Just get the TI-84 Plus

For high school math, the TI-84 Plus (or the color TI-84 Plus CE) is almost always the right call.

The reason is simple: every teacher, textbook, and exam is built around it. The ACT and SAT allow it. AP Statistics and AP Calculus assume you have it. If you hit a snag, “TI-84” is the easiest thing to search for help on. You won’t be learning a niche interface when everyone else is using the standard.

Sure, the Casio fx-9750GII is cheaper, and the TI-Nspire CX is more powerful. But you don’t need more power, and you don’t want to be the student fighting a different button layout when a teacher does a quick demo. There’s also a reason I’m not listing specs here: in high school, the calculator barely matters. The math is the hard part.

Check with your teacher first for any specific model requirements. If they say any graphing calculator is fine, the TI-84 Plus CE is the safe bet that you’ll never regret.

Unless your teacher tells you otherwise, don’t overthink this one.