If you are moving to college, you will need a laptop that can handle your academic workload for the duration of your studies. The specific requirements of student life make some models stand out more than others. So, students in artistic disciplines such as animation or graphic design may have distinct needs from those who are only interested in writing or scientific models. Generally, the best laptops for college students should have long-lasting battery life, high-quality performance, durability, and great value for money.
Meanwhile, the best laptops for college students may be a basic Chromebook, an ultraportable Windows laptop or MacBook, or an ultra-modern mobile workstation. However, many students struggle to choose the best laptop for their unique educational needs. This is why we’ve carefully put down this post. In this piece, you’ll learn about how you can choose the right laptop for your college as well as the best laptops for college students.
How to Choose the Right Laptop for Students?
When selecting the ideal laptop for a student, several key factors should be considered to ensure it meets your academic needs. Firstly, consider the CPU speed, RAM, and storage space with the software and programs you’ll be using. Similarly, the balance of performance and portability is critical, so choose a lightweight and slim design if you need to carry it to class.
Furthermore, make sure the laptop has a long battery life so it can survive through a whole day of lectures and study sessions without needing to be recharged often. Likewise, think about your budget and prioritize features accordingly. To get the most for your money, check for student discounts, promotions, or reconditioned options.
Moreover, consider the keyboard’s comfort and display quality, especially if you’ll be spending long hours typing or reading. Research the durability and warranty of the laptop, as students often face wear and tear. Finally, check for connectivity options including USB ports, HDMI, and Wi-Fi to ensure compatibility with a variety of devices and peripherals.
5 Best Laptops for College Students 2024
The following are our best picks of the best laptops for college students:
#1. Acer Aspire 5 (2022)
CPU: Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics: Integrated Iris XE
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Screen: u17.3-inch 1080p
Storage: 512GB SSD
The Acer Aspire 5 remains our top pick for the best laptops for college students. It is a budget-friendly laptop known for its solid performance. Similarly, it often comes in a variety of configurations with Intel or AMD CPUs, as well as Core i7, providing options for a wide range of buyer’s requirements.
Furthermore, the Acer Aspire 5 strikes a mix between price and usefulness, with an excellent display and solid connectivity options. Hence, it’s an excellent choice for writing essays and conducting research for your course, particularly if you don’t want to use a Chromebook.
However, its 11-gen Intel CPU is not the latest, but it performs perfectly when compared to processors found in similar-priced laptops. As a result, this is not going to be a sophisticated laptop capable of media editing or gaming, but it will be adequate for easy daily work.
#2. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2 2.55GHz
Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno GPU
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4
Screen: 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080p multitouch OLED, 400 nits
Storage: 128GB eMMC
The incredible Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook is another notable laptop on our list of the best laptops for college students. This is one of the most powerful Chromebooks available, and it is great for students who prefer working and watching movies. Similarly, the laptop features a stunning 1080p OLED display, 8GB RAM, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2 processor.
Furthermore, its design is superb, with a small and elegant body and a detachable keyboard. As a 2-in-1 device, it can function as both a standard laptop and a tablet-style device. Similarly, its OLED screen is unique among Chromebooks, with a battery life of more than 10 hours.
With this, students can happily work on the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook for multiple school days without needing to charge. However, with all of these premium features, the price tag is greater than you might expect for a Chromebook. Nonetheless, it provides a lot of value, making it an excellent choice for students with some flexibility in their budget.
#3. Acer Chromebook Spin 514
CPU: Up to AMD Ryzen 5 5625C
Graphics: Integrated Radeon graphics
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
Screen: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080p) multitouch
Storage: Up to 128GB eMMC
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is another classic option among the best laptops for college students. This laptop may be a little pricy in comparison to other Chromebooks, but it provides a lot of value. Furthermore, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 boasts powerful components, excellent user accessibility, and versatility thanks to its 360-degree hinge and touch display. Another distinguishing feature of this laptop is its solid 2-in-1 design, excellent internal specifications, and durable battery life, indicating that it should be able to last three, four, or even five years of study at university.
#4. Dell XPS 13 (2022)
CPU: 12th Generation Intel Core i7
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: Up to 32GB LPDDR5
Screen: 13.4″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch – 13.4″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch
Storage: Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD
The Dell XPS 13 is the classic ultrabook, offering the ideal blend of reliability, portability, and reasonable pricing. One of the reasons the XPS series is on our list of the best laptops for college students is that it has refined designs and excellent performance, making it ideal for students.
The XPS 13 is small but operates on CPU-integrated graphics, making it ideal for tasks like word processing, online browsing, and emailing. Furthermore, it is incredibly thin and lightweight, making it simple to pack into a bag and rush across campus. With relatively affordable prices on entry-spec models, the Dell XPS 13 is one of the finest options for students who prefer Windows over ChromeOS or macOS.
#5. Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
CPU: Apple M2 chip with 8‑core CPU
Graphics: Integrated 8/10-core GPU
RAM: Up to 24GB unified LPDDR5
Screen: 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display
Storage: Up to 2TB SSD
If you have serious creative ambitions as a student, you might like the Apple MacBook Air. Typically, the M2 MacBook Air can handle a variety of creative applications, including 3D design, digital art, video editing, and animation. Meanwhile, you’re still paying the ‘Apple Tax.’ So this is one of the most expensive laptops on the list, but its exceptional build quality, long battery life, and excellent performance are more than makeup for the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Laptops for College Students
How much should I spend on a laptop for college?
Well, the amount you should spend on a laptop for college depends on your needs and budget. Hence, consider a balance between performance, portability, and your individual needs or programs.
How much does a college laptop cost?
College laptop prices can vary greatly depending on brand, features, features, and student budget. Generally, you can find decent options in the range of $100 to $300. However, high-performance or specialized laptops may cost more. Thus, it is critical to prioritize your demands and strike a balance between affordability and academic requirements.
How to choose a laptop for college?
When selecting a laptop for college, consider your needs. Hence, consider portability, battery life, and performance depending on your major. Also, look for a balance that matches your budget while maintaining compatibility with the required software.
How much RAM do I need for a college laptop?
For college tasks such as note-taking, research, and light productivity, 8GB of RAM is typically sufficient. However, if you intend to run resource-intensive applications or software for specialized courses, consider going for 16GB to ensure smoother operation.
Conclusion
Finally, the best laptops for college students should meet the individual needs of the student. So, you must maintain a balance between performance, portability, and your program’s specialized requirements. Similarly, prioritize portability, battery life, software compatibility, and budget. Therefore, you should go for options that will offer your desired features without having to break the bank.
Editor’s Recommendations
Reference
- forbes.com – Best Laptops for College Students
- usnews.com – Best Laptops for College Students
