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Best VPN for School: Access Restricted Websites for Free With a VPN Unblocked for College 2025

We reveal the five best VPNs for school based on our research and tests. The chosen VPNs strike a fine balance between unblocking ability, speed, security and pricing. We also share the steps to get a VPN unblocked for school.

Wisdom SablahSamuel ChapmanIgor Kurtz

Written by Wisdom Sablah (Writer)

Reviewed by Samuel Chapman (Writer, Editor)

Facts checked by Igor Kurtz (Fact-checking editor)

Last Updated: 2024-12-13T00:55:13+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Key Takeaways: These Are the Best Unblocked VPNs for School
  1. NordVPN — NordVPN is the best VPN to access websites in school, thanks to its reliable unblocking ability and fast speeds. Sign up for its 72% discounted two-year plan.  
  2. Surfshark — Surfshark is a feature-rich and affordable VPN that you can use on unlimited devices. Try Surfshark with a 66% (plus 3 months free) discount and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 
  3. PrivadoVPN — PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN to unblock websites in school. You can download PrivadoVPN’s app for free. 
  4. CyberGhost — CyberGhost is an inexpensive and user-friendly VPN. Subscribe for a discount on its two-year plan. 
  5. ExpressVPN — ExpressVPN is a reliable VPN with obfuscation on all servers, which is ideal for schools in highly restrictive countries. Try ExpressVPN using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Facts & Expert Analysis: VPN Unblocked for School

  • Schools filter the internet for good reason: Schools monitor and control the internet to prevent distractions and ensure online safety. However, there are instances where filtered websites might contain information that can educate or help students.
  • Obfuscation to the rescue: If your VPN isn’t working, see if it has obfuscation features that conceal VPN activity. Some VPNs offer obfuscation through servers, and others through protocols. For example, switching to the OpenVPN protocol in Surfshark automatically activates obfuscation. 
  • Read your school’s internet access policy: Also known as an acceptable use policy, an internet access policy spells out the guidelines and behaviors students should follow online. If you know what it says, you may be able to get your teachers to carve out exceptions for necessary sites.
Best VPN for School

Most schools restrict the websites students can visit while using the school’s WiFi. However well-intentioned, such blanket bans can prevent students from accessing useful information and resources — unless they have the best VPNs. With the best VPN for school and the tricks to get a VPN unblocked for school, you’re set to view any site you need.

Connecting to a VPN server will change your online location by giving you a new IP address. This will let you outwit your school’s network rules and access the internet freely. In this article, we’ll highlight the best VPNs that can get past school geoblocks. Look out for the step-by-step guide on installing a VPN on your school computer. 

  • 11/02/2023

    Updated the article to reflect ExpressVPN’s recent increase of 5 simultaneous connections to 8, as well as its expansion of server presence to 105 countries, previously 94.

  • 12/11/2024 Facts checked

    We fully rewrote the article with new providers and more useful sections.

Wisdom headshot
Cloudwards’ Choice: NordVPN

Wisdom is an experienced technical writer with expertise in the areas online privacy and security.

From my experience, NordVPN is the best VPN to use in school. While on a restrictive network, I connected to NordVPN’s New York server. I could unblock Netflix and watch Amazon Prime Video without lags, and NordVPN’s Windows app was very easy to install and navigate. Overall, I’ll recommend NordVPN over any other virtual private network. 

Best VPN for School

The 5 Best VPNs for School PCs, Chromebooks & More

VPN:PriceUnblocks NetflixSpeedNo-Logs PolicySecurity
$3.39 per monthThe fastestAES-256, ChaCha20
$2.19 per monthVery fastAES-256, ChaCha20
Free, paid plans start from $1.11Not very fastAES-256, ChaCha20
$2.19 per monthNot very fastAES-256, ChaCha20
$4.99 per monthVery fastAES-256, ChaCha20

1. NordVPN — Best VPN for School

nordvpn homepage
NordVPN often offers discounts on its homepage.
Best VPN for School

Pros:

  • Servers in 111 countries
  • Fast speeds
  • Excellent security features

Cons:

  • Mobile UI map can be clunky

NordVPN’s best deal is the two-year plan with a 72% discount.

Download
90 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
5 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25
Data for region:

NordVPN is the best VPN pick to unblock websites while on your school campus. It offers servers in 111 countries, more than any other VPN on this list. These servers can unblock virtually any website, including social media and streaming providers. NordVPN’s obfuscated servers help ensure that your school’s systems don’t detect your VPN use.

If you don’t want to experience lags while browsing, NordVPN is your best bet. It offers fast download and upload speeds as well as low latency. This makes it a great choice if you intend to access websites or apps with heavy loads. For example, NordVPN could be a great option if you want to download large files for your research. 

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NordVPN Hands-On Testing

NordVPN has apps for all the major OSes, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Linux. It also works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV and Apple tvOS. Downloading and installing the VPN on your device should take only a few minutes. Thankfully, NordVPN is fairly simple to use

You can connect to a server by scrolling through the server list or clicking a country on the server map. This is a little less intuitive than using the large “connect” buttons that most VPNs have on their home screens. Connecting to a server is quick, though, and the kill switch works as expected. Our NordVPN review goes into more detail.

servers nordvpn
Connecting to a NordVPN server is simple and quick.

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Speed Test Results

Download Speed (Higher is better)
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data averaged from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25
Data for region:

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Unblocking Capability Test Results

Streaming ServiceUnblocked?

NordVPN unblocks all the major streaming providers, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. 

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Security Analysis

nordvpn leak test
NordVPN doesn’t suffer from DNS leaks. 
Protocol:Encryption Devices Supported
OpenVPNAES-256



NordLynxChaCha20



IKEv2/IPsecAES-256(Available only through manual setup on all devices)

NordVPN Pricing & Value

NordVPN’s best subscription is the two-year plan, which costs $3.39 per month. There’s also a yearly plan, starting at $4.99 per month. If you need NordVPN for a short period, you can purchase the monthly plan at $12.99

Basic
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes
Plus
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes
Complete
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes

2. Surfshark — Best Budget VPN Provider to Unblock School WiFi

surfshark homepage
Surfshark is an affordable and beginner-friendly VPN service. 

Pros:

  • Affordable long-term pricing
  • Fast speeds
  • Servers in 100 countries

Cons:

  • Occasional latency spikes

Try Surfshark using its 30-day money-back guarantee

Download
94 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
3 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25
Data for region:

Surfshark is among the most affordable VPNs to use in school as long as you get the two-year rate — one of the cheapest on the VPN market. Despite its cheap pricing, Surfshark doesn’t compromise on features. It boasts over 3,200 servers in 100 countries that can unblock all the major streaming providers without struggle.

Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you can use one subscription on as many devices as you want. To save money, purchase a Surfshark plan with your friends and split the bill. Another unique feature is rotating IP, which changes your IP address often. This makes it difficult for your school’s systems to track you. 

Surfshark Hands-On Testing

There’s a Surfshark app for all the major platforms, including Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV and Fire TV. Surfshark’s apps are designed with beginners in mind, making it one of the best VPNs for beginners. Installing and downloading the app requires only a few minutes. 

Connecting to a Surfshark server isn’t difficult, either. The “quick-connect” button on the home screen will connect you to the fastest available server location. Surfshark’s servers are well organized, enabling you to easily find the one you want. You can filter server locations using categories like static IPs, dedicated IPs, MultiHop and favorites. 

surfshark servers
Surfshark’s servers are well organized and easy to find.

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Speed Test Results

Download Speed (Higher is better)
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data averaged from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Unblocking Capability Test Results

Streaming ServiceUnblocked?

Surfshark is great at unblocking streaming services. We didn’t have to sift through servers as the first one worked every time. For instance, no matter which U.S. server we chose, Surfshark got us into Netflix U.S. The streams loaded smoothly, and we didn’t suffer any buffering. Read more about it in our Surfshark review.

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Security Analysis

surfshark leak test
Our DNS leak test showed that Surfshark experiences no DNS leaks. 

Surfshark offers secure VPN protocols, as shown in the table below. 

Protocol:Encryption Devices Supported
OpenVPNAES-256



WireGuardChaCha20



IKEv2/IPsecAES-256


*
*
*Manual setup available

Surfshark Pricing & Value

Surshark’s best-value deal is the two-year plan, which starts at $2.19 per month. It also has a yearly subscription priced at $3.39 per month. The monthly plan starts at $17.95 per month. Considering its features and pricing, Surfshark offers some of the best value-for-money deals on the market. 

Surfshark Starter
  • Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
  • Yes
Surfshark One
  • Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
Surfshark One+
  • Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited

3. PrivadoVPN — Best Free VPN for School Networks

privadovpn homepage
PrivadoVPN has discount deals on its homepage. 

Pros:

  • Free servers in 10 countries
  • Excellent privacy
  • Good security features
  • User-friendly

Cons:

  • Speed throttled on free plan after 10GB of data

To use PrivadoVPN for free, simply sign up and download the app for your device. 

Choose PrivadoVPN if you need a VPN to quickly unblock a server but don’t have the funds to purchase a subscription. Its free plan offers access to servers in 10 countries:

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, India, the U.K. and the U.S. It’s easily the best of the free VPN services.

The free plan also offers 10GB of data each month. You can keep browsing if you exhaust this data, but the VPN will throttle your speeds to 1 Mbps. Because of this, we recommend PrivadoVPN’s free version for casual browsing that won’t require large downloads or uploads. 

PrivadoVPN Hands-On Testing

PrivadoVPN is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Fire TV and Apple tvOS. Unlike Surfshark and NordVPN, it has no browser extensions, but it still protects browser traffic when installed on a device. You can download PrivadoVPN’s apps from the website or your device’s app store. It should take just a few moments to set up the VPN on your device. 

PrivadoVPN’s apps are well laid out, and all the options are easy to explore. Connecting to a server is also simple: Click the “power” button at the center of the home screen. You can also toggle the kill switch on or off from the home screen. See our PrivadoVPN review to learn more.

privadovpn homescreen
PrivadoVPN’s Windows app is well designed and simple to use. 

Notes From the Lab: PrivadoVPN Speed Test Results

LocationPing
ms
Download
Mbps
Upload
Mbps
Unprotected1457.915.94
USA
64
45.35
5.48
UK
357
25.27
5.70
Australia
408
24.75
5.41
Brazil
206
37.29
5.74
Singapore
407
22.41
5.62
Average
288
31.01
5.59

Notes From the Lab: PrivadoVPN Unblocking Capability Test Results

Streaming ServiceUnblocked?

As shown in the table above, PrivadoVPN unblocks all the major streaming services. The streams never lagged for us, except for some buffering when we streamed in 4K.

Notes From the Lab: PrivadoVPN Security Analysis

privadovpn leak test
Our leak tests revealed that PrivadoVPN has no leaks.
Protocol:Encryption Devices Supported
OpenVPNAES-256



*
WireGuardChaCha20



*
IKEv2AES-256



*
*Manual setup

PrivadoVPN Pricing & Value

Aside from its free plan, PrivadoVPN offers three paid plans. The most discounted plan is the two-year plan (plus three months), which costs $1.11 per month. The yearly plan is the next best option at $1.33 per month. For $10.99, you can subscribe to PrivadoVPN for one month. 

4. CyberGhost — Secure School VPN

cyberghost homepage
CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee on its long-term plans. 

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface
  • Streaming-optimized servers
  • 45-day money-back guarantee

Cons:

  • Relatively slow

CyberGhost’s best plan is the two-year plan, which costs $2.19 per month. 

Download
82 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
48 ms
Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25
Data for region:

CyberGhost is a useful alternative if you need a VPN for school. It gets a lot of things right: servers in 100 countries that can unblock streaming services, modern security features and affordable long-term prices. We also like that CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee on the longer plans. This lets you take it for an extensive test run. 

However, CyberGhost isn’t a good choice if you want a fast VPN. Our automated VPN tests show that while top providers keep 90% of initial download speeds, CyberGhost hovers around 60%. We cover that and more in our CyberGhost review.

CyberGhost Hands-On Testing

CyberGhost has apps for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS and Linux. We found them easy to download and install, and we connected to its servers by clicking the “power” button on the home screen.

CyberGhost offers “smart rules” that let users streamline their VPN use. For instance, you can set your device to connect to a VPN server before launching a specific app. This automates your VPN experience and ensures you don’t open sensitive apps without VPN protection. 

cyberghost servers
CyberGhost has a vast server network covering 100 countries. 

Notes From the Lab: CyberGhost Speed Test Results

Download Speed (Higher is better)
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data averaged from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25

Notes From the Lab: CyberGhost Unblocking Capability Test Results

Streaming ServiceUnblocked?

CyberGhost unblocks all the streaming services we tested it against, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. 

Notes From the Lab: CyberGhost Security Analysis

cyberghost DNS leak test
Our tests show that CyberGhost doesn’t leak details about your DNS servers. 
Protocol:EncryptionDevices Supported
WireGuardChaCha20




Fire App TV
OpenVPNAES-256


Fire App TV
IKEv2AES-128

CyberGhost Pricing & Value

CyberGhost’s best deal is the two-year plan, which costs $2.19 per month and adds four months free to the first billing cycle. It also has a six-month plan priced at $6.99 per month. The last option is the monthly plan costing $12.99 per month. CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee on the six-month and two-year plans.

CyberGhost Plans
  • *The 2-year plan includes 4-months free which breaks down the 56.94 t0 $2.03 per month. *The price under the 2-year plan is billed yearly after the first two years.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 7
  • Yes

5. ExpressVPN — Best School VPN for Beginners

expressvpn homepage
ExpressVPN allows up to eight simultaneous connections. 

Pros:

  • Servers in 105 countries
  • Obfuscation on all servers
  • Reliable unblocking

Cons:

  • Relatively expensive

ExpressVPN offers 25% off on long-term plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Download
91 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
5 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25
Data for region:

ExpressVPN is another good pick for browsing in school. It’s last on the list only because of its expensive pricing. Money aside, ExpressVPN checks all the boxes you need in a VPN. It has stable and fast servers in 105 countries, which all have excellent unblocking rates. Every server also offers obfuscation, making your VPN activity hard to track. 

ExpressVPN Hands-On Testing

ExpressVPN’s apps are as simple as they come. You can connect to a server by clicking the large “connect” button or by scrolling through the server list. All the options are neatly arranged using the hamburger icon at the top-left corner of the home screen. ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Apple TV and more. 

connect to expressvpn jersey
You can connect to an ExpressVPN server using the “connect” button. 

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Speed Test Results

Download Speed (Higher is better)
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data averaged from 01/12/25 to 02/09/25

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Unblocking Capability Test Results

Streaming ServiceUnblocked?

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Security Analysis

expressvpn leak test
ExpressVPN passed our DNS leak tests.
Protocol:EncryptionDevices Supported
LightwayAES-256/ChaCha20



OpenVPNAES-256


IKEv2AES-256

ExpressVPN Pricing & Value

ExpressVPN’s best offer is its two-year plan going for $4.99 per month. The next best deal is the one-year plan, which costs $6.66 per month. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. Read our ExpressVPN review for help on making the call.

ExpressVPN Plans
  • Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 8
  • Yes

Our Methodology: How We Tested the Best School VPN Services

The best VPN for school should have excellent unblocking abilities, strong security features, easy-to-use apps, fast speeds and affordable pricing. We tested over 50 VPNs based on those criteria to compile this list of the five best VPNs for school. Let’s break them down further. 

  • Unblocking ability: We connected to servers from different VPNs and attempted to unblock geoblocked websites. For example, we connected to NordVPN’s U.S. servers in Ghana and tried to open Netflix U.S. 
  • Security features: A secure VPN should encrypt user traffic using AES encryption, and have a functional kill switch and DNS leak protection to prevent leaks. We ran Wireshark and DNS leak tests on each VPN to confirm that those features worked as expected. 
  • Affordable pricing: We picked VPNs that offer affordable pricing options with large discounts on long-term plans. A good free plan is a plus. We checked the pricing options against the VPNs’ features to see if they provide high value for your money. 
  • Easy-to-use apps: We confirmed whether the VPN has apps for the major platforms and tested how easy it is to download and install them. We also connected to multiple servers to see if the connections were quick. Finally, we played with their various options to ensure that the buttons functioned properly. 
  • Speed: Our VPN experts at Cloudwards have set up a daily automated speed test for major VPN providers. We measure the upload speed, download speed and latency of these VPNs. In addition, we run manual speed tests for providers that aren’t part of our automated tests. 

Can I Use a Free VPN for School?

You can use a free VPN to bypass school blocks. However, some free VPNs are honeypots for distributing malware and viruses. Others can’t be trusted because they make money by logging and selling personal user information. Even if you find a decent free VPN, you’ll notice that they likely have server and speed limits. 

If you must use a free VPN for school, we recommend PrivadoVPN. It’s the best free VPN on the market. The service offers free servers in 10 countries and 10GB of monthly data, plus additional browsing with capped download speeds. It also has vital security features like a kill switch and DNS leak protection, and it adheres to a no-logs policy. 

Can Schools Block VPNs?

Some schools have systems that detect and block VPNs. They typically do this by flagging IP addresses that are known to be from VPN providers. The best workaround is to use a reliable VPN with obfuscation, which hides VPN traffic by making it look like normal web activity.  

How to Get a VPN Unblocked for School

Using a VPN to get around blocks at school is easy, but you first need to get your VPN unblocked at school. Follow the steps below to set up a VPN on your school computer. We’ll use NordVPN as an example.

We recommend using a USB drive to transfer the installation file to your school computer. This is because school networks might block downloads and VPN websites. 

  1. Sign Up for a VPN

    Go to the VPN’s website on a computer outside the school network and purchase a subscription. You’ll likely need your email address, a password and your payment details.

    nordvpn signup
  2. Download the VPN App for Your School Computer

    Visit the VPN’s download page to find the right client for the school device you’re using. For example, download the Windows installation file if your school device is a Windows computer.

    download nordvpn app
  3. Copy the Installation File to a USB Drive

    Open the folder where the installation file was saved. Insert a USB drive into your device and copy the file onto it.

    nordvpn installation file

How to Install a VPN on a School Computer

After downloading the installation file onto a USB drive, you’ll have to transfer it to your school computer. Follow the steps below to learn how to do that. 

  1. Copy the Installation File to Your School Computer

    Connect the USB drive containing the installation file to your school computer. Copy and paste the installation file onto the computer. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.

    copying files from usb
  2. Install the VPN App

    Click on the installation package to commence the installation process. Follow all the prompts until the VPN app is installed on your device.

    nordvpn installation prompts
  3. Connect to a VPN Server

    Open the VPN app and scroll through the VPN’s server list to connect to a server. Most VPNs have a “power” button on the home screen that will automatically connect you to a server. You can explore NordVPN’s server map to find a location in your preferred country.

    nordvpn us server

Final Thoughts

You can bypass your school’s internet restrictions using a VPN. We recommend NordVPN because it has a fast, secure and reliable server network that can unblock websites. Surfshark is an affordable alternative, while PrivadoVPN offers a handy free plan. CyberGhost is a user-friendly pick, and ExpressVPN is a secure choice. 

Have you tried using a VPN to unblock websites in school? Did you record any successes? Did you face any challenges? Which VPNs in this article are you looking forward to using? Do you have any questions or comments about the VPNs in this article? Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments section below. 

FAQ: Unblocked VPNs for School

  • VPNs are not illegal at school. However, some schools frown on VPN use. Before using a VPN, read your school’s internet policy to ensure you’re not breaching any regulations.

  • We recommend NordVPN, thanks to its reliable server network that can unblock websites. It’s also secure, fast, privacy-friendly and easy to use.

  • To unblock websites at school, connect to a VPN server. If regular servers don’t work, try obfuscated servers since they disguise VPN traffic.

  • NordVPN is a strong VPN that schools will find difficult to block. It has a kill switch and DNS leak protection to prevent data leaks. It also offers obfuscated servers that hide your VPN traffic.

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