I Found the Cheapest Cell Phone Plan and Internet Combo for College Students

I hate to break it to you — college isn’t cheap. Tuition, textbooks, rent, and other expenses stack up fast and, if you don’t find ways to save, your paycheck can be eaten up before you know it.

According to Reviews.org's State of Consumer Media Spending report, the average phone bill costs $58, while the average internet bill costs $68. That’s a whopping $126 per month that goes towards keeping you online for your classes and research.

As someone who navigated the educational landscape not too long ago, I get it. You need to cut costs down, fast. Luckily, I found a way to ease the pressure on your wallet by combining your cell phone and internet plans for cheap.

Students who have to sign up for both phone and internet service can expect to pay an average of $120–$130 per month, or about $1512 per year.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend that much. Using a service, like an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), you can get the same coverage as T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T but for a fraction of the price. For example, Visible customers can pay as little as $19 per month for a cell phone plan with unlimited data.

Read more: Best Cell Phone Plans

For a single college student, you likely only need 100–300Mbps download speeds. This is plenty of speed to keep up with internet browsing, Zoom classes, video streaming, social media, and online gaming. If you have other factors you want to consider, you can check out our tips to find out how much speed you actually need.

When it comes to mobile, a huge deciding factor is whether or not you get a 5G connection. Most cell phone plans connect to 5G, but you also need a cell phone that is 5G-compatible. This will get you the fastest and most reliable speeds.

Another spec you need to check is mobile hotspot data. When you’re writing your final papers in coffee shops, around campus, or on-the-go, having high-speed hotspot data to rely on can be a game-changer. We recommend getting 2–5GB of hotspot data per month if you plan to go somewhere without Wi-Fi.

Below our top combinations for internet and phone plans:

Forget bundling from one provider. Look for the cheapest internet plans available in your area. For example, using the Reviews.org internet availability search tool, you can find A) what’s in your area and B) what they cost.

Out of the options available, I would recommend getting T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, because it takes 15 minutes to set up by yourself, with no cable installation needed. This is the best option for when you’re renting. For $50 a month, it might take up a chunk of your paycheck, but you don’t have to worry about extra fees.

Next, sign up for a cheap phone plan. Right now, some of the best phone plans come from MVNOs that use T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T towers. MVNOs can offer unlimited talk, text, and data. MVNOs are phone providers that don’t own their own cell tower network, but lease network capacity from traditional phone providers, which helps keep the monthly cost down while still providing a quality experience.

Some of our favorite MVNOs are found in our Best Cell Phone Plans list:

• Visible Wireless: as low as $19 per month
• Mint Mobile: as low as $15 per month (three months paid upfront)
• US Mobile: as low as $10 per month

If you get US Mobile’s cheapest plan, and a T-Mobile 5G Internet plan, the total cost for cell phone service and internet would be $60 a month.

You can simply combine your phone and internet into one bill, which can end up saving you some money since they are offered at a lower rate, sometimes dipping below $100 per month.

In July 2026, T-Mobile announced its new discounted student plans. With three different plan options, students can select the plan that is best for them based on their needs.

When you combine this with T-Mobile’s home internet and phone plan bundle pricing, you can include 5G home internet for an additional $35 per month, discounted through monthly bill credits.

Students who sign up for Verizon Fios internet can get a $10 monthly discount, and can save up to an additional $25 per month on an Unlimited mobile plan. Verizon lets you stack the typical student discounts with an additional bundling discount.

To bundle your home internet and mobile plan, Verizon requires that you be on an Unlimited mobile plan. Any home internet plan qualifies, so the real deciding factor is your mobile plan.

Many home internet and mobile phone providers offer some sort of college discount, though it isn’t an industry standard. Xfinity, AT&T, Optimum, and even some low-income providers offer discounted services for qualifying customers.

Ultimately, if you are a college student looking to save a bit on your monthly internet and mobile costs, looking into MVNOs and bundling options is your best bet.

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