5 Best VPNs for School WiFi

We have all spent more time on Facebook rather than actually doing something productive, but that doesn’t mean all restrictions are necessary.

YouTube is one platform that is almost certainly blocked in your school. The problem is that YouTube is bursting with educational content combining visual learning with theory, allowing you to better grasp concepts and easily understand the subject matter.

A VPN is your solution in bypassing such restrictions and granting you access to all information available online. Check out which VPNs are the best for school and how to set one up for when you need it most.

The Best VPNs for School

#1 ExpressVPN

You may have heard about ExpressVPN and this is simply due to the fact that they’re the most popular choice out there. Unlike the popular kids at school, these guys have earned their status at the popular table through consistently great and reliable VPN connections. With ExpressVPN you can log onto your school WiFi and access any blocked platforms such as iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook, and Netflix. They have over 2,000 servers which are scattered around 94 countries in the world, so even though you’re in the US it can look like you’re browsing the net in Spain. Pretty cool, right?

Think you can get in trouble for using a VPN at school? ExpressVPN has its headquarters in the Virgin Islands which means they will never hand over any of your internet logs to anyone who asks for them. ExpressVPN will never log information like your real IP address, the IP address you connect to using your VPN, your browsing history, traffic destination or DNS queries.

This VPN service works on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Chromebook devices. If you have a laptop running on Linux, that’s cool too. Want to run ExpressVPN on both your laptop and your smartphone? You can do that because ExpressVPN allows you to hook up their VPN service to three devices at the same time.

It will only take a few minutes of your time to set up ExpressVPN and don’t worry if you’re not a computer whizz, it’s all broken down for you and with a few clicks you will be surfing freely without troubles or restrictions. If you do have questions regarding the service or trouble setting up, you can always contact their customer service agents. They work around the clock and they really know their stuff.

Here are some of the top reasons to choose ExpressVPN for school:

• Unlimited bandwidth
• Ultra-fast streaming speeds
• Compatible with Android TV (Box) and Fire TV
• Apps available for every device
• Hides your streaming activity
• 3 simultaneous connections
• No connection logs
• No activity logs
• P2P possibility
• Ping times that are minimally affected
• ExpressVPN works extremely well in high censorship countries
• Military-grade encryption
• Large international server network
• 30-day money back guarantee
• Outstanding customer service
• 99% uptime guarantee

Save yourself some money and refer a friend. You get 30 days free when a friend signs up to their service.

If you want to surf the net with ease, sign up for ExpressVPN as the best VPN for school today! ExpressVPN also offers a special deal, get 3 months free and 49% savings with their annual subscription plan!

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here

#2 NordVPN

When it comes to NordVPN, they believe more is more, which is why they have more than 5,000 servers in over 60 locations. You may have also heard that your internet speeds will slow down when you activate your VPN, and whilst this might be true for other services, you will likely not even notice the difference with NordVPN.

If security is what you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. NordVPN provides its users with Double VPN technology meaning your internet data is passed through two servers and encrypted twice. Also, if you hate those pop-up ads, you will be happy to know that NordVPN has Onion over VPN so those ads, as well as various malware and phishing sites,  will never be a problem.

You can secure 6 devices at the same time all whilst knowing that NordVPN never ever logs any of your content as they take your privacy very seriously. They also offer a thirty-day money back guarantee, as well as a seven-day free trial, so you can test out their service before committing.

Here are some cool features NordVPN have on offer:

• Over 5000 servers in 62 countries
• IP Leak protection
• Double VPN
• CyberSec
• Onion over VPN
• Simultaneous connections on up to 6 devices
• Automatic Kill Switch
• 30-day money back guarantee
• Set-up and installation takes just minutes
• 24-hour customer support
• 7-day free trial

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here

#3 Surfshark

These guys are the new kids on the block, but don’t let that fool you. They come in at second place, after all. They have 500 servers in over 50 countries, which isn’t as many as ExpressVPN, but they also have the speed that many of their competitors cannot give you.

Just like our number one pick, Surfshark will never collect incoming or outgoing IP addresses, browsing activity, used bandwidth, downloads or purchasing information, VPN servers you use, session information, or connection timestamps. This means you can research your latest project and not think about who will be looking over your shoulder as you do so.

Sometimes your VPN connection drops, and that’s normal, but what you need then is a kill switch. This will stop all your internet activity completely, meaning your online browsing will not get exposed. Surfshark has a kill switch as well as MultiHop that allows you to connect to servers in multiple countries at the same time, taking your security up a notch.

One of the best features that is unique to Surfshark is that they offer you the chance to use as many devices simultaneously as you want, so your whole family can use it.

Here are some more reasons why Surfshark is a great VPN for school:

• Great download speeds
• Zero logging
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited platform protection
• Unlimited Server Switching
• Some servers work with Netflix
• Strong encryption
• Torrenting allowed

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here

#4 CyberGhost

CyberGhost has your back in terms of coverage, with over 5,900 servers in 90 countries. They have their headquarters in Romania and claim that they will never share any of your information with third parties. With this VPN service, you will be able to unblock a host of restricted content that your school will have blocked.

You will get good value for the price you pay as this provider has fast servers that are known for streaming and torrenting. Additionally, CyberGhost provides strong encryption and will connect you automatically to the most appropriate server depending on what you need it for.

If you still cannot make up your mind, the coolest thing about CyberGhost is that you have the option of getting your money back within 45 days without any questions asked if you opt for their three-year plan.

Here are some more reasons why we recommend CyberGhost for school:

• Strict No Logs Policy
• High speeds
• Automatic Kill Switch
• Simultaneous connections on up to 7 devices
• Easy to use
• 256-bit AES Encryption
• Unlimited bandwidth and traffic
• OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec and PPTP protocols
• Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Routers

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here

#5 ZenMate

These guys have as many as 47 million users worldwide, so you know they must be doing something right. With hundreds of servers in thirty countries, there are many reasons as to why this German-based VPN company is one of the most popular amongst VPN users.

For starters, there is a 100% no logs policy and makes it completely clear to its users that it will not collect nor store any of their users’ personal information or internet data. In fact, all data that passes through your internet connection is completely encrypted through secure servers. There is unlimited traffic as well as data usage as well as malware blocking and tracking protection available.

A kill switch is always important in order to prevent data leaks. This means if your VPN connection is lost then ZenMate will stop all traffic and cut your internet connection in order to prevent any unencrypted data leaking. It should be noted that this option is only available for the desktop client for Windows devices.

Here are some great features that ZenMate offers customers:

• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices
• IP masking
• Censorship bypass
• Malware blocker
• Tracking blocker
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Use on up to 5 devices
• OpenVPN
• Identity shield
• Dedicated streaming and download servers
• Favorite locations filter
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here.

How to Setup a VPN for School

So, you’ve made a decision about which VPN is your best pick for school, so how do you go about setting it up? All of the ones we’ve mentioned allow you to simply download their app and let it configure your settings for you. Alternatively, you can do a manual setup. Check out how to do so below.

Setting up a VPN in Windows 10

1. Click on the Windows button. Go to Settings, then Network and Internet and then VPN. Choose ‘Add a VPN connection’
2. Within the fields on the page pick Windows for your VPN provider and give your VPN a name. You will find this under Connection Name.
3. Enter the server name, VPN type, and login information.
4. Add a username and password. This is optional, but it’s recommended for extra security.
5. Save.

To connect to your VPN go back to the Settings page, Network and Internet and then select your VPN name.

Setting up a VPN in MacOS

1.    Go to System Preferences and then to Network.
2.    Click on the Plus symbol on the bottom left and choose your VPN from the drop-down menu.
3.    Fill out the VPN Type and Service Name.
4.    Hit the Create button and fill out information like server address, remote ID and local ID.
5.    Click on Authentication Settings
6.    Enter the username and password that you will be using for your VPN. This can be set up in the VPN app itself.
7.    Click OK.
8.    Click Connect.

Within a few steps you will have set up your VPN manually, but remember this isn’t necessary as you can use the VPNs app, which will automatically get you going through their app.

Using a Free VPN

You might be thinking to yourself, why should I pay for this service if I can get it for free? The truth of the matter is, there a ton of creepy things that can happen if you download a free VPN. Instead of creating a secure and anonymous connection you can expect a free VPN to:

•         Sell your browsing history
•         Monitor your searches and share them with third parties
•         Track your traffic
•         Inject your device with various malware and undetectable cookies

The Bottom Line

Education has seen great changes in the past few years, especially with the explosion of the great amount of accessible information found on the internet. Unfortunately, this has seen many schools take the necessary steps to stop their students and staff from getting off track by blocking and blacklisting various websites they might find inappropriate.

Whilst this is understandable, there are numerous advantages to these platforms that your school doesn’t take into consideration. For example, you might want to urgently discuss a group project with someone on Facebook messenger or find out how to do something easily via YouTube.

With a VPN all of this is possible. You can access all the information you need on the internet whilst keeping your internet data secure and staying anonymous.

Our advice is to go with the best of the bunch, ExpressVPN. With consistent speeds and many servers around the globe, they have proven to be an excellent choice for school VPNs.

Keep on top of all your assignments without stressing about where to get the information you need. With a VPN, anything is possible.