Last Updated on March 7, 2022
When protecting the data and personal information of students, no security measure should be spared. Schools need to be increasingly careful about the protections that they have in place to keep the information they have on file about students safe from hackers. No school should be operating today without the use of a quality VPN.
As more and more businesses move at least part of their work processes away from business buildings and into a fully remote reality, a VPN becomes even more essential. For schools that are just making this transition to new technologies for secure online browsing and access, a VPN can seem like a daunting purchase. That is why this guide can be a big help toward getting the right VPN for school use.
Securing the data that a school needs to keep private and protecting the identities and information of those who work for the school as well as those who attend it can be tough without the right measures in place. A VPN can take care of so many of the critical parts of the online security process with ease that no school should be without one.
There are so many good options out there today for quality VPNs that there really is no reason that every school that is open around the world cannot have a VPN that protects information and data that might be accessed during daily work tasks.
If you are ready to learn more about the best VPN for schools, you need to read on!
Contents
Best VPN for Schools
1. NordVPN
This is one of the best VPNs on the market today and you will love using this VPN for your school’s needs. This VPN offers really fast speeds and lets you access more than 5,200 unique servers. There is excellent customer support on offer from this company and you will get great security with this VPN as well. If security and support are at the top of your list, this is the VPN that you need to choose for your needs. Choose this VPN for:
- Fast speeds
- Great encryption
- Access to many servers
Pros:
- This VPN offers you 6 simultaneous connections at once as well as really great speeds and access to many servers within the VPN network. You can trust this VPN due to its superior encryption and you will get access to quality customer support if you need it. This can be a big help for a school that will probably not have a large IT department to help troubleshoot issues with the VPN that is in place.
Cons:
- The downsides to this VPN are that you cannot unblock streaming sites which can be more inconvenient than you think it would be. You will also find that some of the interfaces could be more user-friendly as well. Overall, this is a great product with few downsides and you will not regret picking this VPN for your school.
2. ExpressVPN
This is the right VPN for school use for a variety of reasons. This VPN offers lots of server locations, stable connections, and really good speeds. They also offer amazing support which can be perfect for school use. This VPN is a little more expensive than some of the others on the market but you will get access to layers of subscriptions which can help you save money over the course of the year. This VPN lets you unblock streaming services as well, which can be a nice added benefit. Choose this VPN for:
- Great speeds
- Excellent support
- Lets you unblock streaming services
Pros:
- This VPN is a great choice for quality speeds, easy connections, and great encryption. You will also get access to good support when you choose this VPN. You will be able to access lots of server locations and you will get a stable connection. This is a nice choice if you will have lots of people using the VPN since you can scale your membership as needed for the number of people who will need access to the VPN.
Cons:
- Can be pricey compared to some of the other options on the market but is scaled for different levels of membership. You will also only be able to get access to 5 connections which might limit you some for school use.
3. Surfshark
This is a great VPN choice if you want to save a little money and still get access to a quality VPN. You will be able to try out their introductory trial offer as well if you are not sure that this will be your final choice for your needs. You can unblock streaming sites and you will get access to really good customer support with your membership.
This VPN offers you access to 3,200 servers in 65 countries and you will be able to have unlimited simultaneous connections for your use which is great for a school. Choose this VPN for:
- Unlimited connections
- Great speeds
- Good pricing
Pros:
- This is one of the best choices if you need to save some money and need access for many users. This is a great choice for pricing as well as speeds and connection security. You will find that this choice offers you great support as well, which can be a really big benefit for school use overall. This VPN offers you a trial period as well, just to help you be sure that you have the right VPN for your needs.
Cons:
- This is not the fastest VPN for your needs but it is still competitive with others on the market. There have also been some complaints about kill switch failures as well, but this is rare. This is a really nice VPN overall that will make sure that you do not have issues with access or network security.
4. CyberGhost
For a VPN with excellent support, great features, and a Windows client, you need to pick CyberGhost. You can unblock streaming services with this VPN and you will get good speeds as well as great encryption. This is a well-priced VPN as well and you can get access to 7,000 servers with this VPN. Use this VPN if you want these features:
- Long plans that save money
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Windows client
Pros:
- This is a great choice for schools that want to be able to benefit from a Windows client, streaming services, and a great money back guarantee. You will be able to access 7,000 VPN servers and you will be able to trust this VPN for easy connections and great features. This is a great choice for organizations that want to be on a long plan to save some money.
Cons:
- This VPN does not audit itself apparently, so this can be a detraction if you are worried about the stated security of the product. The mobile apps that are connected to the product could be better as well. This is still a really nice choice overall and you will have good luck with it.
5. VyprVPN
This VPN is a great choice if you want to work with a VPN that owns all the servers that it uses. You will also get lots of apps to use with the VPN and you will get the support that is excellent. The price point of the plans for this VPN is really good as well. The speeds could be better for this VPN but they are acceptable. This is a great choice for your use if you want to be sure that the VPN that you use owns its own servers and provides good encryption. Choose this VPN for:
- Owns their own servers
- Lots of apps
- Great pricing
Pros:
- This is a great choice for a company that owns all of its own servers. You will also get great support and you will find that they offer publicly audited no-logging claims. This VPN also offers lots of apps and you will get great pricing for your needs. This VPN does not offer steaming unlocking if this is critical for your needs.
Cons:
- The downside to this VPN is slower speeds and you will also find that you cannot use streaming services with this VPN. There have also been reported issues with the windows kill switch with this VPN. This is a quality VPN but you will get slower speeds than with some of the other VPNs on this list.
6. IPVanish
IPVanish is a really good choice if you need unlimited device connections. You will be able to trust the windows kill switch and you will get good speeds from this VPN. This company also uses all of its own servers and you can trust their encryption processes as well. There is good support with this VPN as well which can be great for a school and their needs. Choose this VPN for:
- Owns their own servers
- Good pricing
- Quality encryption
Pros:
- This is a great VPN for school use and you will find that this VPN is offered with good pricing plans as well. You will get access to quality encryption with this VPN and you will be able to access unlimited connections. You can trust their windows kill switch too which is a nice benefit. The support is also quite good which makes this a good choice.
Cons:
- This VPN could be better if the apps that it offered were a little less complex. You will also find that their updates could be more consistent. This would help with their protections and improvements.
7. Hotspot Shield
This is a really nice VPN for your school’s use. You will get great pricing on their plans and you can access 3,200 servers in 80 or more countries. You will get a 45-day money-back guarantee with your plan and you will be able to use 5 devices at a time. There is also a good quality 24/7 live chat which can be really nice if you have people working remotely who might need support at odd hours. Choose this VPN for:
- Great pricing
- Money-back guarantee
- Great 24/7 live chat
Pros:
- This is a great choice for your needs if you want access to a really good live chat function and you want to be sure that you will get great pricing for your plan. You will get access to 3,200 servers and a good money-back guarantee. You can use five devices on this VPN and you will even be able to try out the free version if you want to give it a shot before you buy.
Cons:
- There have been some reported issues with some session logging and there is no manual setup on the routers. This is not the fastest VPN on the market but it is not the slowest either. This is a good choice, particularly for a VPN that offers a free plan.
8. Windscribe
This VPN offers 400 servers and locations in 63 countries. You will get access to unlimited connections. This is an affordable option and you will get great browser extensions as well as 10 GB of data a month. You can also opt for plans that offer 5 or 10 connections at a time if you want. Choose this VPN for:
- Unlimited connections
- Affordability
- Great browser extensions
Pros:
- This is a great affordable VPN that will offer you lots of great benefits for your needs. You will get access to unlimited connections as well as some good browser extensions. You will love the pricing of the plans as well.
- This is one of the best-priced VPNs out there which can be a nice benefit for your needs overall.
Cons:
- This VPN could be faster overall and you will not get access to live chat support. Not having the best support can be a bit of a downside if you do not have an IT team on staff. You will need to keep this in mind when you are thinking about using this VPN for your needs.
9. Hide.Me
This VPN offers access to 2,000 servers in 75 locations. You will get a great 24/7 live chat for your needs and you can support 10 devices on their plans. There is also a nice 30-day money-back guarantee that this VPN offers. You will get really good speeds, a great free version to try out and easy to configure apps. Choose this VPN for:
- Great apps
- Free version
- Excellent speeds
Pros:
- This is a really nice and affordable VPN that offers 24/7 live chat and servers in lots of locations. You can use the free version to give it a shot first and you will love the 30-day money-back promise that comes with your trial period. This is a great choice for those who want easy to configure apps associated with their VPN as well. This option has been around since 2011, which makes it a solid choice for yet another reason.
Cons:
- There are some apps for this VPN that are just not beginner-friendly and you will hear about some kill switch issues. Overall, however, this is a really nice VPN that will take care of all of your needs with ease. You will love the 24/7 chat and the high speeds and not need to worry much about these other cons.
10. HMA VPN
For good support, lots of server locations, and 1,100 servers total, this VPN is a great choice. You can count on them for 24/7 chat support and they will allow you 5 supported devices to be connected at a time. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee with this VPN and you will get great pricing for your monthly or annual plans. Choose this VPN for:
- Covers the most countries of any option on this list
- No logs
- Great pricing
Pros:
- This is the right choice if you want support and good speeds as well as access in more countries than you can count. You will get no logs with this VPN and you will find that their encryption is excellent. This is a great choice for speed and for security but it is also an easy VPN to use. There is no guesswork with this VPN on your side.
Cons:
- This VPN does not unlock streaming, although this is not usually a big issue for a school. The price point is higher than some other VPNs on the list but for what you are getting, it is a steal. This is a really nice VPN option that will take care of all of your needs with ease every day.
11. StrongVPN
While this VPN only offers 950 servers, you will get access in lots of countries as well as 24/7 live chat support. This VPN lets you use 12 devices and you will get a 30-day money-back guarantee with your trial period. You can get great pricing for your plans with this VPN as well and they offer their own DNS service. There is no shortage of great reasons to pick this VPN for your school. Choose this VPN for:
- Own DNS
- Works on 12 devices at once
- Good Pricing
Pros:
- This is a VPN that performs well and offers something that is not just basic. You can use many devices at once with this VPN and you will get good pricing on your plan. This VPN also offers superior live chat support which can help a lot if you are not very tech-savvy. This is one of the better VPN options on the market today and you will love all the features and functions that it offers you.
Cons:
- Their windows app could be more fleshed out and the features for some parts of the use of the VPN are a little barebones. That being said, you will get all of the right benefits from this VPN for school use without having to pay for a bunch of bells and whistles that you do not want.
12. TunnelBear
There is no live chat with this VPN but they offer a free version for you to try first. You will get access to 1,000 servers in 46 locations and you can trust this VPN to offer good pricing for your needs. This is a great choice for beginners and it is very user-friendly as well as very secure. There is nothing much that is bad to say about this VPN other than the lack of support that might be felt when you need some assistance. Choose this VPN for:
- Easy-to-use
- Secure
- Great pricing
Pros:
- This is a great VPN for an affordable plan that offers you the benefit of many servers as well as easy-to-use functionality and great pricing. You will find that this is one of the most secure VPNs out there and you can trust this company to make it simple to use their product. This is a great choice for VPN beginners and you will have a good user experience with it every time you use it.
Cons:
- The support could be better, but this is really the only negative to using this VPN for your needs. This is one of those products that not everyone knows about which can offer competitive features and functions with VPNs that are much more expensive. This is a great VPN for your school to use for internet security during work hours or for remote workers.
People Also Ask
IS VPN illegal in school?
VPNs are not illegal for use in schools but schools often will have to discuss the use of this kind of access point in their school policies. This is becoming an increasingly common internet security item and there is no reason that any school should avoid the use of such a security measure due to some worry about illegality.
Can the school see browser history over VPN?
A VPN will not allow other users to see browser history but there might be blocked sites that are not allowed for use with the VPN in place. There are some schools that block external VPN use but overall, the entire point of VPN use is to keep your connection private and to prevent anyone from watching what you are doing when you are online. This does not speak to school policy about the kinds of sites that cannot be accessed during work hours.
What does a school VPN do?
VPNs conceal your identity when you are online and they can make sure that data theft and security issues with the school’s network are not an issue due to the use of the VPN. This kind of internet security measure is a great idea for almost any company. A school that wants to protect the data and make sure that hackers and other bad actors cannot gain access to their network through users who are online needs a VPN.
What to Consider When Buying a School VPN
The process of picking the right VPN can be a little daunting. There are so many things to think about and so many unique features and functions that it can all get a little overwhelming. These are the key things that you should think about when you are shopping for a VPN for a school.
– Cost
The cost of your VPN can impact a lot of decisions that you make about which service is the right one for your needs. As a rule of thumb, you will pay more for unlimited connections as well as better encryption and security for your VPN. Sometimes the cost can be offset by choosing to pay upfront for 1-3 years at a time.
The cost variable can be alleviated somewhat if you gravitate toward a VPN that offers a free trial period or a money-back guarantee. This can help you to try something out for a bit without feeling stuck with it if you are not a fan.
– Speed
This can be a big detractor for some of the cheaper VPNs out there and you need to think about this first and foremost if it is critical to your buying decision. You might have to pay more for quality speeds but if this is what is required for your VPN to work properly for your needs, then you need to put this at the top of your list.
Speeds offered by unique VPNs can vary a lot, so you will want to be sure that you look at the information that is offered about this feature before you pick a VPN. Picking a slow VPN when you really need a very fast one can cause all kinds of issues that are best avoided.
– Logs
If you do not know much about VPN use yet, you might not know why logs are often mentioned in the information about VPNs. The logs that your internet browser would normally collect when you are online are blocked by a VPN when it is in use. This is one of the main security features behind VPN use and you might want to consider this a critical feature for your needs.
VPNs that state that they offer “no-logs” benefits are the right choice if you want the most secure VPN option for your school. You should always consider this to be one of the most important factors in your VPN picking process and this might rank right up there with speed.
– Encryption
This is the part of your VPN that keeps hackers and bad actors from getting to your data. Without strong encryption, your VPN is not doing you much good. You should be sure that any VPN that you think about investing in will offer you good encryption for your needs.
VPNs have just one task and that is to keep your internet connections fully secure. Without good encryption, this will not be the case. Encryption should be one of the most important considerations on your list of things that you are worried about when shopping for a VPN for school use.
– Number of Connections
There are many different ways that VPN plans are laid out. Some of them allow only a few devices to be used over the VPN at once, while others allow unlimited connections. There are many arguments for the unlimited connections option that some companies will give you with their VPN, particularly for business use.
If you are not sure if you need more than a few connections open to your school at once, think about how many people you need to be able to access the internet while at work at the same time. This will tell you if you need unlimited access and connections or not.
– Customer Support
This can be a really big factor for your needs, particularly if you do not have an IT team that works for your school. You will probably run into times when you need support from the vendor of your VPN to make sure that problems are resolved in a timely fashion.
If you have people who work remotely, having a 24/7 chat function is probably the most important item on the list for your needs. These people might need help at any hour of the day and you should be able to offer this to them with ease as part of your VPN plan.
Conclusion
Any VPN that you pick for your school needs to be set up correctly to provide superior protection for data, good speeds, and easy access for all of your employees and remote workers. Not all VPNs are made with the same features and functions and you can pick and choose between many different styles of VPN to find the one that best suits your school’s needs.
If you have been struggling to pick a VPN for your school this guide will help you to get the right one for your needs with ease. Making sure that your student’s information and other private data is safe from theft is critical to any school’s responsible internet policies. A VPN can protect your school from all kinds of data-based threats with ease.
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