Whether it's taking notes, working on your latest research paper, or binge-watching Netflix, the biggest necessity for any college student is a laptop. You'll want one that's easy to tote around from class to class, has solid battery life, and packs a powerful enough processor to keep up with your workload, even when you're struggling to do the same. And, let's not forget an SSD so you can boot up quick at the start of class.
We're sure there's a long list of criteria for your dream laptop, and we want to be sure you choose the one that makes the grade. There are plenty of great-quality, long-lasting machines to get you through the next few years, so it would take a while to research exactly which models are best for you. So, we've gone ahead and done the homework for you. Check out some of our favorite student-friendly laptops
TL;DR – These are the Best College Laptops:
- HP Pavilion Aero 13
- Microsoft Surface Go 3
- Apple MacBook Air
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
- MSI Sword
- Acer Swift 5
- Lenovo ThinkBook 14S Yoga
- Dell XPS 13
- Google Pixelbook Go
1. HP Pavilion Aero 13
Best Laptop for College
HP’s Pavilion Aero 13 is a solid all-around option offering a lot of bang for your buck. This laptop is available for under $700, but you’re getting a laptop that feels like it should come at a higher premium. The Pavilion Aero 13 comes in a magnesium chassis, no cheap plastic, and it weighs just 2.2 pounds. So, it can handle you tossing it in your bag when you're running to and from classes.
In spite of its price and low weight, the HP Pavilion Aero 13 comes running a six-core, 12-thread AMD Ryzen 5 5600U processor. That’s plenty of performance to handle your school workload. The base 8GB of memory will likely serve most users well, but HP will let you bump that up to 16GB for just an extra $50. The display on the laptop also comes in with a work-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. Plus, an anti-glare finish and 400-nit peak brightness, will make for easy viewing even if you study outdoors from time to time.
2. Microsoft Surface Go 3
Best Budget Laptop for College
If you’re sticking to mostly research and writing on your laptop, then you can get by with an extra lightweight machine that’s also light on the wallet. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a tablet that totes all those attributes and gives you the flexibility of the latest Windows OS. Even when you’re hiking across campus from class to class, you’ll be happy to tote along this device weighing under 1.2 pounds. You even get a high-resolution 10.5-inch touchscreen display perfect for note-taking or sketching. But most importantly, this tablet should last through even your busiest school days thanks to an 11-hour battery life. Plus, a fast-charging option can be used to get you juiced up quickly before class.
The Surface Go 3 is packing some greatness under the hood, too. This particular model runs on a surprisingly decent Intel Core i3-10100Y processor with a solid 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Now, these aren’t the best specs out there, but it provides plenty of oomph, especially for a tablet. You’ll have no problem drafting documents, browsing the web, or streaming a Netflix show. Heck, you might be able to do some modest gaming. It's important to note that this model doesn’t include a keyboard, so you’ll have to factor in a travel keyboard as an added cost.
3. Apple MacBook Air
Best MacBook for College
Apple's Macbook Air is hands-down the best Macbook for college students. Apple's latest model is visually unchanged from the previous and continues to be lightweight and portable, but now inside it includes Apple's custom-built M1 chip. This is a huge step away from the Intel processors that have long been powering Apple's MacBooks, and it comes with a big perk for students: efficiency.
The M1 chip features eight processing cores in total, with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. So, when the MacBook Air needs to get something done quickly, it can, and when it's not working hard, it can rely on the more efficient cores. That all translates to an extended battery life that will make hopping from class to class a lot easier. Even the integrated graphics on the M1 chip prove impressive, so you'll be able to get a bit of gaming in when you need a break from homework. And, with support for iOS apps on the MacBook Air, you'll have plenty of ways to tackle your schoolwork and social life.
4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Best "Windows-alternative" MacBook for College
Apple's not the only one that can make elegant, reliable laptops perfect for college. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 has a refined design and checks all the right boxes for students. If you're worried about the power of this machine, don't be. It's not lacking any muscle thanks to the fact the lowest-spec version still includes an AMD Ryzen 5 4680U processor with 8GB of LPDDR4x memory. This will readily speed along through research papers.
The Surface Laptop 4 also includes an excellent display at 13.5 inches and offers a resolution sharper than Full HD. Unlike Apple's MacBooks, it supports touch inputs and even precise stylus input. Microsoft packs all of this capability into a 2.79-pound package that's only a little over a half-inch thick, so you'll have no issues when you have to tote it across campus to your next class. And, in spite of its size, the laptop offers an all-day battery life.
5. MSI Sword
Best Gaming Laptop for College
Bringing your gaming PC to school probably isn't an option, so the next best thing is a gaming laptop. And, you’ll love the MSI Sword when blasting through competitors in your favorite games. Of course, this is after you've finished your schoolwork. This gaming laptop is souped-up with an Intel Core i5-12450H processor and Nvidia RTX 3050Ti, giving it more than enough power to make full use of its 15.6-inch, 1080p 144Hz display. And, with 8GB of RAM, you should have little trouble multitasking. So in between heated Overwatch sessions, you can open tons of tabs in your browser to tackle a big research assignment.
The MSI Sword manages to be super affordable on top of its capability. It comes in under $1,000 but will have no problem cruising through even the most intensive of games. There’s also 512GB of storage, which is a good amount of space for your gaming library, but you may want to add another SSD for your school assignments. Speaking of school, MSI has managed to keep this laptop under five pounds, so you’ll have no problem taking it between classes.
6. Acer Swift 5
Best Lightweight Laptop for College
You don't want anything holding you back when you're doing your schoolwork or getting from class to class. The Acer Swift 5 is a solid companion in that regard, as it's got an ultra-lightweight design and thin chassis that make it incredibly easy to tote. But, despite being conveniently compact, it features powerful internals that can keep up with your homework assignments while sipping on the battery for even long days away from the power outlet,
This model offers a Full HD touchscreen with a 340-nit peak brightness that can help you see more clearly even if you're outdoors. With a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor and 16GB of memory, you'll get a snappy response and can go overboard with the number of tabs you have open in your browser. And, 1TB of storage will let you keep all your schoolwork on the laptop while even providing a little space for casual games, which the Intel Iris Xe Graphics can handle.
7. Lenovo ThinkBook 14S Yoga
Best 2-in-1 Laptop for College
Lenovo has a knack for making quality laptops that pack plenty of performance into an affordable package, and that applies no less to its extensive series of 2-in-1 laptops. The Lenovo ThinkBook 14S Yoga is the perfect example of the company's value-packed laptops. For just about $1000, you get a 2-in-1 laptop that leaps ahead of the competition with what it offers.
You'll get a 14-inch, Full HD display that not only manages to be bright at 300 nits but can also support stylus and touch inputs. So, if you're looking to use this laptop for some designing or editing, a touchscreen can make it a whole lot easier. In fact, it comes with a stylus that conveniently slots into the chassis. This model comes with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 for good everyday performance, and Lenovo includes 8GB of RAM to keep up with most users.
8. Dell XPS 13
Most Portable Laptop for College
Dell's XPS 13 line never fails to impress. It's been a staple workhorse among students and business users for a while, and somehow Dell continues to figure out ways to make it better. With the XPS 13, you get a portable and lightweight build that features a 13.4-inch Full HD anti-glare display with 500-nit brightness. So, it’ll be easy to see everything under the bright fluorescents in the classroom or to get work done in the quad on a sunny day outside. Plus, the battery should be able to keep up as you shuffle from class to class.
Our favorite version of the XPS 13 comes in just over $800 for an 11th generation Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. These aren’t the most impressive specs that you can find, but it will be perfect for getting all of your assignments done. If you think you might need more, there are plenty of upgrade options as well.
9. Google PixelBook Go
Best Chromebook For College
Leave it to Google to set the standard for a device running on its own operating system. Chromebooks stand out for their effiency and affordability, and Google nails that with the PixelBook Go. This compact device is perfect for students running around campus and offers up a 13.3-inch display that has ample sharpness with a Full HD resolution.
It's powered by an 8th-Gen Intel Core m3 processor, which may not boast much horsepower, but the 12 hours of battery life might make up for that. And, with 8GB of RAM, this Chromebook is ready for all your multitasking when working on term papers or studying for an exam. Google Assistant is also baked right in, so you can easily set reminders for due dates and school activities.
What to look for in a Laptop for College
You may have noticed that the laptops for college we've chosen aren't bangers that are going to wow you with incredible performance and the most premium designs. This is all on purpose. When you're in college, you won't need the absolute best laptops available on the market. Rather, what students need is a reliable, entry- to mid-level machine with enough computing horsepower and battery life to get you through the day.
For everyday schoolwork, basic web browsing and word processing, most students can even get away with a Chromebook. But if you want a machine capable of more than running web applications and Android apps, a Windows laptop or MacBook is what you should buy.
Once you've decided on which OS you want to work on, your processor is what you should be looking at next. Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 5 processors are mid-level mobile CPUs equipped with mobile graphics, which should be more than capable of any school projects you take on. That said, students enrolled in visual and creative classes will want a machine powered by at least an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor.
Those working with 3D modeling, video editing and other graphically intensive programs should also look into a laptop with discrete graphics options. The integrated graphics built into mobile CPUs are just not capable of keeping up with these demanding applications—though AMD's integrated Vega graphics have proven to be surprisingly powerful.
In terms of memory and storage, almost always go for a machine with at least 8GB of memory (or RAM) and some amount of SSD storage, the latter of which will make your machine run so much faster than a hard drive. If the notebook you're looking at only has room for one storage drive and it happens to be a solid-state drive, ensure that you chose a configuration with at least 256GB of storage space, which should be more than enough room to get through a semester. Once again those enrolled in a more creative curriculum that has them producing media should configure or upgrade their machine with larger SSDs and hard drive storage.
Should you start running out of capacity before the school term is over, there's always the option of offloading your older data to an external hard drive or upgrading your machine with a larger drive yourself.
Jason Cipriani has covered technology full-time for the past 8 years. During that time he has freelanced for the likes of CNET, Fortune, Time, ZDNet, Macworld, Wired, and TechRadar.
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
