Best laptops for students
Update: To get primed for back to school season, we’ve gone and overhauled our buying guide – replete with a new entry – aimed to serve all sorts of students’ needs. Check them out below!
Even for those who feel at home with their nose in a textbook, the end of that tiny spring break is a big bummer. But, as much as it’s a return to school and schedules, it’s an opportunity.
With some much-needed breathing room, this is as fine a chance as any to invest in some fresh tech to make finals all the more bearable.
If you’re still using a bulky desktop, or if your laptop winces at the sight of an HD video lecture, then it’s time to upgrade. Luckily, if you know where to look, it’s possible to get a sleek and impressive notebook without blowing through your savings (or taking yet another student loan).
We’ve sifted through our most recent, top-ranking reviews and picked out the best laptops for high school and college. The list below spans all budgets, from power-sipping, price-conscious Chromebooks for you liberal arts folks to powerful laptops ready for design or animation coursework – or, you know, dorm room “LAN” parties.
Asus Zenbook UX305
A most affordable and excellent Ultrabook
CPU: 6th generation Intel Core m3 – Core m5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 – 5300 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) | Storage: 256GB – 512GB SSD
See the best Asus Zenbook UX305 deals
Solid performanceIncredibly thin and lightWonky video driverTinny speakers
Call it a MacBook Air knockoff all you want, the Asus ZenBook UX305 is one of the best and most affordable Ultrabooks available now.
Like the Dell XPS 13 listed below, this is further proof that you can find a truly primo, general use laptop for less than a thousand bucks. This is an honest-to-goodness laptop that wins at the basics and offers up an attractive package.
HP Chromebook 14
A well balanced Chromebook
CPU: 6th generation Intel Celeron | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 2GB – 4GB | Screen: 14-inch HD (1366 x 768) – FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 16GB – 32GB eMMC
See more HP Chromebook 14 deals
Excellent keyboard and trackpad Chrome OS is speedy and responsive Crisp, vivid screen Average battery life
The HP Chromebook 14 is no performance powerhouse, but Chrome OS’s speediness, combined with a funky blue case, makes this one fun notebook to use.
For classwork, this laptop is ideal for high school students or those pursuing degrees in liberal arts because of its low cost and simplicity in its use and maintenance while providing the access to nearly every major app and service an undergrad would need.
13.3-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
The fastest small MacBook Pro yet is a force of nature
CPU: 5th generation Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen:13.3-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD
See the best MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display deals
Retina DisplayFaster processorForce Touch underdevelopedUnchanged design
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is an excellent option for students who may need more power than a Chromebook or a MacBook Air without sacrificing portability, thanks to its long battery life, relatively light weight and high resolution display.
Students on a budget will be happy to know that they can get started right away as the MacBook Pro with Retina display ships with free copies of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote out of the box as well as iMovie, Photos, and GarageBand for basic, creative projects.
Acer Chromebook 15
The colossus of Chromebooks
CPU: 5th generation Intel Celeron – Core i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 2GB – 4GB | Screen: 15.6-inch HD (1,366 x 768) – FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 16GB – 32GB SSD
See the best Acer Chromebook 15 C910 deals
Fast processing speeds Long battery life Too heavy Awkward keyboard
If you’re convinced that every Chromebook on the market has to be less than 14 inches, you’d be dead wrong. The Acer Chrombook 15, for example, boasts not only a whopping 15.6-inch screen, but it also packs an equally impressive range of processors.
Despite some slight discomfort experienced during prolonged use, but you can snatch the Acer Chromebook 15 at a much cheaper price now than when it originally released, making it well worth the sacrifice.
13-inch MacBook Air
Finally, battery life within our grasp
CPU: 5th generation Intel Core i5 – Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 | RAM: 8GB | Screen:13.3-inch WXGA+ (1,440 x 900) | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD
See the best Apple MacBook Air 13-inch deals
Fantastic battery life Broadwell processors No Retina screen Not user upgradeable
Though it’s yet to adopt Apple’s Retina display standard, the benefit to this compromise is a 12-hour battery life coupled paired with a dual-core, Broadwell processor.
Plus, if you don’t like the feel of the 12-inch MacBook’s low-travel butterfly keys, the MacBook Air uses a more traditional chiclet-style keyboard. And hey, a MacBook Air is the most affordable way to get that backlit Apple logo on the back of your laptop.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y700
Long battery life tops off this attractive gaming laptop
CPU: 6th generation Intel Core i5 – Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M (2GB – 4GB) | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD IPS (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 500GB HDD – 1TB HDD + 512GB SSD
See more Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 deals
Looks great Ample battery lifeEthernet port Gets hot Terrible trackpad buttons Heavy
Look, you’re bound to have some down time during college, so why not put some of that entertainment cost into one of these bad boys? This 15-inch gaming laptop looks nice and its price tag is even nicer.
Don’t expect to run games on Ultra settings, but hey, with a system like this you’ll be able to accomplish just about anything else – from writing essays to making movies.
Dell XPS 13
A revolution in laptop design
CPU: 6th generation Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520 | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD
Strong performance Lightweight Off-center webcam Small frame limits battery life
Packing a high-resolution screen and serious processing power, there’s more to the Dell XPS 13 than being a surprisingly small Ultrabook.
There’s a 13-inch display crammed into an 11-inch body, a truly worthy competitor to a certain aluminum laptop line perfect for any basic coursework scenario. After all, Apple doesn’t make the only premium, general use laptop worth batting an eye at, and the Dell XPS 13 is the proof.
HP Pavilion x2
The best and most affordable Windows 10 convertible
CPU: Intel Atom Z8300 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 2GB | Screen: 10.1-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) | Storage: 32GB eMMC
Long battery life Roaring speakers Absurdly affordable 32-bit Windows 10 Limited storage and memory
The HP Pavilion x2 might be a little tike of a 2-in-1 laptop, but it’s a great Windows 10 device for media and basic computing tasks.
If you seek something to suit those Sundays spent streaming Netflix in bed as well as it does taking notes in the classroom, this is a fine place to start that search. Lightweight and capable for but a relative pittance, you’ll get a tablet and a laptop that nail the basics in equal measure.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
The tablet that can replace your laptop
CPU: 6th generation Intel Core m3 – Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 – Iris Graphics | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 12.3-inch PixelSense (2,736 x 1,824) | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD
See more Microsoft Surface Pro 4 deals
High-res screenImproved Type CoverCover still sold separately Intel Core m3 to start
A higher resolution screen, a thinner design and a move to Intel’s more powerful Skylake processors all help to make this portable tablet a capable replacement for your laptop. Sadly, the Type Cover keyboard is still an optional necessity for this laptop replacement.
Nevertheless, what you do get is one of the few tablets we can say for certain can replace your laptop. Luckily, with Windows 10, it serves as a great companion device, too.
LG gram 15
Bigger, thinner and lighter than a MacBook Air
CPU: 6th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6-inch UHD (3,840 x 2,160) | Storage: 256GB SSD
Thin, light and attractive design Lots of ports Below average battery life Webcam in the hinge
Sure, if you’re switching over from a MacBook, you might be unimpressed with the lack of color options, but the LG Ggam 15 is fantastic in just about every other way. It boasts a 15.6-inch display, for example, coupled with a rugged Core i5 processor to boot. Add 8GB of RAM, four USB ports – including one Type-C – and a microSD card reader, and what you have is the anti-MacBook.
By adopting the thin-and-light design while trashing the minimalist port solution, the LG gram 15 is one of the best laptops you can buy at its enticing $1,099 (about £752, AU$1,444) price point.
Source: techradar.com
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Surface pro needs a good surface to stand and be stable. It wont work when you put it on the lap.If you do a lot of travelling then i wont recommend surfacepro+ it heats too much.
No Dell XPS?
We really don't need chromebook!
go to hifi wifi there is one for 200 bucks
This has to be the most wildly incoherent 'best choices' list I've ever read. It spans an insanely wide price range from $2000 to $200 and a feature set from a full on high end near-desktop laptop to a web browser in a box.
The short version takeaway? "If you have a student – buy him or her, well, pretty much anything."
I think people would agree that pretentiousness is in fact insulting. What do they call that nowadays, eliteist? Conceited? Snobby? Sounds pretty insultung to me. But whatever, you don't have to come back with a retort because I don't think you have one.
Commenting on the updated list. Rather than doing a top 10, you'd be far better off doing a top 3 for each 'category' of students.
top 3 chromebooks for the budget student using the laptop to take notes
top 3 beasts for the IT / 3d art students
top 3 mid range for the genearl purpose
top 3 two in one laptops / tablets for the indecisive.
top 3 macbooks for whatever reason you feel like.
Most of these are way out of the price range of "students" :-|.
What do you think students will be using it for?!? Breaking security algorithms? Honestly, students use them for word processing, surfing the internet, and doing simple homework tasks. I'm and engineering student and the most complex thing I use is Eclipse. More important is battery life and compactness. Dragging around 3 batteries is just plain stupid! My xps13 lasts 2-3 days on a charge. It fits easily in my backpack with all my other stuff. I have NO reason for anything more! I'm sorry if it bothers you, but the world is a different place, ESPECIALLY with cloud computing now offered at many large campuses.
Rocking an i3 myself. No problems on my lap or heating issues. Nor will most students running mostly Office or browsers.
The i3 should have been the model shown here. Just to show the entry level is more affordable
What does she do. She should try the Asus Eeebook X205 (http://www.laptopmag.com/revie…
or the Acer Aspire V3-111p (http://www.laptopmag.com/revie…
Both are 11 inch laptops, the Eeebook has an Intel Atom meaning well over 11 hours battery life, and 32gb eMMC storage (micro SD card?) , while the V3-111p has a slower 500gb hard drive (more storage) and an Intel Celeron processor, with 6 hours battery life. As a work laptop, you are unlikely to be using much actual storage, as documents don't take up much space. If you plan to play a few games on your laptop, you will need the extra space on the v3-111p. However, I strongly suggest you try both laptops, and other things that look like they might work, in store before buying. Note, the V3-112p is the touchscreen version. For $300, rather than $370, you can forego the touchscreen.
I don't see how the PC's above are recommended for students that have to pay themselves, the prices on these things are to high. You can get a good student PC for half the price on most of these, and some of them 1/3 or 1/4 of the price… Techradar; get real or tell me where my flaw is..
Have you every been to a college campus? I happen to be living in one. Around 40% of students have a macbook, I'd say that it is CLEARLY in the range. Only an idiot would disagree with the facts, that idiot appears to be you. I myself have an xps13 but that doesn't mean I suddenly throw away all reason like you do. Students buy expensive laptops. Unless you're talking some local community college, students buy expensive laptops. Do I need to repeat myself? Students think its worth it to buy a laptop that will last them all four years rather than some crapbook that's obsolete after 2 years.
internet speed is related to IPS (internet service provider) and eventually a router, not the PC or a specific notebook
Tinny refers to the awful sound, like rain on a tin roof.
9. Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is the best for student i think!
So we are going to ignore possibly the best laptop for college students that is on the market? The 2015 Dell XPS 13 destroys almost all of the laptops here, its not the fastest or cheapest but its by far the best overall value and it didn't make the top 10 over the Asus Zenbook?
Hi I'm going to University to study History so will be writing(typing) lots of long essays. I was hoping someone could tell me which laptop will be best for me?
The main features i guess I'll need is a good keyboard, I was thinking ThinkPad, Battery life of minimum 6 hours, and ideally an intel i processor.
I've been saving for some time so my budget is really £800 downwards
Anyone can help?
Thank you
Unchanged design is negative? The MBA design is still very nice I can't see why it's negative to stick with it.
To change only for the sake of change seems kinda stupid to me.
The only reason for that is so that ppl can flash it and show the wolrd that they have the latest model. Thats insecure and actually really sad.
Yes, I do. Macbooks are repeatedly said to be the "number one student laptop". That's not exactly cheap.
I would have to agree with iamharshu about the title being misleading (if you have only covered what you've reviewed).
)
People lean heavily on articles like this when deciding on a laptop and it would help to cover a wider range of laptops.
But it's a nice article and it was helpful. Thank you.
(P.S.- I couldn't help notice that "tiny" was spelled "tinny"
Even though its great to see a list drawn up like this, it is not for the average scholar looking for a laptop. For example: putting Haswell processor as a plus? It is just too technical.
Should have stuck with: battery life, portability, etc etc IMHO
The fact that this list does not contain the HP Spectre x360 tells me they didn't do their research. The Spectre is by far the best laptop for the money. The XPS 13 is the second best, and that is not on this list either.
I am Engineering student, I got mine from BESTREVIEWZ laoptops.