School Tote Bags: What Schools and Universities Order
School tote bags with a printed logo start at €5.15 per bag for 25 pieces, and the bag most schools need is a simple cotton tote that fits A4 books.
Younger pupils usually get a drawstring bag for PE kit, older students a tote bag for books, and universities add a heavier canvas bag for the campus shop. The minimum order is 25 bags per design, and delivery within the EU is included.
In this guide, I go through which printed bags for schools and universities suit which age and occasion, what they cost, and what three real requests from schools and students looked like.
In this article
- Who orders bags, and what for
- Three real school orders
- Which bag for which age
- Drawstring bags for PE kit
- Books and A4 folders
- Universities and campus shops
- School colours
- Printing a logo or crest
- What the bags cost
- Safe and sustainable
- When to order
- How to order and pay
- Frequently asked questions
Who orders school tote bags, and what for?
Almost everyone around a school orders bags at some point, from the school office and the teachers to the parents' association and the student union.
The occasions are more varied than you might expect:
- The first day of school. A welcome bag with a timetable, a notebook and a small gift.
- Open days and school fairs. A bag for brochures that visitors carry home, with your name on it.
- PE, swimming and clubs. A drawstring bag for kit, shoes and a towel.
- Fundraising. A bag with a class drawing, sold at the Christmas market or the summer fair.
- Graduation and alumni. A keepsake with the year group or the school crest.
Our page on custom printed bags for schools and universities gives an overview, and this post matches the bag to the pupil, the student and the occasion.
Churches, choirs and clubs order for much the same reasons, as I wrote in our guide to church tote bags.
A bag that carries the school's name travels much further than the school gate.
What do schools and universities really order?
Three requests from the past months show how different school orders can be.
At the end of September, the school office of a German city ordered 25 navy blue tote bags with a bottom gusset and a one-colour print on our website. That is the smallest order we make.
In May, a student group at a Swedish university ordered 250 black cotton tote bags in 220 g/m² with long handles and a white one-colour print. Black with white hides marks and suits almost any logo.
And in August, a teacher at a Danish school asked about 20 small tote bags for her class. Our minimum is 25 pieces, so our answer was to round up, and she also asked whether the school could pay through its public e-invoicing number instead of by card.
A school office orders a small and sturdy batch, students order a few hundred, and a single class needs just a little more than 20.
Small orders are normal for schools, and 25 printed bags are a perfectly good place to start.
Which school tote bags suit which age group?
The right bag depends mostly on how old the children are and what they carry.
Here is a simple overview:
| Who | Bag | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery and primary school | Drawstring gymsac, 37 × 46 cm | Closes at the top, is worn on the back, has room for PE kit |
| Secondary school and gymnasium | Classic cotton tote, 38 × 42 cm | Fits A4 books, is light, keeps the price low for a whole year group |
| Sixth form, college and university | Tote with bottom gusset, 220 g/m² | Stands up to folders, a laptop and daily use |
| Staff, alumni and the school shop | Organic canvas varsity shopper | Heavy canvas, outside pockets, a bag people keep |
Small children manage a drawstring better than two long handles, and teenagers prefer a tote bag over the shoulder.
For a whole year group, the classic 140 g/m² cotton tote is the usual answer. It measures 38 × 42 cm, has 67 cm handles, holds 10 litres and comes in 48 colours, which you find in the classic cotton tote collection.
Choose by what goes into the bag, and the rest follows.
38 × 42 cm, 10 litres, 67 cm handles. Light, fits A4 books and suits almost any school logo.
Are drawstring bags better than tote bags for PE kit?
Yes, for PE kit, swimming things and school trips, a drawstring bag is the more practical choice.
It closes with one pull, sits on the back like a light backpack and leaves both hands free. That matters on a bike and in a busy cloakroom.
Our cotton gymsac measures 37 × 46 cm and holds 12 litres, which is enough for trainers, a T-shirt, shorts and a towel. The print area of 30 × 32 cm gives a school logo plenty of room.
The gymsac comes in more than 20 colours, from natural white to French navy, bottle green and classic red. You find them all in the drawstring cotton gymsac collection.
A tote bag is for books, and a drawstring bag is for everything that gets sweaty.
37 × 46 cm, 12 litres. Closes with a drawstring and is worn on the back.
What size school tote bags fit books and A4 folders?
A tote bag of 38 × 42 cm fits A4 books, exercise books and a slim folder with room to spare.
The picture below shows the bag next to A4 paper, a 13-inch laptop and a 1.5 litre bottle.
If the bag has to carry thick ring binders or a lunch box, look for a gusset. That is the extra strip of fabric at the bottom or the sides that gives the bag depth, as our guide to tote bag anatomy explains.
The navy bag that the German school office chose has a 10 cm bottom gusset and 70 cm handles. It is made of 220 g/m² cotton and belongs to our cotton tote bags with a bottom gusset.
Fabric weight is given in g/m², which means grams per square metre, and our guide to cotton bag weights compares the common weights side by side.
For daily books, 140 g/m² is enough, and for heavy folders, 220 g/m² with a gusset is the safer choice.
38 × 42 × 10 cm, 70 cm handles. The bag a German school office ordered this September.
What do universities choose for welcome weeks and campus shops?
Universities usually need two bags, a light one to give away and a heavier one to sell.
The giveaway is for welcome week, open days and conferences, where hundreds of new students get the same bag. The classic cotton tote does this job well, as our guide to freshers' week and orientation bags explains.
The bag to sell has to be something a student is happy to pay for and a graduate is happy to carry ten years later.
This is where the organic canvas varsity shopper fits. It is made of 407 g/m² GOTS-certified organic cotton canvas, measures 37 × 36 × 16 cm, holds 20 litres and has slip pockets on the outside.
The print area is 16 × 17 cm, so it suits a crest, a monogram or a short line of text and not a large illustration. Our post on what varsity bags are tells the story of the style, and the varsity shopper collection shows the four colour versions.
At the moment, the varsity shopper has a longer delivery time than our other bags, so check the note on the product page before you plan a date.
Give away the light bag, and sell the one that lasts.
37 × 36 × 16 cm, 20 litres, outside pockets. GOTS-certified organic cotton canvas.
Can you order school tote bags in your school colours?
Usually yes, because the classic cotton tote alone comes in 48 stock colours.
A coloured classic tote costs about €0.30 more per bag than the natural white one, so the colour is a small part of the price.
If your school colour sits between two shades, pick the closest bag colour and keep the print simple, in white or one strong colour. Our guide to choosing print colours for tote bags shows which print colours stay clear on which bag colours.
A white print on a navy bag is hard to beat, because it is one print colour and readable from across the playground.
The bag colour does most of the work, and the logo only has to finish it.
How is a school logo or crest printed on the bags?
With screen printing for logos in a few solid colours, or with full-colour digital transfer printing for crests and drawings with many colours.
Screen printing suits logos in one to five solid colours, and it is the most economical method for larger orders. Full-colour digital transfer printing (DTF) suits detailed crests, photos and colourful children's drawings.
Every extra print colour adds to the price. At 100 pieces, the Natural White classic tote costs €3.55 with one print colour, €4.20 with two and €6.05 with a full-colour print.
A class drawing works well too. Ask the children to draw with a black marker on white paper, scan the page in high resolution, and send it to us so we can check it.
A vector file gives the sharpest result, and our guide to file types for printing explains what to send. You always get a digital proof to approve before anything is printed, and our comparison of digital printing and screen printing helps you choose the method.
One strong print colour is usually all a school logo needs.
What do school tote bags cost?
Between about €2 and €15 per bag, depending on the bag, the quantity and the number of print colours.
Here are today's prices per bag with a one-colour print on one side, excluding VAT and with delivery within the EU included:
| Bag | 25 pcs | 50 pcs | 100 pcs | 200 pcs | 500 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural White classic tote, 140 g/m² | €5.15 | €5.15 | €3.55 | €2.77 | €2.23 |
| French Navy drawstring gymsac, 140 g/m² | €9.10 | €5.77 | €4.23 | €3.60 | €3.15 |
| Navy tote with bottom gusset, 220 g/m² | €9.47 | €6.14 | €4.42 | €3.95 | €3.54 |
| Natural/French Navy varsity shopper, 407 g/m² | €14.56 | €13.03 | €11.43 | €10.65 | €10.10 |
The quantity changes the price more than anything else. 25 gymsacs cost €227.50 in total, and 50 of the same bag cost €288.50.
That is twice the bags for €61.00 more.
For a school fundraiser, the sums are easy to do. 100 Natural White classic totes with a one-colour class drawing cost €355.00 before VAT, and if the parents' association sells them for €8 each, the bags bring in €800.
Leave the date off the print, and the remaining bags can be sold at the next fair.
Order for the whole year group at once, and every single bag gets cheaper.
Are printed cotton bags a safe and sustainable choice for schools?
Cotton bags are a sensible choice for schools, because they can be washed and are made to be used for years.
All four bags in this guide are made of cotton, and two of them carry a label you can point to.
The navy tote with bottom gusset is certified to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX, a label for textiles tested for harmful substances. The varsity shopper is made of organic cotton certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
A cotton bag only helps the environment if it is used many times, and our cotton tote bag care guide covers cleaning, storing and carrying.
The most sustainable school bag is the one that is still in use next year.
When should a school order printed bags?
About four weeks before the day the bags are needed.
Production and delivery typically take 10 to 15 working days from the day you approve the artwork. The clock starts with your approval of the digital proof, not with the order itself.
School dates are known a year ahead, which makes planning easy:
- Start of the school year. Order before the summer holidays, while the office is still open to approve the proof.
- Christmas market or winter fair. Order in the first days of November for the first week of December.
- Graduation in June. Order in early May.
If you have a fixed date, write it in the box in the cart that asks when you need your bags. If the date is closer than four weeks, contact us before you order, and read our guide to rush orders.
The proof is approved fastest when one person at the school has the final say.
How does a school order and pay for printed bags?
You order on the product page and pay online, without asking for a quote first.
- Choose the bag, the colour and the quantity. The price per bag updates as you change the number.
- Choose the number of print colours. One colour, up to five colours, or full colour.
- Upload the logo, crest or drawing. A PDF, AI or EPS file is best.
- Check out with the school's address. Add a contact name and a phone number for the courier.
- Approve the digital proof. We print only after your approval.
The VAT of your country is added at checkout. A school with a valid EU VAT number can enter it there, and a school without one pays the price including VAT, as our guide to EU VAT for bag orders explains.
Payment is made in full before production starts. If your school cannot pay by card, which was the Danish teacher's question, write to us before ordering and we will check what is possible.
Order about ten percent more bags than you have pupils, because new children join during the year and the minimum for a reorder is again 25 pieces.
A logo file, an address and a date are all it takes.
Frequently asked questions about school tote bags
What is the minimum order for school tote bags?
The minimum order is 25 bags per design for the bags in this guide.
25 Natural White classic totes with a one-colour print cost €128.75 before VAT.
How much do school tote bags cost?
A Natural White classic cotton tote with a one-colour print costs €5.15 per bag at 25 pieces and €2.23 at 500 pieces, excluding VAT.
What is the best bag for PE kit?
A cotton drawstring gymsac of 37 × 46 cm, because it closes at the top and is worn on the back.
Do school tote bags fit A4 books and folders?
Yes, school tote bags of 38 × 42 cm fit A4 books and exercise books easily.
For thick ring binders, choose a bag with a bottom gusset.
Can we get the bags in our school colours?
Usually yes, as the classic cotton tote comes in 48 stock colours and the gymsac in more than 20.
Pick the closest bag colour and print the logo in white or one strong colour.
Can every child's name be printed on a bag?
Not as a standard option, because every name is its own design.
Write to us before ordering and we will tell you what is possible, or print a name box that each child fills in with a textile marker.
Can a school order without a VAT number?
Yes, a school without a VAT number orders school tote bags like any other customer and pays the price including the VAT of its country.
How long does delivery to a school take?
Production and delivery typically take 10 to 15 working days from the day you approve the artwork.
If the bags are for a fixed date, write the date in the cart or contact us before ordering.
Learn More About Custom Printed Bags
Freshers' Week and Orientation Bags: A Procurement Guide for Universities
What Are Varsity Bags? Style, Uses and How to Personalise Them
Drawstring Backpack Inspiration for Brands, Schools & Events
Church Tote Bags: Welcome, Choir and Fundraising Bags
Ordering printed bags for your school?
See the classic cotton tote in 48 colours, or the drawstring gymsac for PE kit.
See the classic cotton tote → See the drawstring gymsac →Pick the bag that suits your pupils, add the school logo, and you have a school bag they will carry for years.
About Prints & Bags
Prints & Bags is a European B2B supplier of custom-printed and embroidered pouches, jute bags and cotton tote bags, sold directly through our online catalogue. Choose a bag, upload your logo, and order online — from 25 pieces, with free EU shipping, a free digital proof, and production in 10–15 working days after approval.
