7 Best Laptops for College Students [Reviewed & Tested]

CPU: Apple M4 SoC | GPU: 8/10-core | RAM: 16/32 GB | Storage: 256 GB-2 TB | Display: 13.6″ Liquid Retina IPS | Weight: 2.65 pounds

This model is deservedly called the best budget laptop for college students available today. This powerful and portable laptop has a battery that lasts about 20 hours. Vadim tested it with Stopwatch. He was streaming videos and using a scripted tab. I was impressed with its fanless design, battery life, and keyboard with Touch ID. The model is fitted with a liquid Retina IPS color-accurate display.

Besides, this laptop for Adobe Illustrator covers the full P3 gamut, making it perfect for creative workflows. It has a 12 MP Center-Stage webcam and is suitable for those who often need to participate in Zoom seminars.

If you are looking for a laptop for programming, be sure to decide how much non-upgradeable RAM and storage you will need right from the start. The basic configuration includes 16 RAM and 256GB of space. Even though this model costs less than $1,000, its performance can be compared to that of the more expensive models.

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5/7/9 | GPU: Intel Arc GPU | RAM: Up to 32 GB LPDDR5X| Storage: Up to 1 TB NVMe SSD | Display: 14″ OLED, 2.8K | Weight: 2.87 pounds

The laptop is perfect for creative workflows. It allows users to create designs and work on media files. It comes with an excellent 2.8K 120 Hz display, delivers consistent performance thanks to Intel Core Ultra, and has a battery that typically lasts about 8 hours. I traded Zenbook for this model, knowing that it is one of the best laptops for architecture. It allows me to work on visual projects with ease, as it supports great color accuracy and has a convenient keyboard.

The laptop has a touchscreen, supports a stylus, and is fitted with a superb 1080p webcam. The only shortcoming is that fingerprints are too noticeable on its chassis. Besides, Tati noticed occasional throttling issues with fans when she assessed the responsiveness of this laptop during intense workflows. When she used the browser, opened an Excel file, and played a video tour, the battery lasted only 5-6 hours.

Summing up, the Asus Zenbook OLED has advanced specs and comes at a mid-range price. This touchscreen laptop for college students delivers great value for creative and multimedia-heavy workflows.

Students often use this laptop, as it allows them to use a stylus. Besides, it can last about 13-15 hours when one works on daily tasks. Its Qualcomm X processor delivers a noiseless performance. I used the Type Cover during lectures. The keyboard has a nice tactile feel.

Besides, the laptop can be compared with the best tablets for college students in terms of weight. However, if you use legacy Windows software, be sure to check whether it is compatible with Snapdragon apps.

Surface Slim Pen 2 comes with a detachable keyboard and supports the LTE standard. This laptop for Silhouette Cameo is best suited for taking notes, creating sketches, working on architecture, design, and other projects. This 2 in 1 laptop for college students is extremely portable. Kate was pleased with its weight, size, hinge, selection of ports, and the fact that she was able to put it in her backpack with books.

CPU: Apple M4 SoC | GPU: 10-core | RAM: 16/24 GB | Storage: 512 GB-2 TB SSD | Display: 15.3″ Liquid Retina IPS | Weight: 3.31 pounds

If you need to study full-time, take online classes, conduct research, and work on video projects, be sure to find an Apple laptop that allows you to work on multiple tasks and does not overheat during long sessions. This Apple laptop for college students has a large display with sharp, accurate colors. You can work in a split-screen mode if you need to use a lot of real estate.

You won’t notice any inconvenience when working outside on a sunny day. Eva did not have any difficulties with reading text and viewing slides. She did not even need to increase brightness to over 75%. The fanless design makes the video editing experience more enjoyable. Besides, I often use this laptop for 18+ hours on a single charge.

When I pair it with my iPhone, it synchronizes perfectly. AirDrop and iMessage streamline working on daily tasks. Its build has a premium feel. This 15″ laptop is quite lightweight. MagSafe charging makes it even more convenient to use. However, it has only two C-ports. Due to this, you will need to dongle if you need to connect any external accessories or use USB-A drives.

If you are looking for a powerful and portable laptop with long battery life, take a closer look at this model. While it’s not the cheapest laptop out there, it will serve you for years to come, making it perfect for first-year students.

CPU: Intel Core i3/i5 | RAM: 8 GB DDR4 | Storage: 256-512 GB SSD | Display: 15.6″ FHD IPS | Weight: 3.97 pounds

At the beginning of the semester, I was looking for an affordable laptop to work on my research, write essays, and watch Netflix when I have some free time. This is when I purchased the Acer Aspire. This budget laptop is quite intuitive and handles basic tasks well. It has a big screen and a great battery. Besides, it delivers a consistent performance. It’s suitable for writing texts, streaming videos, and conducting research. You can use it as a backup or starter laptop.

I often used this cheap laptop for college students when working on my assignments, participating in Zoom calls, and looking for available online resources. I kept multiple browser tabs open and did not notice any delays. Besides, I used this laptop to work on simple design projects in Canva. However, it’s hardly suitable for running advanced software like Photoshop. Besides, I was dissatisfied with the sharpness and colors. One can upgrade it by adding more RAM or adding an SSD.

This reliable model is one of the best affordable laptops for college students. It does not have an eye-catching design, and its battery life can be less than you expect, but it will allow you to watch lectures online without spending a lot of money on an overpriced laptop. Tati used it for 8 hours: took notes, watched two 30‑minute video streams, listened to a 1-hour recorded lecture playback, looked through slides, and browsed the web.

The HP Chromebook Plus is a budget laptop that is safe to use and delivers fast performance. I often use it when I need to take notes, research something, or stream assigned videos. It has perfectly clean and sharp 15.6″ display, which allows me to use it in split-screen mode and improves my productivity.

ChromeOS boots without delays and downloads updates in the background. It’s quite lightweight and does not slow down even when I keep multiple browser tabs open. Thanks to Google and Android apps integration, I can access the apps and services I need to use quickly, including Drive, Classroom, and Meet.

However, if you need to install software when studying, a Chromebook won’t be suitable for your needs. It supports only web-based versions of popular programs. Most of these best cheap laptops for college students have limited internal storage, so you’ll need to access cloud storage or an external optical drive. The chassis does not look premium, but it is quite durable. The audio quality is sufficient for lectures. However, true audiophiles may find it too low for their taste.

If you need to use web-based apps when working on your degree or if you prioritize portability, decent battery life, and low-maintenance computing, this model is what you are looking for. Chromebook Plus 15.6″ is a reliable device with an intuitive UI. It will keep you fully focused on your studies. However, it won’t replace an expensive Windows or macOS laptop built for heavy workflows and engineering applications.

I decided to test the Samsung Galaxy Book to see whether this Windows laptop had long battery life and could fit into my routine. I wanted to find a laptop for college business students with a decent selection of ports and powerful performance to run resource-taxing apps and work on shorter videos without any overheating issues.

This laptop is suitable for light photo editing and trimming. When using Premiere Pro and using timelines, I noticed some issues. When using it for a long time, you might see that its fans become noisy and it becomes warm. However, the model still avoids throttling.

The laptop has two USB-C ports. Besides, it supports HDMI connectivity and an SD/microSD option. It allows a user to connect an external monitor, USB drive, and phone with ease. The display has bright, clear colors, making it suitable for design tasks. Speakers deliver decent sound. However, while its quality is sufficient for listening to lectures, professional music and film editing may require an external setup. Eva noticed some distortion when she did not use earphones.

Galaxy Book 4 is a reliable and affordable laptop for college students, suitable for different tasks. It is less powerful than a workstation laptop but more advanced than a basic ultrabook. This model is suitable for business students and STEM majors who are looking for a Windows laptop with a choice of ports, good battery life, and enough power to support the creation of short-form content. However, this model is hardy suitable for heavy 3D rendering and 4K video editing.

Together with the FixThePhoto team, we have created a list of typical tasks that college students have to work on daily. When testing the laptops, we wanted to assess their battery life to see if they will last long enough when one makes video calls, browses the web, and works on documents. Besides, we wanted to compare them in terms of portability and check whether their keyboards were convenient to use when typing essays.

In addition, we examined their build quality and checked whether they were sturdy enough to withstand prolonged use. Besides, we assessed their webcam quality to see whether they were suitable for those who study online. Finally, we checked whether they deliver a great value for the money. It helped us to compare Lenovo laptops for college students to more cost-effective solutions and choose the best options.

Vadym focused on the performance of these laptops and checked whether they were suitable for multitasking. He opened multiple browser tabs, worked on spreadsheets, launched video tours, and switched between different tabs. He wanted to see whether these laptops were able to handle typical student workloads. When browsing the web, Vadym opened the WebXPRT/Speedometer page. Simultaneously, he opened a 200‑row Excel file with formulas applying filters when using the spreadsheet, and played a 1080p local video in VLC, switching between 30 browser tabs.

When looking for laptops for college students under 500 USD, Eva prioritized testing ports, webcam, and microphone. She wanted to see whether Zoom/Teams would be easy to set up and use. Besides, she connected an external monitor. Tati checked battery life when performing mixed tasks, compared the models in terms of their weight and size, checked whether it was easy to fit them into a bag, use them in cafes, or work outdoors when there was a lot of sunlight. I considered these factors when testing these laptops as well. It enabled me to find devices that were suitable for daily use and met benchmark requirements.

When testing these laptops, we also assessed whether their sellers accepted returns and had local pickup options. We were pleased to discover that some vendors offered student discounts. Besides, we read user reviews to learn more about the reliability of these laptops. We used them at cafes, libraries, and outdoors to assess the quality of Wi-Fi connection, check battery life in real-world environments, and evaluate display visibility.