You’ll need a laptop that can manage your academic workload when you leave for college. The greatest laptop for students may be a powerful mobile workstation, an ultraportable Windows laptop or MacBook, or a basic Chromebook, depending on your program.

A portable device with a lengthy battery life is usually what you’ll want because it’s convenient to carry around and eliminates the need to bring the charger. A excellent user experience, such as a bright and vivid display, a comfortable keyboard, and a responsive touchpad, should also be a top priority because you will be using the laptop frequently.

The choice of port for external displays or peripherals must also be taken into account. We have purchased and examined more than 135 computers. Here are our picks for the top college laptops available for purchase. Additionally, you may view our suggestions for the top 15–16-inch laptops, lightweight laptops, and student Chromebooks. If money is tight, look at the top laptops around $1,000.

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Best Laptop For College

Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) is the best laptop for college that we have evaluated. College students who require a lightweight, thin laptop to compose papers, access the web, and watch media will love this high-end model. Light productivity tasks, including some video editing and 3D graphics, are a good fit for Apple’s fundamental M3 SoC.

Additionally, you won’t have to worry about excessive fan noise in libraries and classrooms because it doesn’t even require a cooling fan. With its large haptic touchpad, roomy keyboard, and crisp, brilliant display, it offers a wonderful user experience. Although it takes a bit to fully charge, its battery life is great. Its primary shortcoming is port selection; it only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connectors. and if the lid is closed, these ports will only output to two external screens. If you prefer a larger screen and better speakers, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is also a nice option, although it costs more.

Take a look at the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) if you require or prefer a Windows computer. With a more ergonomic keyboard, a larger assortment of ports, and a brighter 120Hz touchscreen, it offers an even better user experience than the MacBook Air in many aspects. This 7th Edition model, however, has an ARM-based Qualcomm SoC, which is different from the majority of Windows laptops that most people are used to.

When used sparingly, the X Elite chip’s remarkable power efficiency yields a 17-hour battery life, and it can effortlessly manage general productivity activities. It’s advisable to check with your professor or school about compatibility because Windows on ARM is still relatively new (at least in this version with Microsoft’s new Prism emulation). As a result, you may run into apps that don’t work at all or perform poorly.

Just so you know, the 13-inch MacBook Air is less expensive than the 15-inch Surface laptop. Although we haven’t tested it, the smaller 13-inch model should perform pretty similarly if you can’t afford to spend more on this one.

HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024)

For a more reasonably priced mid-range choice, we suggest the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024). This 13-inch ultraportable, which can be configured with Zen 4 AMD Ryzen CPUs (up to a Ryzen 7 8840HS), is ideal for moderately demanding activities like programming and photo editing as well as light productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing.

The battery lasts 10 hours of light use, so you probably won’t need to pack a charger, and it’s portable. It has 16GB of soldered RAM, which is both a plus and a minus because you can’t add more, but you can’t upgrade because most laptops only have 8GB on the base models. Fortunately, its SSD may be replaced by the user. Both the FHD+ and QHD+ IPS panels are sufficiently bright to offer clear vision in well-lit environments.

Although it is a clear step down from the more expensive versions described above, the user experience is still good. The touchpad is snappy but makes certain tasks difficult, like dragging and dropping, and the keyboard feels roomy, though it can be a little tiring after a while. Its chassis, which is made of aluminum and plastic, feels cheap and hollow and flexes a considerable amount, indicating poor build quality. Furthermore, even with regular use, the finish is prone to scratches. All things considered, if you can overlook its unimpressive construction, this is still a pretty useful gadget for college students.

Best Budget Laptop For College

ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023)

Purchase the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) if you’re on a tight budget. For a 16-inch device, this model is reasonably portable and feels well-built despite its modest price. It may be purchased with an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, both of which are more than capable of managing the majority of student tasks, including web surfing, video playing, and word processing. You can only get 8GB or 16GB of RAM, so your options are limited. Although 16GB variants are more difficult to locate, the benefit of user-upgradable memory is that you may purchase an 8GB model and then add a SO-DIMM memory stick at a later time.

With moderate use, the battery lasts for about eight hours. Overall, users had a positive experience. It features a sizable, quick touchpad, a comfy keyboard, and a respectable 720p webcam. The display appears quite sharp, but it is a little washed out and dark, which is a usual problem with low-cost gadgets. Nonetheless, a fingerprint sensor for speedy logins and Wi-Fi 6E wireless access are only two of the many pleasant features you get. Three USB-As, a USB-C, and an HDMI port make up the respectable port selection. Since the USB-C port isn’t capable of visual output, you’ll need to use the HDMI port in order to attach an external display.

Best Cheap Laptop For College

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023)

The best low-cost laptop for students that we evaluated is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023). If all you need is a basic gadget to compose papers and access the web, this is a wonderful choice. Its battery lasts roughly 13 hours of light use, and its small size makes it convenient to bring around. On Lenovo’s website, the Core i3 configuration—which comes with an FHD display, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage—is frequently offered for between $400 and $500 USD. Although there are less expensive setups, we do not advise using them unless your workload is very modest. 

Regarding the user experience, its FHD display is crisp, allows touch input, and gets bright enough to be used in well-lit environments. But the touchpad is tiny and occasionally unresponsive, and the keyboard feels mushy. Its 1080p webcam is surprisingly good for a Chromebook that costs so little. Once more, be sure you can accomplish everything using an Android app or Chrome browser; if not, a Windows laptop like the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) above is the better option.

Best Workstation For College

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)

We propose the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) for students in more technical professions who want a high-performance laptop to run demanding programs. Similar to its predecessor, the M2, the new M3 model boasts a robust construction, a sleek and small design, and an all-day battery life. With its large, user-friendly haptic touchpad, ergonomic keyboard, and sharp Mini LED display, it offers an amazing user experience. There are numerous connectors for connecting external screens and devices, as well as a fantastic 1080p webcam for video conferencing. Additionally, a fingerprint sensor is included for speedy login.

For students pursuing more technical careers who want a high-performance laptop to run demanding programs, we suggest the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). Like its predecessor, the M2, the new M3 model has a long battery life, a sleek and compact design, and a sturdy build. It provides an amazing user experience with its ergonomic keyboard, spacious, easy-to-use haptic touchpad, and brilliant Mini LED display. Along with a great 1080p webcam for video conferencing, there are many ports for attaching other screens and gadgets. A fingerprint sensor is also featured for quick login.

Notable Remarks

HP Spectre x360 14 (2024): If you’re looking for a 2-in-1 convertible, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is an excellent substitute for the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024). It features a better 4K webcam, more ports, and a more attractive OLED screen with pen input capabilities.

Because it operates on a more conventional x86 Intel CPU, it’s also an excellent alternative to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) if you utilize apps that are incompatible with an ARM-based SoC. Unfortunately, its OLED display flickers, which some users may find annoying, and it doesn’t get quite as bright as the MacBook Air or the Surface Laptop. Its battery lasts about 11 hours, which is about the same as the MacBook Air’s but much less compared to the Surface laptop.

As an alternative to the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024), the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) is less expensive. It’s more robust, has a more ergonomic keyboard, and can be used as a tablet because it’s a 2-in-1 convertible. If you want to take handwritten notes, the display allows pen input; however, you will need to purchase a stylus separately, and there is nowhere to keep it when traveling. Remember that this is a Chromebook, so it isn’t the best option if you need to install specialized apps, most of which don’t support Chrome OS.

Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023): The HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024) is more expensive than the Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023). It features a better touchpad and a more robust design, but its webcam is far inferior and its display isn’t as bright. Its slower AMD Zen 3-based CPUs, as opposed to the HP’s more recent Zen 4 processors, also contribute to its poorer performance.