How to find the best laptop for college students

College life is tough enough without the worry of a laptop that underperforms. Then again, finding the ideal laptop can be a pain when you don’t know what to look for. The abundance of options out there paired with the long pages of technical jargon can make it challenging to identify the best laptop for a college student, to say the least.

True, there is a lot to consider when investing in a laptop. But, with our guide, you’ll be able to make an informed decision with confidence knowing that you’re well aware of what you’re getting. Read on to learn more about what to look for when buying a laptop for college, along with some of our recommendations.

What to prioritize when buying a laptop for college

Even though the exact specs you need will vary based on your degree and the type of programs you’ll be using, there are some essential factors that you must keep in mind when buying a laptop for college, as well as some non-essentials that are nice to have. Below we’ve described what qualities you should prioritize in your laptop buying journey.

Essentials

Let’s start with what you should absolutely look for in any laptop if you’re planning to use it at college.

Processor (CPU)

The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of your computer. Choosing the right CPU is a critical step, as a subpar CPU will result in long wait times to open files and folders, unresponsive applications, and an overall slow experience.

It is important to consider what applications you’ll be running, as CPU-intensive applications will demand a higher-spec CPU. In general, you’ll want at least an:

• Intel – An Intel i3 should be considered the bare minimum for basic use. If you have the budget, an i5 is good for balanced performance.
• AMD – For laptops running AMD hardware, it should use an AMD Ryzen 3 or higher. Ideally, you want an AMD Ryzen 5 to tackle more intensive tasks.
• Mac – Mac users will need at least an M1 chip in order to run the applications needed for their course. For more power, you may consider the M1 Pro chip.

Memory (RAM)

Memory, specifically random access memory (RAM), is another essential part of your computer that’s responsible for caching data regularly used by applications to facilitate faster access times. Unlike a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), it does not store the data permanently. Instead, the data is cleared when the computer is powered off.

4 GB used to be the standard, but this will no longer get you very far, especially considering 4 GB is the absolute minimum for Windows 11. Instead, we recommend getting at least 8 GB. This will be enough to run your OS and basic applications with ease. For RAM-hungry applications, consider upgrading to 16 GB instead.

RAM speed is measured in MHz (megahertz). For DDR4 memory, we would recommend 2666 MHz or higher for a good experience. You’ll find more recent models use DDR5, in which case you’ll want to be between 4800 MHz to 5600 MHz. If you’re shopping for older models using DDR3 memory, it has to be at least 1600 MHz or more to have a decent experience.

Ports

Ports can be a make-or-break factor, depending on the types of devices you’ll be using. Dongles are useful for expanding the range of devices your laptop can connect to, but it can be a nuisance having to carry them around.

At a minimum, your laptop must be equipped with USB 3, as USB 2 is quickly becoming a thing of the past. It must also include ports for the devices you’ll be using. For example, if you’re a photography student, a built-in SD card reader might be more beneficial than additional, unrelated ports.

Storage space

There’s less demand for local storage space as educational institutions move towards cloud-based storage for storing student data. In fact, the rise of cloud storage has reduced the need for local data storage in schools by 40%. Regardless, this isn’t to say that you can cheap out on your drive. You must consider a balance between storage space and performance to ensure you don’t run out of space or get bottlenecked by your drive.

You’ll need at least 64 GB, which shouldn’t be a problem as most laptops come with much more. For the best experience, a 512 GB SSD is ideal because it provides ample storage space with the added benefit of quicker read and write speeds. Otherwise, if you want to prioritize storage space over speed, a 1 TB HDD is a safe and cost-effective choice that will provide ample room for system files, personal data, and project work.

Battery life

As a college student, you’re going to be using your laptop anywhere and everywhere. Studying in the library, note-taking in lectures, and virtual meetings at the coffee shop. Battery life between 9 to 12 hours or more ensures you spend less time tethered to a charging cable and more time focused on study and assignments.

Non-essentials

Now, let’s consider some luxuries that are nice to have, but not absolutely necessary.

Convertibility

A convertible laptop or a 2-in-1 laptop is one that you can swivel, twist, or flip for use in different modes. For example, some laptop keyboards can be flipped all the way around to the back of the screen, turning the laptop into a handheld tablet. As you can assume, not everyone will make use of this feature. However, if you’re regularly on the go, it may be a productivity booster in times where using a regular laptop is uncomfortable.

Screen size and resolution

The sweet spot for screen size is between 13 to 15 inches. Anything smaller and multitasking will become an issue. Anything larger and you sacrifice portability.

Furthermore, unless your degree necessitates it, you don’t need a 4K resolution or higher. It will simply chew through battery power faster. Instead, it’s better to invest in an external monitor for your room for more demanding projects and assignments.

Cost

Cost is a leading factor in deciding on a laptop, especially for college students where every dollar counts. To make the most of your money, you don’t always need to go for the most powerful hardware. For instance, choosing the right central processing unit (CPU) isn’t always a matter of performance, but also affordability.

Focus on the hardware you know you will need to invest in. For instance, if you’re a programmer, prioritize a CPU over a GPU. A CPU is better for running complex calculations.

Weight

Don’t underestimate how heavy your laptop will be. Heavy laptops are cumbersome and quickly drain your energy as you’re moving between classes. It’s best to choose laptops weighing between 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.8 kg), or preferably lighter.

Most of the time, you won’t have control over the final weight of the laptop. But, there are some things you can keep an eye out for. For example, choose laptops with SSDs instead of HDDs. They’re lighter, offer better performance, and are more durable with fewer moving parts.

The best laptops for college students

We’ve done our own research to find some laptops that fit all of the criteria we mentioned above. Here are some of the top laptops for college freshmen, along with reasons why they made the list.

Best overall Windows: Dell XPS 13 9310

• Weight: Around 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg)
• Storage: 256+ GB
• Screen size: 13.4-inch display

We consider the Dell XPS 13 9310 to be one of the best Windows laptops for students who need a balance of power, portability, and cost-effectiveness. The laptop is available in a few different versions, each with different hardware. The base version is equipped with an 11th-generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor that can turbo up to 4.10 GHz under heavy load to accommodate demanding tasks. If you’re planning to use it for more resource-intensive tasks, you can get the one with the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor instead, which can turbo up to 4.70 GHz.

The battery can last up to 14 hours of mixed usage, which is more than enough to get through the day. The 13.4-inch anti-glare display is just the right size to display crisp graphics without being too power-hungry, but you may want to upgrade to another version with a bigger screen if you prefer the extra space. One thing to keep in mind is that it has reportedly poor heat management under load and it uses onboard integrated memory. Regardless, the Dell XPS 13 9310 is one of the best laptops for students that’s under $3000 as it’s prepared to handle a wide range of tasks.

Best overall macOS: MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023)

• Weight: Around 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg)
• Storage: 256+ GB
• Screen size: 15.3-inch display

The MacBook Air range is known to include some of the best laptops for higher education, as evidenced by this wave of praise from Redditors chiming in on this specific topic. In particular, the MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023) is a great choice for college students. The Apple M2 chip includes an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, allowing it to work under a range of relatively intense workloads. Battery use is optimized and can easily get you through a day of classes with mixed-use. The default storage size of 256 GB is fairly small in all honesty, but you can upgrade the storage and it’s a minor detail if you’re not planning to store everything locally.

Best for value: ThinkPad T490 – 8th Gen Intel

• Weight: Between 3.2 to 3.6 pounds (1.4 to 1.6 kg)
• Storage: 128+ GB
• Screen size: 14-inch display

For those prioritizing cost-efficiency, the ThinkPad T490 – 8th Gen Intel stands out as a commonly recommended budget option as it’s a trusted product, backed by a reputable brand. It has a battery life of up to 16 hours and has no problem handling basic programs like word processors and internet browsers. Of course, being the more budget-conscious option, it’s only ideal for light to medium workloads. Nevertheless, despite its age, it remains a reliable budget option that can still pack a decent punch.

Best for portability: Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

• Weight: Between 2.8 to 3.5 pounds (1.3 to 1.6 kg)
• Storage: 256+ GB
• Screen size: Available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch touchscreen

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is considered by us to be the best portable laptop for students because it offers powerful performance and long battery life is such a light package. Sporting an i5-1235U or i7-1255U processor, up to 32 GB of RAM, and a durable Gorilla Glass 5 touchscreen display, this laptop is capable of handling even resource-demanding tasks with ease. One downside is the lack of ports. The laptop only has a USB-C, USB-A 3.1, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Surface Connect port, making a dongle necessary if you need to present using something like HDMI.

Recommendations based on your college degree

Instead of the general recommendations we’ve provided above, you may want a recommendation that’s tailored to what you’re studying. Here are some of our recommendations based on this college laptop buying guide, along with our brief reasoning.

Degree	Recommended laptop	Reasons
Best for engineering students	Dell XPS 15	The Dell XPS 15 is beefier than the XPS 13 we mentioned earlier, which is a requirement for future engineers running power-hungry software likeAutoCAD, MATLAB, and SolidWorks.
Best for biology students	HP Spectre x360 14	For biology students, you can’t go wrong with the HP Spectre x360 14. It’s highly portable, and the fast SSD easily handles programs like Microsoft Office, GraphPad Prism, and bioinformatics tools like BLAST and Geneious.
Best for journalism students	Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M2 Pro, 2024)	Journalism students will benefit greatly from the Apple MacBook Pro, 2024. It’s lightweight, very quick, and suited to handle a range of creative software, such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.
Best for law students	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11	The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 from Lenovo is more than enough for law students. You can draft legal documents, write briefs, and search legal databases like Westlaw or LexisNexis without running into hiccups.
Best for photography students	Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M2 Pro, 2024)	For the creatives, an Apple Macbook Pro is definitely the way to go, this time with the 16-inch screen. The larger screen is ideal for viewing and editing pictures. The machine can easily run programs like Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator.
Best for programming students	ASUS ZenBook 14	The ASUS ZenBook 14 is perfect for budding programmers. With USB-C and HDMI ports, you can connect to an external monitor for a better coding experience in IDEs like Visual Studio Code and Eclipse.

Conclusion

It’s possible to find affordable laptops for college students with all the necessary hardware and features. However, it can be difficult if you aren’t familiar with the key specifications to watch for.

This guide helps you buy a laptop for college, ensuring you make a well-informed decision. After choosing your laptop, consider backing up your data to avoid potential future data loss.