I need help buying a camera for my digital photography cl?

ok so im a university student and im taking a photography cl but i dont know what type of camera i should buy. i want a camera that has good megapixels and user friendly settings. preferably from either canon or nikon. im not looking for something super expensive since my cl is for major exploration but something that i can use for the next two to three years. if you guys have any other brands or suggestions please feel free to say thanks :)