the app requires a hard reset. NordVPN comes with a myriad of features, and at times it may appear a bit cramped. You will have to be careful when you are moving about not to touch the wrong buttons.

No Free Trial

It does not have a free trial.

At least in the traditional sense, NordVPN does not have a free trial version. Thus, you will have to pay first to get to know what you are paying for. That being said, it has some of the most affordable prices in the market; For a monthly subscription, you will have to part with $12.99. A one-year plan will cost you $4.99 per month, and a two-year plan will cost you $3.49 per month.

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Read our full NordVPN review.

Popular streaming services like Netflix and HBO have geo-restrictions on their content. To get past said geo-restrictions, you will need a VPN, and ProtonVPN is excellent for streaming.

Great Security Features

ProtonVPN is equipped with the latest security technologies like most other best VPN services. After all, they are the creators of ProtonMail – a well-known encrypted email platform.

In addition to double-hop, ProtonVPN comes with a kill switch – ProtonVPN’s kill switch feature will automatically disconnect you from your internet after your connection with the VPN server drops. This ensures that at no time will you be liable to attacks or leaks.

ProtonVPN has over 3,064 servers in 69 different countries.

A Lot to Offer Students

It is always pleasing to use an app or platform that works to make it easy for you. ProtonVPN’s interface is not only aesthetically appealing but is also one that will make it a lot easier for you to use. It is uncluttered and extremely user-friendly. 

The Always-on feature aims to re-establish the connection to the said server as fast as possible and automatically link you back to the server once the issue has been resolved. When these two work in tandem, you can be assured that you are safe.

It allows Netflix, streaming, and torrenting. They have a free plan with unlimited bandwidth and data, however, this plan is not optimized for streaming.

Netflix has put in place a policy to try and block all VPNs. However, ProtonVPN has several protocols that bypass this, allowing you to access all the content that Netflix offers. ProtonVPN servers also facilitate torrenting, meaning that now you can download all the files and media, and access all the torrenting sites without any fear of repercussions.

ProtonVPN allows for up to 10 simultaneous device connections, meaning that you can stream on whatever device you want to stream on.

No Live Chat

It has no live chat

Customer support is available through a support form, email, or social media channels.

The free version allows unlimited bandwidth and data, although it will likely slow your browsing speed, and the free version doesn’t support streaming while the paid versions do.

Sign Up Now for ProtonVPN

Read our full ProtonVPN review.

Why Do You Need a VPN For School?

Most Wi-Fi networks installed in schools are public. This exposes you to many risks, such as malware and viruses. Someone could tap into the school network and access some of your most private data.

You may also be blocked from accessing social media or other sites on school WiFi or have a throttled bandwidth connection. A VPN can help you with all of this.

A VPN, which stands for virtual private network, is a pathway between your device and a network. It makes your connection safe by putting a lock on it. It also gives you a new IP address so no one can see where you’re located.

When you use a VPN provider, your internet traffic goes through a special server that keeps your information private and hidden from your internet company, your school ISP(Internet Service Provider), the government, hackers, and others who might try to snoop on you. It’s like having a secret tunnel that keeps you safe and anonymous while you’re online.

Things to Look For in a VPN For School:

• Security features such as a kill switch, threat protection, or other additional protection features.
• Speed and bandwidth allowance.
• Large server network.
• Compatibility with different operating systems.
• Customizable protocols.
• Student discounts.

What to Avoid:

• Don’t violate your school’s policies.
• Some schools may not allow the installation of VPNs on their computers.

How to Get Started Using a VPN for School

The easiest way is probably to create a hotspot with your phone and download a VPN outside of the school’s WiFi. Follow the installation instructions below for installing ExpressVPN, or go to the website of the VPN you choose.

If you encounter connectivity issues, try clearing your cache and cookies and reload the page. If this doesn’t work, try a different server or get in touch with your VPN’s customer support team. It’s important to remember that you may not be allowed to install a VPN on a school computer, so it is best to use your device.

Installing ExpressVPN For Use at School

1. Go to the ExpressVPN website and create an account.
2. Choose your subscription plan and provide payment information.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the ExpressVPN app on your computer.
4. Launch the app and log in with your account credentials.
5. Select a server location where your favorite sites aren’t blocked by school Wi-Fi restrictions.
6. Click the connect button to establish a secure VPN connection.

Note that you must be at least eighteen years old to create an ExpressVPN account.

Methodology

We personally try out each VPN for our reviews. We evaluate speed, security features, ability to unblock streaming services, support for torrenting, customer support, and many other factors. We also look at the VPN company’s jurisdiction, history, past security incidents, privacy policy, and audit reports to ensure that you get a complete picture of the service. Learn more about how we test VPNs on our methodology page.

Wrapping Up

When selecting VPNs, make sure that you pick one that has a strict no-logging policy. You should also consider the price of the said VPN versus the services it offers.

FAQs