If your major requires a little more performance, or you have a budding content creation side hustle, the MacBook Pro 14 with M2 Pro is it. If you absolutely, positively need the lightest laptop possible for going back to school, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is a great choice. A gorgeous 17-inch display in a 3.2-pound laptop with excellent performance and long-lasting battery life? The Surface Laptop 5 isn't a bad device. Not only that, but it more than doubles the Geekbench performance of its predecessor, meaning that unless you have incredibly demanding needs, this vanishingly thin laptop has more power than you will likely ever need. It also has a 360-degree hinge that lets you flip the touchscreen all the way around to use it as a tablet (or in any intermediate position), and it comes with an active stylus for taking notes. But the Airs light weight, solid construction, and industry-leading support make it a great laptop, especially if you also own an iPhone or other Apple devices. College students learning to make a dollar stretch can learn a lesson from the Acer Swift 3. Theres not even lines to denmark the touchpad; the entire area beneath the keyboard is one smooth piece of glass. Testing conducted by Apple in November and December 2022 using preproduction 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M2 . Tough, capable, and affordable? If you prefer macOS to Windows 11, then go with the Apple MacBook Air. The good news is that in most other cases (unless, say, you're an architecture major with a heavy reliance on CAD software), integrated graphics solutions should suffice for the day-to-day tasks you'll face. The world is changing and fast. This combination of endurance and performance, mixed with a display that's great for seeing your creations come to life makes for one of the best college laptops for Apple users, provided their budget allows for it. Yes, that 4K OLED display was sharp, but a move to a 1080p QLED panel was a fantastic decision that should make this Chromebook a hit. $219.99) Credit: Amazon This is, without a doubt, one of the best and most affordable Windows laptops you can buy right now. Its display is better than the Air's and its battery lasts longer as well it ran for 16 hours and 25 minutes in our battery test, which is absolutely epic. Microsoft's Surface Pro devices tend to be in the forefront in terms of power and design for detachables. A laptops price-to-performance ratio is the most important factor, followed by battery life, size and weight, keyboard and trackpad, and good-enough performance. The device carries a sharp and bright 2.5K display, making it excellent for both entertainment and productivity tasks. Faulty inner components (except the battery) usually break down during the first year, though; anything after that is probably more about regular wear and tear. If you can do all your school work via Chrome and Android, the Pixelbook Go's premium build and excellent screen are a solid combination. Available in additional 2 options. Unlike most cheap Windows laptops, the HP Stream 14-Inch Laptop is fast, compact and lightweight. If a big screen is important to you then there is no better college laptop than the LG Gram 17, it ticks that big screen box without making you regret it every time you have to carry your laptop in your bag thanks to its 3.2 pound weight. K-8 Rugged & portable devices for elementary and middle school Shop Now Teachers Affordable & professional devices to support teachers and all educators Shop Now Not Sure What You Need? There are a number of factors students should consider before buying a laptop for college. The next price tier of laptops, both under $700, has the Acer Swift 3 and the Google Pixelbook Go, which brings up an interesting choice. But the M1 version of Apple's lightest portable is still a highly capable, lovable laptop for $999. Also know: When you venture smaller than a 13-inch-class laptop, you run the risk of not getting the same typing experience. And if you prefer to take notes by hand, a 2-in-1 laptop gives a blended laptop and tablet experience. A powerful GPU can also help in certain high-end and scientific applications that can benefit from GPU acceleration, but, like a high-powered processor, they also feast on the battery. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons. In rare instances, the logic board or the displaythe most expensive pieces of a laptopcan fail and cost you in repairs half or more of what the laptop is worth. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is an amazing value at around $600 with a versatile 2-in-1 form factor and a built-in stylus with the ease of Chrome OS. Who these are for: If you need a Windows laptop for school and you cant afford to spend a lot, you can find a decent one for $450 to $600. PC gamers, of course, won't find much use for one of these laptops; they only run Chrome OS apps and Android apps from the Google Play store. They're not cheap, as the MacBook Pro 14-inch 2021 model starts at $1,999 and the MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021 goes for $2,499. Dell / Alienware. Lenovo didn't sacrifice on performance or usability either. Im the deputy managing editor of the hardware team at PCMag.com. While it lacks Thunderbolt support and has limited storage, it's a well-rounded and less expensive alternative to premium 2-in-1 laptops, earning our Editors' Choice award. Do Colleges Give Students Free Laptops? Meta Quest 3 vs. PSVR 2: Which is the best VR headset? For starters, know that the standard warranty doesn't cover accidents that stem from a spilled drink or a drop on concrete. College students looking for a portable 2-in-1 that can last a while should give the Surface Go 2 a close look. You'll want to think about that before you buy a machine, say, with a 256GB SSD alone, or at least be prepared to swap games on and off the drive as you tire of or complete them. Whether you're confidently beginning the application process, already packing up for the big move, or even midway through your core concentration - one tool you'll always need as a college student is a reliable and fast computer. Our top pick offers the best balance of all those factors for most high school and college students, whether theyre attending classes remotely or schlepping it to a physical classroom. If you go with one of the increasingly uncommon budget laptops that uses a hard drive, because you get more storage for less money, know that it will be noticeably slower than a snappy-feeling solid-state drive (SSD). This again, though, is a case where the college itself may be an X-factor. Plus, the Flex 5i is comparatively inexpensive, despite being faster than most Chromebooks in this price range. Paired with a lightweight design and an outstanding webcam it's a great college laptop. But even with those drawbacks, budget ultrabooks still provide far better performance and overall quality compared with $500 laptops. Keyboard cover uncomfortable for sustained typing, The best 13-inch Windows ultraportable for students, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, Best laptop for productivity-minded students, The best premium Chromebook for college students, The best 2-in-1 laptop for college students, The best ultraportable laptop for students, (Image credit: Unsplash - Emmanuel Ikwuegbu). Using one of these facilities, the turn-around time will be much quicker than if you were to send it overnight to the original manufacturer. All labs contain computers with Internet and EAGLE access, standard software, and printers. However, what they do better than any laptop is let you take handwritten notes just like you would with pen and paper, making them ideal for many types of study. Many colleges distribute free laptops at no cost to their students. up to $500 off select laptops Best Buy's student hub includes a college . Best Battery Life 6. Best premium MacBook for college students. It starts at a low $599.99 ($799.99 as tested), but is more stylish and better made than many budget notebooks, with a squarer 3:2 aspect ratio screen that lets you see more of a webpage or word processing document without scrolling. If you like playing games in your downtime, you might want to splurge on a more expensivegaming laptop. Was $349.00. Why we liked this one: The 13-inch MacBook Air with Apples M1 processor is more than fast enough for web browsing, working on documents, and light photo and video editing, plus it can even handle professional work like 3D rendering or compiling code pretty quickly. While the Pro has better sustained performance, the MacBook Air is cheaper and is pin-drop silent because it doesn't have a fan. But those are the only meaningful upgrades Microsoft appears to have delivered over last year's model, and they don't do enough to keep the Surface Laptop 5 competitive with some other laptopson the market. Not only did it run Rise of the Tomb Raider smoothly, but that was a Rosetta 2 conversion of that Intel app. Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. From the reinforced hinges to the excellent keyboard and larger touchpad, it's an improvement over last year's model, which was already a value favorite. The wellness fee covers wellness services and student support. We have many different computer labs for classroom instruction, student, and community use. Battery life is the one middling spec for the Chromebook Spin 714, at just over 7 hours in our testing, so if you are frequently spending your entire day without access to an outlet you may need to consider another option. Best Battery Life 2. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers and heat management. Shop By Major. HP Chromebook x360 ($789.99): an affordable Chromebook with great battery life. *At the time of publishing, the price was $475. *At the time of publishing, the price was $366. The anti-theft backpack has a spacious packing compartment that can all roomy for daily necessities,tech electronics accessories. Apple offers a maximum extended warranty of three years, while some makers of Windows laptops will offer up to four years. Almost every laptop you might buy today is backed by at least a one-year warranty on parts and labor. Read our full Microsoft Surface Go 2 review. Inside the M16 features up to an Nvidia 4090 GPU, which allowed it to crush our benchmarks. 1996-2023 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. If your course load lets you get by with Google Docs and other web-based tools, then there's plenty to love about Chromebooksincluding a price that lets you save some cash for important things, like textbooks and pizza. If you do decide to buy a smaller, less expensive laptop, it's probably worth investing in a standalonekeyboardyou can keep at home or in the dorm for when you need to do a lot of typing. It has fast performance and an excellent keyboard and trackpad; its compact and light, and its 1080p touchscreen is vivid and bright. The laptop's snappy keyboard and 144Hz FHD display make it ideal for both work and play. Laptops offer a wide selection of processors across both budgets and usage casesyou can choose one that maximizes performance or one that favors battery life. Go get a Surface Go 2. Even if your course of study doesn't need it, you are still going to love the big accurate display, the rich speakers, and if you are a casual gamer the RTX 3050 inside will let you dip your toe into anything but the most intense AAA titles. In that time theyve tested hundreds of laptops and thousands of peripherals, and built way too many mechanical keyboards for their personal collection. The MSI Katana 15 is a great option for students who want to enjoy modern gaming performance and still have money for the important things, like games or textbooks. See our full Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) review. Visit our corporate site. The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is an ideal choice for college students who need a versatile device that is suitable for taking notes, completing assignments, and entertainment purposes. It will also likely cost you a lot less than other types of notebooks. (More about Chromebooks in a bit, below.) 4. *At the time of publishing, the price was $330. And if you take any classes remotely, the Spectre has the best webcam we tested this year. And the result is a system that can outperform even the mighty MacBook Pro M2 on some tests. Some institutions have onsite computer repair centers that service only laptops purchased from the university or an affiliated computer store on campus. See our full Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (2023) review. Looking for a computer for taking remote classes, or just for carrying around campus? If youre after laptop buying advice, Im your man. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Who these are for: If you prefer macOS or need exceptional tech support, a MacBook is a safe bet; the 13-inch models usually offer the best combination of size, weight, and speed. If you plan to install a lot of programs or want to hang on to lots of large media files, you'll need 500GB of space or more. The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus has a slightly larger display with impressively sharp 3K resolution (3,072 by 1,920 pixels), plus a graphics card fast enough for gaming (Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3050) and a beefy eight-core Intel Core i7 processor, all for under $1,400 as tested. If your schoolwork can be handled with a Chromebook, the Lenovo Duet 3 (or Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3, depending on where you buy it) is a great Chrome tablet that can be yours for as low as $359. Woodward Technology Center (Room 1100) - Free Printing, limited to 20 pages per day, double-sided.