In a world full of technology, a lot of people find it hard to believe that college students still result in notebooks for their classes, but sometimes, it can be difficult to effectively take notes on such devices. Therefore, college students must get the best notebooks available, and we are here to help.
We have compiled a list of the 10 best notebooks for college students to use in 2021, and we have reviewed each one to help them make the right purchasing decision for their notebook needs. Let’s dive in and get started finding you the best notebook for your college student.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to youTable of Contens
- 1. TOPS/Oxford 1 Subject Notebook
- 2. AmazonBasics College Ruled Wirebound Spiral Notebook
- 3. Kokuyo Campus Notebook
- 4. Clever Fox Ruled Notebook
- 5. Mead Spiral Notebook
- 6. XIDUOBAO A5 PU Leather Diary Notebook
- 7. Rocketbook Smart Reusable Notebook
- 8. Field Notes: Graph Paper
- 9. Oxford Spiral Notebook
- 10. Rhodia Rhodiarama SoftCover Notebook
- Conclusion
1. TOPS/Oxford 1 Subject Notebook

Review
The TOPS/Oxford notebook is one of the best notebooks for college students that like to keep their notes for each class in a separate notebook. This notebook comes with 70 sheets of paper, and it is designed for a single subject.
Plus, these notebooks can be purchased in different colors, which makes it easier for college students to grab and go to their next class with the correct notebook.
These notebooks also use wire for the binding of the paper, which makes it easy to turn pages and to be able to write on both sides of the paper, unlike with some other notebooks. Finally, this notebook uses college ruled lines, which is excellent for college students because it allows them to fit more information on a single page.
What Consumers Are Saying
When looking for quality notebooks for college, many students went with this notebook because they liked that it uses college rule lines and is large enough for a single subject and project. However, they did mention that they have to choose their pens carefully with this notebook because the paper used in it is thinner than some other notebooks.
- Uses college rule lines
- Has a total of 70 sheets of paper
- Wire bound ring
- Has thin paper
2. AmazonBasics College Ruled Wirebound Spiral Notebook

Review
AmazonBasics is known for manufacturing different types of products, and this is one of their top notebook models. This notebook has a wire binding, and it comes with a coli-lock that is designed to help prevent the wire tip from snagging on things, like backpack linings or clothes.
This notebook has 100 sheets of paper, and it uses college-ruled lines that provide students with even more room for taking notes for their classes.
Plus, this notebook can be purchased in different colors, which will allow college students to color coordinate their notebooks with different classes. This will help with their time management between classes and organization.
They are only designed for a single subject, and it is recommended to use these notebooks on a flat surface or clipboard to be the most effective.
What Consumers Are Saying
Many consumers consider these the best notebooks for school because they come with 100 sheets of college-ruled paper. Plus, they also like the coli-lock that is used on the wire binding tip. However, they did mention that the binding is flimsy, but can be fixed by using it on a table or clipboard.
- Comes in an assortment of colors
- Uses college ruled format
- Has a coli-lock that prevents snags from the wire tip
- Has a flimsy binding cover
3. Kokuyo Campus Notebook

Review
The Kokuyo campus notebook has been very popular in Japan among university students, and it is worth using for many college students across the world.
It is made from high-quality material, and it uses thin lines that are equal to the US standard college ruled lines, which provides students with ample space to write down their thoughts and keep up with notes.
Each of these notebooks has 30 sheets of paper. Some might think that this isn’t enough pages for note-taking, but this notebook will still make an excellent choice for college students that have projects that need to be kept separate for one reason or another.
Finally, it has a wireless binding, which makes it convenient and keeps it from getting snagged or messed up in transit.
What Consumers Are Saying
Many consumers agree that this is one of the best Japanese notebooks because it is an alternative to other high-quality spiral notebooks. They liked that it has a wireless binding and is made with high-quality Japanese paper, but they wished that it has more pages per notebook.
- Made with high-quality Japanese paper
- Has a wireless binding
- Contains 30 sheets/60 pages
- Could use more sheets in each notebook
4. Clever Fox Ruled Notebook

Review
Clever Fox has become a well-known manufacturer of notebooks over the years, and this is one of their best notebooks for college students. It comes with 127 numbered pages that are made from 120g thick paper that is designed to prevent ink bleeding through the pages.
Each of these notebooks has a pen holder and three bookmarks that can be used as different reference points.
It has a lay-flat design that makes it easy to take notes anywhere without the pages getting torn out from adjusting the book. Plus, this notebook comes in different colors, which will allow students to use them for different subjects and be able to keep them separated, as need.
Finally, the cover is designed as a hardcover, and it has an elastic band to help keep the notebook shut when it is not being used.
What Consumers Are Saying
When looking for cool notebooks for college, many consumers enjoyed using this item because they are notebooks with thick paper, and the pages are college ruled lined and have numbered pages, which will help to make it easier to keep up with their place.
However, some consumers did mention that the provided pen holder on the notebook could be larger because it won’t hold larger pens like the Pilot G2 pens that are popular among college students.
- Uses college ruled lines and numbered pages
- Has a hardcover for protection
- Contains a pen holder and three bookmarks
- Could use a larger pen holder
5. Mead Spiral Notebook

Review
These notebooks are designed with a wire binding, but unlike other wire-bound notebooks, these have larger holes around the binding, which makes it easier to turn the pages.
Plus, these notebooks are equipped with three holes punched into them that will allow them to easily be placed into a binder, which gives students options and helps to keep the notebook protected.
The notebook comes in an assortment of colors, but it is important to note that you get are randomized and can’t be specifically chosen. These notebooks come with 70 pages, and it uses a college-ruled format, which is excellent for allowing students to fit more information on a single page.
What Consumers Are Saying
When looking for cheap college notebooks, many consumers liked that these notebooks came with holds already punched into them to allow them to be placed inside a binder for extra protection if needed. However, they did mention that they wished they could choose the color of the notebook that they received, but it was randomized.
- Has punched holes for binder placement
- Comes in an assortment of colors
- Has 70 sheets of college ruled lines
- Can’t choose the color received
6. XIDUOBAO A5 PU Leather Diary Notebook

Review
This is one of the best notebooks for college students because it is designed with a high-quality PU leather cover that helps to keep students’ notes safe and protected when traveling from class to class. It is designed with a 180-degree lay-flat design that makes it easy to write in this notebook anywhere.
Finally, it uses acid-free high-quality paper for efficiency.
What Consumers Are Saying
When looking for notebooks for taking notes in college, most consumers liked that this notebook has a durable PU leather cover, but they did express that they wished it had college ruled lines.
- Has a beautiful PU leather cover
- Uses acid-free high-quality paper
- Designed with a 180-degree lay-flat design
- Doesn’t use college ruled lines
7. Rocketbook Smart Reusable Notebook

Review
Rocketbook is a well-known manufacturer of creating high-tech notebooks and other technology, and this is one of their top notebooks because it allows college students to reuse their notebook and save their notes to a digital image that they can store on most devices.
It contains 36 dotted grid pages that make it excellent for most college lessons, and then they just have to upload the images to save them for future study sessions.
What Consumers Are Saying
Many consumers liked that this is a reusable college notebook and that it is designed with sophisticated AI technology. However, some did express that wished they could choose the format that the scan creates for them.
- Uses sophisticated AI technology
- Comes with a Pilot Frixion pen
- Has 36 dotted grid pages
- Scan creates images not PDFs or documents
8. Field Notes: Graph Paper

Review
The Field Notes: Graph paper notebook is designed to allow college students to have a quality notebook for when they have to take notes on the go. It is designed with graph paper to help ensure that it can be utilized for all types of note-taking.
Each notebook has a total of 48 pages, and each package comes with three different notebooks, which allows students to use them for different subjects.
What Consumers Are Saying
Most consumers purchased this notebook when they were looking for a smaller notebook that can be taken out in the field, but they did wish that the pages were made with better water-resistant paper.
- Comes with 3 notebooks per package
- Contains 48 pages of graph paper
- Designed for field notes
- Doesn’t contain water-resistant pages
9. Oxford Spiral Notebook

Review
Oxford designs various office supplies, and this notebook is designed with college students in mind. It has a durable plastic cover that helps to ensure that it can be tossed around from place to place without their notes getting damaged or lost in the process.
Plus, it has three folders used as dividers that give students a place to put their extra papers from class with their notes.
What Consumers Are Saying
When looking for the best spiral notebooks for college, most consumers decided to go with this notebook because it has three pocket dividers and a durable plastic cover. However, some students did mention that it was difficult to tear out pages from the notebook easily.
- 3 pocket dividers
- Has a durable plastic cover
- Has a total of 150 sheets of college ruled lines
- Difficult to tear out pages smoothly
10. Rhodia Rhodiarama SoftCover Notebook

Review
This is a softcover notebook that is designed with students in mind. It can be purchased in three different sizes and the sheets are numbered, which makes it easy to keep track of what they need to find. Plus, it comes with a single ribbon bookmark that will allow students to keep their place to areas that they need to have access to.
What Consumers Are Saying
Most consumers consider these nice notebooks for school because of their nice faux-leather bindings and the fact they can purchase them in three different sizes to suit their needs. However, they did mention that they wished the cover would be less flexible.
- Designed with a beautiful faux leather binding
- Has a single ribbon bookmark
- Comes in 3 sizes with different numbered sheets
- Minor issues with flexible cover
Conclusion
We have been where most college students are when it comes to needing a quality notebook for their classes, and after reviewing all of the above notebooks, we have concluded that the best notebooks for college students are the TOPS/Oxford 1 Subject Notebooks. Although, it is important to realize that this notebook is for a single subject.
If you are looking for a notebook for multiple subjects, you might find another notebook being better suited for your needs. Therefore, you should make sure that you know what you want in your notebook before making your final purchasing decision to ensure that the notebook you purchase will be able to meet your needs and not the needs of someone else.