We know it feels too early to think about heading back to school in 2024, but it's always better to be prepared, which is why we've created this guide to the best headphones for students, including over-ear cans, the best true wireless earbuds and even bone conduction tech for working out. Over the years, we've tested every conceivable kind of headphones, for every kind of listener, at every price point. Which means we know what we're looking for and which kinds of devices will best suit students.
The options here don't just sound great, although of course that's important. They're also comfortable for long periods of time and boast stamina as well as additional perks such as active noise cancellation (because maybe your housemate just started playing drums. In a death metal band) plus access to your voice assistant for fast fact-checking. And because you're buying on a budget, they need to be exceptional value for money to boot.
With this in mind, we've included some of the best budget headphones alongside class-leading models such as the Sony WH-1000XM5. Cash to splash? Great: high-spec headphones are here too. But if you’re on a strict budget, you’ll be pleased to know that some of the best earbuds for school, college or uni listed in this dedicated roundup won't break the bank.
The Quick List
Want to cut to the good part – ie. which the best student over-ear headphones and earbuds are? You're in the right place with our quick guide below. Easily jump to a bigger write-up of each pick by clicking on the links.
Best overall
Excellent ANC for focus, great sound and a lightweight, comfortable design for all-day wear. They're old and can be beaten in some areas, but if you find them for a bargain, they're excellent value.
Best super cheap buds
If you have a tiny budget, these buds are for you. They have a light, super comfortable design, good on-ear controls and they sound better than anything else that's this price.
Best premium over-ears
If you want to spend a lot of money on a pair of headphones for solid ANC, great sound, a comfortable fit and excellent battery life, these Cambridge Audio cans have you covered.
Best ANC buds
Excellent ANC, a really fun sound and a small, pocketable case all for under $99 / £99. There are better buds, but these look cool and sound excellent for the price.
Best wired headphones
If you want a wired option, these buds from 1MORE are an excellent choice. They also boast lush sound quality and an excellent build, and they're affordable, too.
Best Apple earbuds
If you want fantastic ANC and strong audio with lots of great features that work exceptionally well with all Apple products, then the AirPods Pro 2 aren't cheap but they're a great choice.
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Best affordable ANC headphones
These are some of the best-sounding headphones we've tested for their price. They have amazing battery life, solid build quality and they’re comfortable to wear for long work sessions.
Best affordable ANC earbuds
If you want true wireless earbuds that don't cost a bomb, expect excellent ANC and great battery life here. They look a bit boring, but they're comfortable enough for long periods.
Best cheap USB-C earbuds
If you want earbuds that work with USB-C, these earbuds have a sleek design with different color options and decent sound quality – especially for the budget price.
Best bone conduction
If you want headphones that don't stop you from hearing what's going on around you – whether you're working out or need to stay alert – we like the Shokz OpenRun.
The best headphones and earbuds for students
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The best headphones for students overall
If you're looking for the very best headphones to buy, the Sony WH-1000XM4 still deliver excellent noise-cancellation and surprising sound quality all in a lightweight, comfortable design – even though they're four years old. The catch is that we only think they're the best pick when you find them reduced for under $200/£200, a price which they regularly drop to. But if you can't (Sony has been known to bump it back up), then choose a premium pair, like the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 further down in this guide.
While they don't look much different from their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM3 (which have now gone to the great gig in the sky) a number of extra features including multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and auto-play/pause using a built-in sensor all helped the WH-1000XM4 claim the title of best headphones in 2021 when they first came out – and because they're often discounted, they're an even more attractive buy today.
Their successors, the WH-1000XM5 (see below) are great, but the newer headphones are also a lot more expensive. Instead, the XM4s are our top pick because they're brilliant all-rounders with great sound, support for Sony's 360 Reality Audio and impressive audio upscaling, and their exceptional noise cancellation that makes them ideal for studying in noisy communal areas. If you want value and performance, you've got it here.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones review
The best super cheap earbuds for students
It is possible to purchase a set of budget earbuds without sacrificing your listening experience – and eardrums – in the process. The JLab Go Air Pop buds are a terrific cheap option that makes it possible for discerning listeners to enjoy solid sound at a budget price.
The Air Pop don't just beat everything in their price range for sound; they punch way above their price tag, sounding far better than you'd expect for such a low price. Our testing of these wireless earbuds proved that vocals are relatively well handled through the mids, the bass is sensibly handled, and the soundstage is relatively expansive. And now, they even come in subtle skin-tone shades, if listening during lectures both helps you to concentrate and is a no-no.
They might not beat flagship offerings from the likes of Sony, Apple, or Sennheiser, but they certainly outperform anything in their super-budget category for audio quality and features. They also come with reliable Bluetooth connectivity, killer battery life, lightweight earpieces, and a comfortable fit. If you're looking for a bargain pair of buds, you've found them.
Read our full JLab Go Air Pop review
The best premium over-ears for students
These wireless over-ear headphones were awarded 5 out of 5 stars during our testing – this doesn’t happen often. Of course, you’ll need to pay a lot for them, but they’re our best premium pick for a reason.
You’ll get an incredible 100 hours of battery life here, perfect for long study sessions. That drops to 60 if you want ANC on, which might be ideal for focus or maybe you’ll often choose to ditch the ANC in favor of being vaguely aware of what’s going on around you when you’re studying in a library or other space at your school, college or uni.
Other features worth shouting about include multipoint connectivity, which is handy if you’re working between different devices, and Bluetooth 5.3 and aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codec compatibility. In short, lossless 16bit/44.1kHz resolution is available here if you’ve got the best device and streaming service to take advantage of it. An app allows you to adjust settings; most notably, you’ll find a seven-band equaliser with several presets.
In our review, we called the sound these headphones make “endlessly listenable.” You can make the most of these headphones by listening to Qobuz or Tidal, but they don’t judge your streaming service. They still sound great. Six mics for the best ANC and call quality. ANC here is great and more than enough to keep distractions at bay.
We know that comfort is paramount when you’re looking for headphones to accompany you on late-night library cram sessions. These Cambridge Audio headphones will see you through with memory foam, vegan leather for the (detachable) earpads, and a headband with a sturdy and nicely padded fabric on the inside. There are physical controls here rather than touch-based ones, which is bound to appeal to some and be off-putting to others.
They certainly aren't cheap at $279 / £229 / AU$479. They’re a serious splurge by student standards, which is why they’re our top premium pick. But they sound incredible, and they’re so well specified. Did we mention the truly epic battery life on offer here? We know they’re not budget-friendly, but if your budget can stretch, you won’t be disappointed.
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review
The best ANC earbuds for students
There's a lot to love about the Nothing Ear (a), the latest true wireless earbuds from Carl Pei's startup. But before we get into it, let's just say that this is a very cool pair of earbuds that look awesome. In fact, in our review of the Nothing Ear (a) we wrote: "Rarely have I had so many people strike up a conversation with me while I'm wearing earbuds, to tell me that they like my earbuds."
But looks-aside, this is a solid pair of true wireless earbuds that pack a hell of a lot into a small and, most importantly, incredibly good value package. During our testing, we were most impressed by the excellent ANC on offer here, which we think is robust and among the best we've experienced recently. We also described the sound as "energetic, detailed and zealous".
As well as excellent sound, the design here has had some improvements over previous Nothing buds, with a smaller and more pocketable case and a decent 5.5 hours of battery from the buds themselves and very impressive 24.5 hours with the case (that's assuming you're using ANC the whole time and, honestly, why wouldn't you?).
If you're looking for an excellent pair of ANC buds that sound excellent, keep you focused with impressive ANC and a long battery and are achingly cool, the Nothing Ear (a) are incredibly good value for less than $100 / £100.
Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review
The best wired headphones for students
The 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones provide an amazing level of audio quality for their price, and with a choice of silver or gold accents, they look really slick, too.
An inbuilt remote means you can subtly adjust your music playback without taking your phone out of your pocket (handy if you're sneakily listening to music during class or don't want to lose focus), while triple-layered dynamic drivers mean your tunes should sound incredible.
These are a wired pair of headphones, so make sure your phone or MP3 player has a 3.5mm audio port – otherwise you may need to buy an adapter too. Hate wires? Check out the best wireless earbuds for cable-free options.
Read our full 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review
The best Apple earbuds for students
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are excellent earbuds, offering improved audio performance and fantastic ANC in Apple’s comfortable and familiar AirPods-esque design. But they're a much better choice if you have an iPhone – if you're an Android smartphone user, the notable cost might outweigh the audio quality and suite of available features.
The Pro 2 buds are a significant step up from the original AirPods Pro, which were good to begin with. Design changes are subtle, but audio performance is upgraded with new drivers and amplifiers – and the stems can now alter volume quickly (if you've just arrived in a lecture, say). During our testing, we rated the sound on offer from the Pro 2 as excellent – there’s rich audio across genres and a wide and expansive soundstage.
ANC is also vastly improved and performs remarkably well, blocking out almost all external noises. Transparency mode is now more useful because it’s adaptive, allowing you to have natural conversations (with classmates, say) even when you don’t want to remove your buds.
Battery life has had a boost. You get 6 hours from the buds with ANC on, and 30 hours from the charging case, which is now IPX4 water resistant—withstanding light showers and sweating – and has a speaker, handy if you lose them as you can activate a 'Find My' request.
Read the full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
The best affordable ANC headphones for students
The Earfun Wave Pro are truly excellent value and ideal for studying, with an incredibly long battery life, good ANC and sound that is far from perfect but is very impressive for the price.
These headphones felt great to wear during our testing, too. This is because they're fairly light for a pair of over-ears at 268g and have soft padding in the cups. They can also be folded to make them easier to pop in your bag and carry around. Their comfortable fit makes them ideal for all-day wear, especially considering they have a truly amazing battery life of 80 hours, which drops to 55 hours with ANC on.
How about the sound? Well, it's not audiophile-grade. But for the price it's going to give you a fun and engaging listen that should suit most people. To get into the specifics, in our review we wrote: "Both bass and treble are pronounced, and while some mid sounds are lost between the two, the overall soundstage is a lot more audible than on many equivalent-price rivals I’ve tested."
If you're trying to save money before heading back to school but want a pair of over-ears that tick the boxes and will survive long and gruelling study sessions, the Earfun Wave Pro are a fantastic choice.
Read our full Earfun Wave Pro review
The best affordable ANC earbuds for students
Quite simply, these January 2023-issue earbuds are the best noise-nixing buds on the market if your budget maxes out at $80 / £79 (sadly, Australian availability is thin on the ground).
They feature Bluetooth 5.3 with support for next-gen Bluetooth LE Audio technology – a new Bluetooth standard that promises to upgrade how we listen to music, including improved sound quality and battery life – once the smartphones bearing it arrive…
There’s also support for a feature called Auracast. This lets you jump between audio playing from different devices, so you can seamlessly listen to what your friends are listening to or what’s playing in a public space – again, there's no support in the wild yet, but it's coming.
That’s not all. The buds also support Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio codec, which is capable of delivering CD-quality 16-bit.44.1kHz audio over Bluetooth. This also provides low-latency performance when streaming from devices that support the Qualcomm standard.
All of this for budget money? I know. The ANC is good – again, for the money, but you’d need to significantly bump up your outlay to get noticeably better noise cancellation, and maybe you just don't have the cash right now.
Read our full Earfun Air Pro 3 review
The best cheap USB-C earbuds for students
If you want a super cheap pair of buds that have a wired design and USB-C connection, the Skullcandy Set is for you. We know some people prefer a reliable wired option or just like having a spare pair of buds if they forget to charge their true wireless Bluetooth pair.
As you'd expect from a pair of wired buds that only cost $31.99 / £29.99, the Set aren't going to deliver top-drawer sound. In our review, we described the audio as lacking depth and a little feeble compared to more expensive buds. But considering how budget these buds are – and how terrible and tinny rivals are – sound quality is still decent.
We rated the design of the buds during our testing. You get really comfortable listening here for long revision sessions. Included ear gels promise a noise-isolating fit, which doesn't completely eliminate noise around you like a more expensive pair of ANC buds would, but in our review we wrote that they: "do a solid job of keeping you tuned in to your music."
Overall, the Skullcandy Set USB-C aren't high-performing. But they are a stylish, reliable and well-priced wired option.
Read our full Skullcandy Set USB-C review
The best bone conduction headphones for students
The Shokz OpenRun is a flagship headset that offers an impressively small and light design that uses bone conduction technology. This means they deliver audio to your ears without covering your ear canals or putting anything in them. This is ideal if you want to stay aware of your surroundings while you're working in an open plan space or working out between classes.
Despite their slender frame, they include two physical buttons to control volume. Dual noise-cancelling mics are available for those times you need to take calls, too.
On the sound front, Shokz has adjusted its approach to delivering audio to your ears to improve bass performance and offer less vibration and sound leakage than the brand’s other headphones.
The improvements in bass and clarity are slight but noticeable, and with an improved eight hours of battery life and the same quick-charge support as the Trekz Air, the OpenRun are still some of the best bone conduction headphones around.
Read our full Shokz OpenRun review
How to choose the best student headphones
There are some typical things to look our for that we expect anyone wanting a pair the best student headphones to need. This includes a comfortable fit for wearing in study sessions and for focused work, a good battery life for long periods in the library or at uni and good sound quality, ideally with ANC, to help you focus wherever you are.
Obviously, money is a big factor too. If you know how important super immersive listening is and have the budget to spare, you might want to pick a higher-end pair of headphones you know will deliver an excellent experience. But we know many students are strapped for cash, so it's worth weighing up what's important to you. And remembering there are plenty of budget and mid-range options that may not be best-in-class but deliver excellent sound and performance for the price.
Having said all of that, it all depends on you and your preferences. Especially when it comes to personal things, like the fit of your headphones. Because some people hate having buds in their ear canals so would always want to opt for over-ears, whereas others find over-ears too bulky or annoying, so want the smallest buds available.
That's why our advice is always to take your time. Ignore the marketing messages. Put looks aside for now. And consider what your priorities are, which designs are comfortable and whether you're willing to pay more for some features or want to stick to a smaller budget.
Plan on using your new headphones in busy communal study areas? Our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones is another place to cross-reference the products listed here. And if you often hit the gym before hitting the books, our best running headphones roundup will give you the security and robustness you need.
Student headphones deals
