While Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Word, is a staple app for teachers and students, there is an abundance of study apps on the app store that makes studying easier. It is 2021 and if you don’t already have learning apps on your smartphones and tablets, you are truly missing out on a lot.
Whether you are a teacher worrying over connecting with tech-savvy students, or a high schooler that just needs a quicker way to revise, there’s a mountain’s worth of iPad educational apps out there.
Don’t let that bog you down.
Our list of hand-picked best iPad apps for students was curated to cater to your learning needs, whether you are in high school or preparing for career advancement. Get your iPhone, iPad Pro or Android devices and get downloading. You no longer have to be bored nor spend hours after hours reading the same sentence over and over again while falling in and out of consciousness!
Best Educational Apps for Teens and High School Students (Ages 14 to 17)
High school students will love our selection below. We have picked a mix of the best iPad apps for high school students available to meet the varied needs of teenagers when it comes to studying.
Our selection comprises a revision of specific apps that will make preparing for tests and exams more efficient and quicker. We have also found the perfect app that will help your kids learn to manage their stress and frustrations after a long and tiring day of learning.
Get All Your Revision Needs Met with the BBC Bitesize App
If you have kids preparing for their GCSEs, TGAU, Nationals or Highers, then the BBC Bitesize app will help them improve their test preparations. In addition to the core subjects, English, Mathematics and Science, the app covers other subjects offered in the schools of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The app helps stay on track with their study schedule with notifications and reminders. In addition to the tests, the BBC Bitesize app also offers flashcard-based studying that is ideal for quick revision. The Revision Guide is a helpful feature that lets students quickly learn and revise exam-relevant information.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 5.0 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 11.0 or later.
Master Music with Yousician from Anywhere
Whether your child is a complete novice or just needs an anytime tutor to improve their musical skills, Yousician is the way to go. The app helps you learn Piano, Guitar, Bass, and Ukulele, using nothing other than the smartphone and the acoustic or electric instruments in real-time. The lessons are designed so that self-learners can follow at their own pace.
Developed by the world’s most innovative and experienced music teachers, the app also teaches music theory and features special trainers to help develop specific skills and chords. Additionally, the app can also be used to improve Singing and Vocals and provides weekly challenges to keep motivation high.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android version 4.4 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 10.0 or later.
Develop Your Maths and English Skills with IXL: Maths and English
Drag-and-drop questions and graphing tools are just some of the interactive features that make the IXL app an engaging educational app. Students can use their Apple Pencil on their iPads while solving Maths problems, which eliminates the need for any additional tools or accessories.
The app also has extensive content to develop English language learning skills. Students can focus on target concepts that they want to develop in a challenging way. With its Analytic Reports, it is easy to keep track of progress and discover insights into skills that need work.
Android: Subscription.
iOS: Subscription. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 11.0 or later.
Kindle for the Bookworms
Kindle will satisfy any bookworm. The app offers over one million free e-books that your children can explore. Additionally, children can also find their favourite best-sellers, as well as non-fiction books that include reference books and textbooks.
The opportunity to customize the reading environment such as the font size, orientation, and screen brightness allows you to enjoy your book in any environment and lighting condition. Furthermore, the app allows you to sync across devices, so you’ll always find your bookmark.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 5.0 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 12.0 or later.
Stay Organised with the My Study Life: School Planner
Staying organised helps make quick progress with every task. The My Study Life app lets students plan their study schedules and improve their time management skills. The app lets you sync data between devices and supports cloud storage like Google Drive, which lets you access your data offline and also make changes on the go.
The app is optimised to be much more than just a calendar app. Students will love the ability to integrate all areas of academia into a clean and beautiful planner layout. The app comes with many features such as week and day rotation schedules, notifications for pending work and tests, and task tracking.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 4.4 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 11.0 or later.
Khan Academy, Learning for Everyone
This non-profit app is one of the most popular free apps that has people gushing over it all around the world. The app offers students a plethora of study materials that are not just limited to school-related content. Students, and teachers and parents alike, can access Khan Academy’s personalised learning library to improve on various concepts.
In addition to videos, children can also work out thousands of interactive exercises that include quizzes and tests with instant feedback. Students can also improve their knowledge with articles that cover topics such as history, politics, finance and economics.
Android: Free.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 12.0 or later.
Coding Is Fun with Mimo: Learn Coding/Programming
The Mimo app is suitable for both beginners and students with intermediate skills in coding. The app is designed with bitesize coding lessons that can be completed in a few minutes so children can incorporate coding into their everyday schedule without feeling overwhelmed.
The app offers coding in a range of industry-relevant languages such as Python, HTML, SQL, PHP and more. Students can learn to build real-world projects like apps, games, and websites, with immediate feedback.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 5.0 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 12.0 or later.
Duo Teaches You Languages on Duolingo
Your teens are already familiar with Duo and its desire to teach through a meme. The Duolingo app uses a game-like style to teach a foreign language. The fun modules take only a few minutes to complete.
The app offers more than 30 languages from around the world. Children can stay motivated with shiny achievements and badges on the completion of lessons. Tracking language learning progress is easy and exciting with Duolingo.
Android: Free.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 12.0 or later.
Stay Calm with the Happy Not Perfect: Meditation and Mindfulness
Knowing how to deal with stress and the frustrations of everyday life is just as important as scoring good marks in your tests. The Happy Not Perfect app helps students deal with the ups and downs of everyday student life and the stress of hectic study schedules and exams in a pleasant and calming way.
The exercises in the app are designed with the help of experts and scientists and are simple and easy to follow, requiring only a few minutes each day. The app offers over 300+ exercises, including guided, easy-listening sessions
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 4.4 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 10.0 or later.
Best Educational Apps for College and University Students
Part-time jobs and an overflowing schedule of assignments and tests are making learning a tedious task? Well, with our curated apps get your goals organised and prioritised while making progress with your study schedules.
Our selection of the best iPad apps for college students will help you learn something new everyday and within a few minutes. You don’t have to stress over your studies anymore with the best educational apps out on the digital market.
Get Coding with the Programming Hub: Learn to Code
Want to learn a programming language on the go? Programming Hub is the way to go. The app offers many programming languages including HTML, Javascript, C++, C#, Swift, Python, R Programming, Artificial Intelligence, CSS, and more!
Built based on the research by, and in collaboration with, Google experts, the app also offers shareable certificates on completion of a course. The app makes learning fun with its game-like feel and huge collection of 5000+ program code examples.
Android: Free.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 10.0 or later.
Learn with the Locals on Memrise: Fun and Fast Language Learning
Busy student life or work life, Memrise is a quick way to start learning a new language no matter where you are. The app offers over 20 languages, with a teaching style that is one of the best amongst free versions of language learning apps.
The app features Learn with Locals lessons that show you short video clips of native speakers to help you quickly pick-up conversational skills in your target language. Its Speed Review, Listening Skills, Difficult Words and Classic Review are all designed to get you speaking like a local as fast as possible.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 5.0 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 12.0 or later.
Learn from the Masters on Skillshare: Creative Classes
Whether you want to pick up a new hobby or learn skills that will help you advance your career or your business, you can find the right class for you on Skillshare. The app hosts a variety of high-quality video learning content taught by masters in the fields.
The classes on Skillshare help you gain knowledge that can be immediately applied in the real world while allowing you to learn at your own pace. Joining the Premium Membership gives you the chance to download videos, so you can access them even when you are off the grid.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 5.0 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple TV with iOS 11.2 or later.
Note Taking Made Easy with the Evernote: Note Organiser
One of the best note-taking apps, Evernote lets you gather all your study notes, mind maps and other study materials in one place. The Evernote app lets you create digital notebooks where you can pin your relevant PDFs, documents, images and even audio files, to always stay organised.
You can also use the camera of your device to scan notes or take pictures, on which you can use your device’s stylus to make notes. The app also syncs across devices allowing access to all your study materials and planner information from anywhere, any time.
Android: Free.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 13.2 or later.
Coursera, Distant Learning at Your Own Pace
If you are trying to juggle your job and education, finding the perfect balance between the two can be taxing. With Coursera, you can earn your degrees and certificates online with their self-paced courses.
You can take up specialisations and full degrees from top universities across the globe. The app also features courses from IT giants, Google, IBM, Facebook, and many others.
Android: Free. Available for devices with Android versions 4.4 or later.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple TV with iOS 11.0 or later.
Your Own Digital Library, Scribd: Audiobooks & e-Books
With Scribd, you have your digital library on the go. Whether you are looking for news articles for your report or case studies for your thesis, find everything you need on Scribd’s unlimited library.
Scribd also hosts sheet music suitable for all levels of experience, articles from popular magazines including Time, Entrepreneur, Bloomberg Businessweek, Men’s Health, and Women’s Health, and all genres of books for your reading pleasure.
Android: Free.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 11.0 or later.
Keep Your Brain Sharp with the Lumosity: Brain Training
Training your brain gets more important as you move towards the real world. Lumosity helps improve memory, problem-solving, focus and attentiveness, and overall cognitive functionality for a better quality of living.
The app features games designed based on neuroscience research, proven to improve cognitive skills and memory. Users can enjoy three games every day, while members can workout with more exercises.
Android: Free.
iOS: Free. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 11.2 or later.
Knowledge in the Palm of Your Hands
Now that you have found yourself the best Android and iPad apps for reading, programming, language learning and more this year, make sure you have the right accessories for all your on-the-go learning.
A good pair of Active Noise Cancelling headphones and a power bank will let you enjoy your favourite learning apps in any environment.
So, get all your learning tools ready with these great apps and progress to a brighter future!