10 Best Laptops for College Students

To get the best experience when using it to study, which laptop should you choose to buy? A good laptop needs to be compact, high-performance, and affordable.

In the midst of the diverse laptop market today, choosing is very difficult. If you don’t know how to choose a laptop to suit your needs, refer to this article below!

Our Top Picks:

Here are detailed reviews of the top ten laptops for college students, based on essential features to consider. All these laptops have outstanding features and can meet the needs of many user segments.

1. Acer Aspire 5 Slim – Best for Overall

Important Specifications

Brand	Acer
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	4 GB

Product’s highlights

For college students, the Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent low-cost solution. It offers sturdy construction, good performance, and value for money with its low price.

The first thing that surprised me was that the Aspire 5 was surprisingly light for a budget 15-inch laptop. A single USB-C port, Ethernet, HDMI, and full-size USB port are all on the computer.

Although having only 4 GB of ram, it goes very well. You can handle multiple tasks at once. It does not have a backlit keyboard but its materials feel good, and the charge lasts a good time suitable for basic tasks.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• Long battery life
• High-performance
• Robust build
• Affordable price

Thing to consider

• No backlit keyboard

2. Microsoft Surface Go 2 – Best for A Compact Size

Important Specifications

Brand	‎Microsoft
Item Weight	‎1 pound
Product Dimensions	‎7.81 x 10.61 x 1.83 inches

Product’s highlights

The MS Surface Go is an affordable tablet with features comparable to a laptop.

It can handle your daily tasks, including taking notes, creating and rehearsing presentations, assisting with homework, and managing email.

Additionally, the Surface Go 2 allows you to unwind more because it has a new 10.5-inch Display that is ideal for browsing the web, reading e-books, and watching your favorite TV shows.

Also, I tried sharing photos with my family and noticed that its storage capacity is huge. It even has plenty of room for videos and music.

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What we like

• Good build quality
• Can handle multi-tasks
• Features hi-res touchscreen
• Can upgrade to Windows 11

Thing to consider

• Speakers are not so good

3. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 – Best for Viewing Angles

Important Specifications

Brand	SAMSUNG
Screen	13.3
Ram	8 GB

Product’s highlights

Whether you are a morning person or a night owl, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 will satisfy your needs with the power and speed of a 10th Gen Intel Core CPU.

Additionally, because of its svelte, compact form and 24-hour battery, it’s the ideal option to do assignments.

Performance is quite good, and the computer stays pleasant and snappy during use. Additionally, the fan sometimes runs so softly that I hardly notice it is going.

The screen has excellent viewing angles, good colors, and deep blacks. I have tried looking at it from many angles and am still very pleased with the results. It’s sharp enough for this size.

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What we like

• Nice design
• Has backlit keyboard
• Great viewing angles
• Long battery life

Thing to consider

• The touchpad is a bit small

4. Apple MacBook Air – Best for Design

Important Specifications

Brand	Apple
Screen	13.6 Inches
Ram	8 GB

Product’s highlights

Holding the new MacBook Air for the first time feels like an iPad with a built-in keyboard. The great thing is that the device is even lighter than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard.

The slim and lightweight design is convenient for putting the device in a bag, or still comfortably placed on the table of the back seat on the plane. When carrying this laptop all day, I did not feel any back pain thanks to this advantage.

Equipping the Notch on the MacBook Air screen to accommodate the FaceTime camera (1080p) and still make the screen border thinner (only 5mm) helps to have more display space.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• Compact and lightweight
• Features 1080p Webcam
• Versatile connectivity
• Impressive battery life

Thing to consider

• Lack of a fan

5. Acer Chromebook Spin 311 – Best for Screen Resolution

Important Specifications

Brand	Acer
Screen	11.6 Inches
Ram	4 GB

Product’s highlights

The Acer Chromebook itself is incredible. It seems sturdy in every way, and the touchscreen is responsive. Besides, typing on the keyboard is comfortable.

With a device of this size and cost, the screen resolution and sound quality are excellent. It’s as good as viewing it on television because the image isn’t pixelated. I haven’t experienced latency while watching Hulu, Netflix, or Disney+.

In addition, it’s convenient to plug into either side thanks to the USB-C connector being on both sides.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• features a brilliant VertiView screen
• Powerful performance
• Has Intel Iris Xe Graphics card
• Support Thunderbolt 4

Thing to consider

• Poor webcam quality

6. ASUS VivoBook Thin & Light – Best for Ease of Use

Important Specification

Brand	ASUS
Screen	14 Inches
Ram	8 GB

Product’s highlights

The ASUS VivoBook S14 is a young, vibrant laptop series ideal for young individuals or students who wish to showcase their strong personalities!

The diamond-cut edges and textured surface of the slim and light VivoBook S14 make it stand out. Additionally, you can select one of two alternative hues based on your tastes.

I prefer a low amount of reflection from the screen. Additionally, the backlit keyboard has a “click” sound that I enjoy hearing whenever I type.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• Easy to use
• Long battery life
• Has backlit keyboard
• Compact and lightweight

Thing to consider

• Screen brightness is not very good

7. ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 – Best for Convertibility

Important Specifications

Brand	ASUS
Screen	14 Inches
Ram	4 GB

Product’s highlights

ASUS VivoBook Flip has a smaller size and outstanding screen-to-body ratio, suitable for the learning needs of college students. One advantage of this laptop is its full-size, backlit keyboard, which is ergonomically built.

This laptop has a touch screen that can recognize even the smallest movements made with the tip of a finger. Plus, it works with the ASUS Pen, making it ideal for creative college students.

In addition, I was also impressed with its connectivity and data transfer capabilities. My friends and colleagues can receive documents as soon as I send them over the internet.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• Compact and lightweight
• Convertible and portable
• Up to 178° viewing angle
• Free to upgrade to Windows 11

Thing to consider

• Short battery life

8. Lenovo Ideapad 3 – Best for Office Tasks

Important Specifications

Brand	Lenovo
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	20 GB

Product’s highlights

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has an affordable price but has many outstanding features; this is a reasonable choice for college students.

This laptop stands out when it comes to owning a Full HD screen, a solid chassis, a strong configuration, etc. All combined perfectly, you will have a machine of the best quality compared to the price.

Besides, it also owns 20 GB RAM and 256 GB internal memory. It is comfortable for me to perform multitasking tasks and store data. Integrated Card – Intel Graphics is enough to perform basic tasks or light graphics work.

This laptop also has an oval USB Type C port. This advanced jack is still not offered much on low-cost laptops.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• Touch screen
• Powerful configuration
• High-quality keyboard
• Good price

Thing to consider

• Poor screen resolution

9. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i – Best for Storage Capacity

Important Specifications

Brand	Lenovo
Screen	13.3
Ram	8 GB

Product’s highlights

This Chromebook offers outstanding value for money with 8GB RAM and 128 Gb storage! The 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor will let you complete even the heaviest tasks.

In addition, the IdeaPad Flex has a shutter for privacy. I need to slide the shutter over the webcam to protect my privacy when not video chatting.

Plus, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i protects your data with built-in layers of protection. This feature is ideal for a college student with lots of learning data.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• 8G RAM and 128G Storage
• Affordable price
• Apps and softwares work seamlessly.

Thing to consider

• The touchpad is a bit slow

10. ASUS VivoBook 15 – Best for Light Tasks

Important Specifications

Brand	ASUS
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	8 GB

Product’s highlights

The ASUS VivoBook 15 is a little notebook that makes task completion easie. It has a 128GB SSD hard drive, 8GB of RAM, and an Intel i3 processor. For the typical corporate or college user, this setup is ideal.

For those of you who use the keyboard for learning, the ErgoLift hinge design lifts the keyboard for more comfortable typing. I did not feel any pain in my hand even though I often type on this keyboard.

The ports offered are the most recent iteration of each kind. Besides, the keyboard’s backlighting is excellent. Both the number pad and the way the keys feel are appealing to me. It is quiet and comfy to type on the keyboard.

Today’s best deals:

What we like

• Perfect configuration
• High-performance
• Has backlit keyboard
• Full HD display

Thing to consider

• Tight viewing angle

Buying Guide

To help you choose the right laptop for your needs, we’ve listed the features of a must-have laptop for a college student. Please refer to these criteria!

Operating System

Depending on the point of view, habits, and purposes of use, this operating system may be good for one person but not suitable for another.

Many computer manufacturers now choose to equip their products with the Windows operating system, which means you will have more brand choices when buying computers, such as Asus, Acer, HP, and Dell.

Windows is equipped with a rich application store to serve the needs of use in office and entertainment environments, which can easily emulate applications on Android or iOS.

Processor and RAM

You should choose laptops with Core i3 or higher processors to study effectively. With Core i5, your laptop can run heavy learning software smoothly.

Core i7 can meet the maximum needs of all office and study users, but Core i7 models are always more expensive than other models.

With light tasks, RAM is one of the factors that most affect the feeling of smoothness and processing speed of a laptop.

To meet the needs of studying, about 4GB is enough, but you should choose 8GB lines for smoother use.

Storage

There are two types of hard drives on the market, HDD and SSD, in which HDD is a traditional hard drive with a large storage capacity. SSDs are two times faster than HDDs.

Therefore, you should choose a machine with an SSD drive to help boot time, launch software, or open files quickly without worrying about lag.

Besides, you should also choose a laptop with a hard drive capacity of about 256GB SSD or more. Thanks to this, you will have more space to store learning materials, images, photoshop files, and graphics.

Graphics Card

Choose a laptop with a discrete graphics card if you need to use software related to images, videos, and design with high intensity. Besides, laptops with discrete graphics cards are also suitable for professional gamers playing heavy games.

Therefore, if you only need to use the laptop to handle office tasks with a little more graphics, a discrete card is not necessary.

Because in many cases, discrete cards become redundant, hot, drain the battery, and are one of the components more easily damaged than CPU or RAM.

If you want to play heavy games, then a discrete graphics card has an advantage over integrated cards. However, if you want to play light games like LOL, CSGO, and Xe Graphics, Intel Gen11 can still meet well.

FAQs

What laptop do most college students use?

Acer’s models are chosen by many college students because of their high quality while being affordable. Although not the best on the market, the advantages of the Acer laptop are well worth the price.

What is the most reliable laptop for college?

The Apple 2022 MacBook Air is the most reliable laptop for students that I have tested. It has an unusually long battery life, seems exceptionally well made, and is lightweight.

Which laptop is best for students at a low price?

The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop is a great choice if you are on a tight budget. With the features of this laptop, college students can complete their school tasks well.

How do I choose a college laptop?

To choose the most suitable laptop, you need to define your needs and budget. Besides, features such as configuration, design, and memory also need to be considered in the purchasing process.

How much RAM is best for a laptop?

If you need to do simple tasks, 4GB of RAM is enough. However, today laptops have at least 8GB of RAM to serve more complex needs. With more RAM, you can handle your work more smoothly.

Final Thoughts

Above is my recommendation of what I consider the best laptops for college students. Since a laptop is a very important device for students, you need to consider both needs and budget carefully before buying.

If you are looking for a laptop with high performance and a strong battery at an affordable price, then the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop is the right choice. Add to the cart now to get the best deals!