Picture this: It’s your first day of college, filled with excitement and anticipation. You step into your classroom and everyone around you seems to be glued to their laptops. They’re using it for academic research, communication, content creation, and online learning. That’s when you realize you need one too, but you’re not sure where to start. Having been in your shoes, I know the struggle to find the right laptop that can accompany me on my academic and entertainment journey.
One standout option that continues to impress is the Dell XPS 15. With its faster performance and sleek design, it’s no wonder it’s quite popular among students. Its vivid OLED Display provides stunning visuals, making it a treat for consuming content & doing creative work. Besides its powerful specs, its surprisingly long battery life, allows them to work or stream for extended periods. But don’t go by our words, the world of laptops is vast, and there are numerous other great options out there. In today’s post, we’re going to introduce you to the top laptops for college students in 2024, each offering its strengths.
How to choose the best laptop according to your needs?
We’ve categorized the best laptops for college students to fit these needs:
- Decide whether you prefer Windows, macOS, or Chrome OS. Choose the one that aligns with your needs and preferences.
- Ensure that the laptop has a comfortable keyboard and responsive trackpad.
- Laptops with dedicated graphics cards work better for tasks like gaming, graphic designing, or video editing than those with integrated graphics. So, make your choice accordingly.
- Opt for a lightweight laptop, which is easy to carry around the campus every day.
- Look for a laptop with SSDs and ample RAM for fast boot-up times & smooth performance.
- Consider the storage capacity. If you need it for academic needs, 256 GB should be enough to store your study materials, tutorials & more. However, if you plan to store a lot of multimedia files, opt for a 500 GB HDD.
- Determine your budget, read reviews, and compare prices of different laptops to find the one that provides the best value.
By considering these above pointers, you can make an informed decision and choose the right laptop according to your needs as a college student. After meticulously researching and testing dozens of devices, we’ve chosen the top 6 laptops that you can consider in 2024.
Best Laptops for College Students (From Upper Mid-Range to Affordable Options)
Whether you need a laptop for remote classes, completing assignments and projects, or for entertainment purposes, these laptops are ideally suited for college students.
| Product | Dell XPS 15 (9530) | Microsoft Surface Go | HP Chromebook x2 | Asus VivoBook S15 S530UA | Acer Nitro 5 (2018, AMD Ryzen) | Lenovo Yoga 730 (13-Inch) |
| Lowest Price | $1499 | $484.88 | $406.00 | $642.00 | $697.95 | $738.90 |
| Editors’ Rating | 5 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Best For | Students, content creators & professionals who need powerful laptops with stunning display | Students, Tablet Users, Taking Regular Notes | Perfect Notebook, Projects | Students, Value Seekers | Students, Gamers on a Budget | Digital Courses, Engineering, Graphic Designing Students |
| Platform | Windows 11 home & windows 11 pro | Windows 10 | Google Chrome OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor Name | Intel core i7-13700h | Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y | Intel Core m3-7Y30 | Intel Core i5-8250U | AMD Ryzen 5 2500U | Intel Core i5-8250U |
| Processor Speed | Up to 4.50 GHz | 1.6 GHz | 1 GHz | 1.6 GHz | 2 GHz | 1.6 GHz |
| RAM (as Tested) | 8 GB (single-channel) | 8 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage Capacity (as Tested) | 256 GB PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 SSD | 128 GB | 32 GB | 256 GB | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | Intel HD Graphics 615 | Intel HD Graphics 615 | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | AMD Radeon RX 560X | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Screen Size | 15.6-inches | 10.6 inches | 12.3 inches | 15.6 inches | 15.6 inches | 13.3 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1800 x 1200 | 2400 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Weight | 4 lb | 1.15 lb | 3.07 lb | 3.97 lb | 5.9 lb | 2.73 lb |
| Battery Rundown | N/A | 9:56 | 11:00 | 11:17 | 4:37 | 9:49 |
Also Read: Best Gaming Laptops: Beginners and Gamers
Reviewing The Best Laptops For College-Goers In 2024
Dell XP 15 – Starting from $1499
The Dell XPS 15 (9530) is a flagship desktop replacement laptop that you can consider in 2024. Though Dell XPS 15 is undoubtedly a laptop that falls in the premium segment, its price tag might raise a few eyebrows among college goers. But if you are a design student, an avid gamer, or someone who needs raw power, the XPS 15 is worth every penny. Hence, consider it as a productivity and creativity investment.
The laptop is known to offer strong performance, a lovely display, and extended battery life & it’s highly capable of executing heavy-duty manipulation tasks as well.
Pros:
- Enjoy faster performance than ever.
- Excellent OLED touch screen.
- Premium build quality.
- Full-size SD card reader.
- Long battery life.
Cons:
- Expensive price point.
- The webcam can be improved.
Technical Specifications
| CPU | 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-13700H (24 MB cache, 14 cores, up to 5.00 GHz Turbo) |
| GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop 8GB GDDR6 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD |
| Display | 15.6″, 3.5K 3456×2160, 60Hz, OLED, Touch, Anti-Reflect, 400 nit, InfinityEdge |
| Size | Height = 0.71 in
Width = 13.57 in Depth = 9.06 in |
| Weight | 4.21 lb for FHD+ 4.23 lb for OLED |
Microsoft Surface Go – $484.88
Being a college student, chances are pretty high that you are running on a tight budget. If you are planning to spend less and go for a value to money device under $500, Microsoft Surface Go is the best choice. This detachable 2-in-1 comes with a classic slim design which you can’t find anywhere at this price range. Its bright, colorful display and features can compete with the best laptops under $1000.
1.2 pounds lightweight device which is even lighter than textbooks, with backlit keyboard & touchpad with a powerful Intel processor is a perfect laptop for college student.
Pros:
- Bright and vivid display
- Premium & lightweight design
- Overall Good performance
- Facial recognition login
Cons:
- Below-average battery life
- Thick bezels
- Keyboard and pen cost extra
Technical Specifications
| CPU | Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y |
| GPU | Intel HD 615 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB |
| Display | 10-inch, 1800 x 1200-pixel |
| Size | 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches |
| Weight | 1.2 pounds |
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Best Laptop for Students (Overall)
HP Envy 13t – $978.48
Taking down notes or typing 100-page thesis, HP Envy’s comfortable and responsive keyboard enhances your productivity and performance. HP’s Envy 13t offers one of the best keyboards for laptop, nearly 10 hours of battery life along with a lightweight aluminum chassis. It becomes more responsive with a speedy 8th Gen Core i5 or Core i7 CPU backed up with a PCIe SSD on a 13.3-inch screen. The estimated cost of this laptop starts with $978.48 up to $1194.51 as per configuration.
Pros:
- Best-in-class keyboard
- Powerful performance
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Tinny audio
- Bland display colors
Technical Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i5/Core i7 |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620/Nvidia GeForce MX150 |
| RAM | 8GB / 16 GB |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Display | 13.3-inch, 1080p or 4K |
| Size | 12 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 2.9 pounds |
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Best Chromebook Laptop for College Students
Asus Chromebook Flip C434 – $549.99
Asus still remains the best Chromebook for a cost of $550. Chromebook Flip C434 is the best 360-degree flip with a 14-inch convertible device. This is one of the best college laptops due to its slim profile and relatively affordable price. With Razor-thin bezels, vivid 1080p display, 0.6-inches thick flip, 3.1 pounds weight you can leave the charger in your dorm as the battery can last a full class schedule with one charge.
Pros:
- Sleek design
- Thin display bezels
- Vivid 14-inch touch screen
- All-day battery life
Cons:
- Finicky touchpad
- Expensive
Technical Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core m3-8100Y |
| GPU | Intel HD 615 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Display | 14-inch, 1080p |
| Size | 12.6 x 8 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 3.1 pounds |
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Best Laptop for Engineering Students & Architecture Students
HP ZBook Studio x360 G5 – $2649.00
If the college fee isn’t already burning a hole in your pocket, then engineering students should consider going for this one of the best laptops for engineering students (HP ZBook Studio x360 G5) starting from $1649.00. This beast machine is amazingly thin and lightweight for a college student to work on heavy-duty graphics and large files. It’s 4.9 pounds weight is portable enough to roam around in the campus. This 2-in-1 has unexpectedly long battery life despite flaunting bright 4K display. For engineers and Architects, the Studio x360 G5 offers brilliant overall performance.
Pros:
- Slim chassis with military-grade durability
- Vivid 4K bright display
- Blazing fast performance
- Comfortable keyboard Sleek design
Cons:
- Lid flexes
- Poor webcam
- Pricey
Technical Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i5/Core i7/Core i9/Xeon |
| GPU | Intel UHD 630/Nvidia Quadro P1000/Quadro P2000 |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB |
| Storage | 256GB/360GB/512GB/1TB/2TB |
| Display | 15.6-inch, 1080p or 4K |
| Size | 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches |
| Weight | 4.9 pounds |
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Best Laptop for College Gamers
Lenovo Legion Y7000 – $1249.99
Lenovo Legion Y7000 is one of the powerful gaming laptops for college students which fits in your budget and you can also flaunt off the configuration in front of your friends.
It is built with Intel Core i7-8750H Processor along with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Discrete Graphics with a support of 16 GB DDR4 RAM, 1 TB HDD + 128GB PCIe SSD. This configuration marries well for the best gaming rounds. Its 5.2 pounds weight makes it practically portable with epic gaming performance. It features 0.3 inches thin display on a 15.6″ FHD screen with 300 nits of brightness with a backlit keyboard.
Pros:
- Sleek design
- Vibrant display
- Comfortable keyboard
- Strong performance
- Solid battery life
Cons:
- Poor audio
- Awful webcam
Technical Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H |
| GPU | Nvidia GTX 1060 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 1 TB HDD + 128 GB PCIe SSD |
| Display | 15.6″ FHD IPS Anti-Glare |
| Size | 14.2 x 1.1 x 10.5 inches |
| Weight | 5.17 pounds |
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Summing Up
Here we have covered the best laptops for college students which are categorized as Best Budget Laptops, Best Gaming Laptop, Best Chromebook Laptop, Best Laptop for Engineering Students, Laptops as Per Price Range, Configuration and Features. These laptops for college students are tested reviewed and classified as best laptops for students that don’t put dents in your pocket.
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