Heading back to school? These are the TOP 5 best phone plans for students in 2025

The summer break is nearing an end, and students all over the globe are working hard to check the most important items off their back-to-school shopping list. If you're a college student, however, there's one crucial detail that you could easily overlook: your phone plan.

Believe it or not, there are a ton of wireless carriers out there that offer the perfect experience for students of all ages. Whether you need a cheap and approachable MVNO carrier or a comprehensive unlimited plan laden with perks and international benefits, the best phone plans for students (handpicked by yours truly) can be found below.

Need more guidance before the new semester hits? Check out our ultimate back-to-school shopping guide for more device recommendations, Android news, and plenty of money-saving opportunities.

Patrick Farmer

Patrick is an experienced deal hunter with a particular interest in helping people save money on their phone bills. Whether you're switching to an affordable MVNO or upgrading to one of the Big Three, utilizing Patrick's years of experience in the eCommerce space can help you cut through the noise and find the carrier or gadget deal that works for you.

At a glance

Best overall

Owned and operated by Verizon, Visible Wireless is home to three plan options that include unlimited talk, text, and data on the parent company's vast 5G Ultra Wideband network. Of those three options, the best plan for students is easily the carrier's new Visible Plus Pro plan, which includes everything mentioned above along with premium data, an unlimited mobile hotspot, and monthly discounts on Fios Home Internet.

The Plus Pro plan also includes a few surprising international perks, such as free calls and texts to over 85 countries worldwide. There are no hidden taxes or fees slapped on top of the monthly rate when you go to check out, and you can cancel your service at any time without being charged for termination. The Visible Plus Pro plan starts at $45 per month, but you can also pay annually to save a bit of cash in the long run. Visible is also home to plenty of wireless deals, so be sure to check out the carrier's deal page before you sign up.

Best MVNO

Powered by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile is an interesting MVNO carrier that operates with a unique "buy-in-bulk" plan system. Customers start by purchasing one of the carrier's four plan options in 3, 6, or 12-month increments of time. There are no hidden fees or confusing contracts to worry about, and you can easily upgrade or downgrade your plan at will once the time allotment has run out. There's even a seven-day money-back guarantee that lets you try out the service with zero stress if you're having trouble committing.

Starting at $15 per month for three months of the introductory 5GB plan, all of Mint's plan options give you talk, text, and data on T-Mobile's vast 5G network, plus you get free calls to Mexico, Canada, and the UK. There are also a ton of Mint Mobile deals that could get you a great Android phone for dirt cheap if you play your cards right.

If your network gets congested, you may notice slower speeds after 35GB on the Unlimited plan, but that's pretty common for prepaid carriers. Indeed, MVNOs aren't perfect, but these carriers remain nice options for students because they're simple, affordable, and allow for lots of flexibility. If that's what you're looking for in a phone plan, then Mint Mobile is an amazing choice.

Best budget

Let's face it: not everyone needs unlimited data on their phone plans, especially if they have regular access to Wi-Fi. If you're really looking to cut costs, Tello's 5GB plan is a great choice, starting at just $10 per month and giving you access to T-Mobile's comprehensive 5G / 4G LTE network.

Tello Mobile also lets you completely customize your plan every month with no penalty. Only want to pay for 500 minutes of calling this month? You can do that. Need Unlimited data for a month to catch up on your favorite TV show? You can do that too. All of Tello's plans also come with a 5GB mobile hotspot, plus Wi-Fi calling support and free calls to over 60 countries worldwide.

Looking at the negatives, Tello's data speeds do tend to fluctuate during busy periods, and taxes aren't applied to your monthly rate until you get to the checkout page. All things said and done, however, these are small issues when you consider the low cost and flexibility offered by Tello's data plans.

Best features

Of course, Tello isn't the only carrier that lets you create your own wireless experience. Verizon switched to a mix-and-math perk system a few years ago and hasn't looked back, offering customers a wide range of excellent features, from Cloud Storage to streaming services and everything in between.

The Verizon Welcome Unlimited plan starts at $65 per month for a single line with AutoPay, although the price can drop considerably if you add multiple lines. The base plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data on the company's iconic 5G network, plus you get a three-year price lock guarantee. After you sign up for the base plan, you get to mix and match perks for $10 per month apiece.

These perks include things like Netflix subscriptions, Apple Music, Unlimited Cloud Storage, and more. The best part is that Verizon allows you to update your perks every month, which means you can adjust your plan features as needed every 30 days with zero hassle.

The problem is that Verizon's plan can get pretty expensive if you're not taking advantage of the multi-line discounts, and the base tier doesn't include much on its own. Still, it's a great option if you like consolidating your entertainment apps and don't mind bringing the family along.

Best premium

Home to the world's largest 5G network, it's no wonder that T-Mobile has learned a spot on this list. The Experience Beyond plan is easily one of the Big Three carrier's best offerings if you can afford it, presenting customers with unlimited talk, text, and premium data every month alongside a true bounty of perks.

The plan starts at a steep $105 per month with AutoPay, but you get unlimited coverage with free subscriptions to Netflix, Apple TV Plus, and Hulu (with ads). The Experience Beyond plan also gives you an unlimited mobile hotspot and coverage (capped at 15GB of high-speed data) in over 200 countries worldwide. Those perks feel fairly standard for premium phone plans nowadays, but T-Mobile also throws in a few perks that you may not expect, such as free in-flight texting and Wi-Fi on select flights and a five-year price guarantee.

Sure, it's obviously too expensive for many students, but if you can make it work for you, T-Mobile's Experience Beyond plan is the gold standard of what a premium phone plan can look like in 2025.

Best international

Whether you're a frequent traveler or trying to stay in touch with family back home, many students need international benefits in their phone plans. Several of the options on this list offer good coverage in other countries, but there's only one carrier that expertly balances stellar international perks with a reasonable monthly rate: Ultra Mobile.

Starting at $29/monthly, Ultra's 12GB plan gives you unlimited talk, text, and 12GB of 5G data on T-Mobile's legendary network, plus you get unlimited talk to over 90 countries worldwide, as well as unlimited usage in Mexico and Canada. If you need to go beyond the international coverage included in your plan, Ultra also sells international call credits and a one-time roaming credit for five bucks apiece. Like most of the plans on this list, the 12GB tier also comes with a free mobile hotspot and Wi-Fi calling support.

Similar to Mint Mobile's buy-in-bulk system, members can pay $29 for a single month of the 12GB plan, or you can drop the price to as low as $20 monthly if you pay for a full year in advance. If you don't need 12GB of data every month, Ultra also offers preconfigured plans that starting at 4GB monthly.

How to choose

Whether you're shopping for yourself or a tech-savvy high schooler, choosing the right student phone plan doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution — it depends on the user. Does the student in question have a regular Wi-Fi connection? Do they need lots of data? Are they shopping on a budget? All of these questions should be addressed before you decide on one final wireless plan.

Going with an MVNO carrier is convenient for students because you aren't typically locked into a long contract, which means you can adjust your plan from month to month to fit your needs. If you or your student has been a phone user in the past, check old usage statements to see how much time and data gets spent on devices each month. If you regularly use less than 10GB of data, for instance, then an unlimited plan really isn't necessary.

It can also be helpful to look at the entertainment perks included in the data plans. If you're already using Disney Plus, Netflix, Hulu, et al., you may be surprised at the number of wireless carriers that include free subscriptions with their phone plans.

Lastly, consider if you need a new device with your data plan. If you don't care about buying phones unlocked, you can find some seriously good deals by purchasing a device through your wireless carrier. Companies like Verizon and Mint Mobile will hook you up with a cheap (or even free) Android phone for simply adding an eligible line to your account, and the savings get even better if you're able to process a trade-in.

All things said and done, there's no shortage of great phone plans for students, you just need to find the one that's right for you. Visible is my top pick because it balances the price of an MVNO with the perks of a Big Three carrier, but it's far from the only option. Simply ask yourself the questions laid out above and you'll be well on your way to a perfect wireless experience this school year.

• Carrier deals: Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Mint Mobile | Visible