The new school year is rapidly approaching, so if you want to beat the crowds, right now is the perfect time to look at the best laptops for college students. There are still a wide range of the best laptops that college students can decorate their dorms with, even if we’re still waiting on the Surface Laptop 2. The best laptops will students will sport elegant designs and beefy components, while still maintaining a modest price tags that even the most frugal college students can enjoy.
Because it can be difficult to get your hands on cash when you’re in college, the best laptops for students won’t necessarily feature the best processors and graphics – they’ll feature only what they need to function, no frills needed. And, the best laptops for college students aren’t limited to Windows 10, either. You should keep your eye out for the best Chromebooks, you’d be surprised how much work you can get done with them.
The next few years are going to be stressful, but the right tool is worth the expense if it’ll help you earn that degree. To alleviate some of the frustration, we’ve listed the best laptops for college students below so that you can buy one for yourself or a loved one. You won’t have to limit to yourself to an old clunker any more.
Once in a while we’ll get our hands on a laptop that completely changes the way we look at other laptops – the Huawei Matebook X Pro is one such laptop. Not only does it feature modern, powerful components like an 8th-generation Kaby Lake R processor and 16GB of RAM, but it’s also gorgeous – incorporating all the latest trends in notebook design. What’s better, it manages to do all of this while still being a lot more affordable than its competition at the same time. This is why it’s one of the best laptops for college students – you’re not going to get a more powerful and more luxurious laptop for less cash than the Matebook X Pro.
Read the full review: Huawei Matebook X Pro
It’s not controversial to claim that the XPS 13 is the best laptop for college students. For the last few years, we’ve watched in awe as Dell has continued to top its best Ultrabook again and again. Thin, light and powerful enough to handle anything college students may throw at it – the Dell XPS 13 is back, albeit at a higher starting price than before. However, that higher price means you get an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor at the very least, paired with a gorgeous, bezel-less InfinityEdge display on top of an Alpine White woven into Rose Gold color scheme. Yeah, it may be expensive – but you’re getting the best laptop a college student could ask for.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 13
The Samsung Notebook 9 is what other 2-in-1 laptops have dreamed to be since their inception. It revolves around the S-Pen, Samsung’s own proprietary stylus with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity (the same as Microsoft's fantastic Surface Pen), a nifty little accessory that conveniently doesn’t require any charging. Even though the touchscreen display is only 1080p, at between 350 and 450 nits of brightness, you won’t be paying any mind to the pixels, or lack thereof. Plus, the lengthy battery life more than makes up for this hybrid’s few setbacks.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
- This product is only available in the US as of this writing. Australian and UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the HP Spectre x360 15.
In many ways, the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is an apology for all the high-end chromebooks that came before. And, even though the Pixelbook looms in the background with its thousand dollar price tag and high-end specs, the Asus Chromebook Flip is the best Chromebook for the money. The Asus Chromebook Flip cuts the Pixelbook’s price in half while retaining the 360-degree hinge that basically makes it a 2-in-1 laptop, but with Android apps. And, when it comes to build quality, you can experience style that rivals the MacBook Pro, without spending the cash for a MacBook Pro.
Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip
It should come as no surprise that the Samsung Notebook 9 has a gorgeous display, considering who made it. But, even beyond the screen, this laptop just breathes quality, from its useful fingerprint scanner, insane portability to its bleeding-edge, 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor. Sure, its keyboard is a bit lackluster, and you’ll fill up the storage quickly but even those flaws are serviceable. Finally, thanks to its insane battery life, this is hands down one of the best laptops students can buy in 2018.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9 (2018)
- This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. Australian and UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the Dell XPS 13
As we wait for the Surface Pro 5, the 2017 Surface pro is still the most advanced Windows tablet on the market. Everything from its rounded edges to its refined accessories all but screams that it’s the next generation of the Redmond hardware lineage. There’s also the fact that the Surface Pro draws inspiration from all-in-one PCs in the way it can bend back 165 degrees. The only real compromise here is that only the i7 version of the Surface Pro can give Apple’s cheaper, entry-level iPad Pro a run for its money.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro
If you have the cash for it, and you’re attached to macOS, the new MacBook Pro is the most powerful Mac you can buy today. With its impressive hexa-core processors, and up to 32GB of RAM this Cupertino workstation will get you through whatever your class workload happens to be – even if you need to do some video and photo editing work. It also includes an improved keyboard that will not only be less distracting to the students around you, but will be less prone to failure if some dust comes within 10 feet.
Read the full review: MacBook Pro 15-inch (2018)
While it might not win any beauty contests, the Acer Aspire e15 does one thing, and it does it well: work. If you need a laptop that you can carry with you between classes and get some work done, without needing to break open the piggy bank, this laptop will go a long way. Rocking one of the new 8th-generation Coffee Lake U-series CPUs, you’ll never have to worry about your laptop holding back your studying. Just don’t expect a chassis you can proudly display in the coffee shop.
Read the full review: Acer Aspire e15
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming
While we still adore the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin, we have to admit that it’s not quite the same device it used to be. Instead, it’s a 13-inch convertible laptop that literally bends over backwards to suit your creative needs. And, while you won’t find an included stylus in sight, nor are discrete graphics present in this year’s model, the lengthy battery life and punchy processor nearly makes up for any concessions.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360.
It’s not every day that you see a 15.6-inch Chromebook decked out with a full HD, 1080p touchscreen. However, it’s even less frequent that we get on our hands with a laptop that lasts this long under pressure. Surviving 16 hours and 47 minutes in our signature battery test, the Acer Chromebook 15 prioritizes having an excellent battery life over everything else. Although it’s performance is still satisfactory given its low-power Intel Pentium processor and flexible operating system, its long battery life and outstanding looks separate it from the pack.
Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15
Watch the video below for the top 7 things to consider when buying a laptop.
Gabe Carey and Bill Thomas have also contributed to this article
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