When heading off to college, students need a sturdy and reliable laptop that can last them throughout their course of study. Other desirable features also include portability, a long battery life, a good user experience, an ergonomic keyboard and touchpad, external port connectivity, and a bright display. But with so many laptops on the market, it can be difficult to pick one that meets all of these criteria and fits one’s budget.
1. Apple MacBook Air 13
One of the best laptops students can buy is the Apple MacBook Air 13. This 13.6-inch thin and lightweight laptop is ideal for writing papers, scrolling through webpages, and more. The system comes equipped with an M3 chip, making it perfect for handling light productivity tasks and editing high-quality videos. The laptop also promises an excellent user experience, thanks to its bright display, spacious keyboard, and sizable touchpad.
That being said, the MacBook Air 13 only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, which may be a hassle for some users.
2. Acer Swift Go 14 (SFG14-72-53BP)
When it comes to mid-range laptops, nothing comes close to the Acer Swift Go 14. This 14-inch laptop is considered “ultra-portable” because of its compact build. The battery promises around 11 hours of usage and only requires a simple USB-C cable to charge, reducing the hassle of lugging a charger around. It also features a 90Hz 2.8k OLED display, an Intel Core 5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6E, two Thunderbolt 4s ports, and an HDMI port, making the laptop best for university students.
3. ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605
College students tend to live on tight budgets, and there are plenty of quality, cost-effective options in the market. At the top of this list is the ASUS Vivobook 16. Priced well below $500, this 16-inch laptop can be purchased with an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, in two different RAM configurations—8GB and 16GB. It also has a comfortable keyboard, a responsive touchpad, a 720p webcam, a fingerprint sensor, three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and an HDMI.
4. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14
Those looking for a laptop under $300 must check out the Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook. With a 14” size, this laptop is comfortable to carry around and provides long battery life. While it is recommended that one selects the processor speed based on their workload, most experts believe that the Core i3 is suitable for regular college work. Moreover, the device has a screen resolution of 1366×768 pixels, a DDR4 SDRAM, and a 4GB flash memory.
5. Apple MacBook Pro 14
Those in tech-led fields would need a device that is equipped to handle the workload. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 perfectly fits this box. Fitted with Apple’s newest M4 chip, this all-aluminum build has a rather compact design. It also has a 120Hz Mini LED display, adept speakers, a spacious keyboard, a haptic touchpad, and a lot of ports to make connections as needed.
The base model of the Pro 14 comes equipped with 16GB of memory, while the more advanced Pro and Max versions have 24GB. The device also has a 12MP webcam with Apple’s Center Stage feature and Thunderbolt 5 support for Pro and Max configurations.
6. HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook
One can also jump the Mac and Windows bandwagon and opt for the ChromeOS instead. This processor, offered in HP’s Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, features quality hardware and software features. These include a bright display, glowing keycaps, a haptic trackpad, an Intel Core i5-1235U processor, an Integrated Iris Xe graphic card, 16GB RAM, 256GB of SSD, and up to 11 hours of battery life.
7. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
Gaming is a major part of many people’s college life, so it’s only fitting to find a laptop that can support this need. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 manages to do just that, thanks to its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 2K resolution OLED screen, AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, 32GB memory, 1TB SSD, and up to 12 hours of battery life.
The laptop has flashy lights that refine the gaming experience but can be turned off during classes to reduce distractions. Priced at around $1600, this laptop has several ports to improve connectivity and user experience, such as a 3.5mm combo audio jack, an HDMI port, two USB-C ports, and a USB-A port.
8. HP Spectre x360 14
This laptop is the perfect contender for the Apple MacBook Air 13. This 2-in-1 laptop can be purchased with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or Core Ultra 7 155H CPU. Other features include a 120Hz 2.8k OLED panel with touch and stylus support, integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage.
9. Microsoft Surface Pro
Another top choice when it comes to 2-in-1 laptops is the Microsoft Surface Pro. It comes equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, Surface Slim Pen, Pro Flex keyboard, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and monitor support, and an option for a high-quality OLED display. The detachable model is perfect for note-taking, and its light and compact design makes it perfect for carrying in and out of lecture halls. Currently, the Microsoft Surface Pro is priced at around $1400.