Top 6 College Laptops Compared
Other Laptops to Consider for College
Apple iPad Air for $598: iPads are solid laptop replacements, especially with iPadOS 26. Apple brought real windowing to the iPad, giving it a much more Mac-like feel. These tablets are already great at things like taking notes or reading textbooks, and now, they get a proper boost in multitasking. With that in mind, it makes more sense than ever to recommend the iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to college students.
Framework Laptop 13 for $899: Framework’s 13-inch laptop is a good choice for budding programmers and sysadmins. The Framework Laptop 13 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is available with either Windows or Linux, but I much prefer it with Linux—a DIY laptop needs a DIY OS. The hallmark of this laptop is how you can repair and replace components down the road, making it more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Asus Zenbook A14 for $800: You want a light laptop for college, not something that you’ll feel like you’re lugging around. The Zenbook A14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is perfect for this scenario. At just 2.18 pounds, it’s one of the lightest laptops, over half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air. That doesn’t mean it feels flimsy, as Asus has used its patented Ceraluminum material to build something extremely lightweight yet sturdy. Either way, you’ll be astounded by just how light this laptop feels. Beyond that, it often sells for a great price.
Microsoft Surface Pro 12 for $700: I can’t think of a better device to bring to class for notetaking than the Surface Pro 12 (6/10, WIRED Review). While I prefer the larger Surface Pro 13 for most people, college students are the exception. The thinner and lighter size of the Surface Pro 12 works to its advantage in this case, giving you a super-portable Windows device. It has really solid hardware too, using the Snapdragon X Plus to provide just as much power and long-lasting battery life as the larger model. I wish it were a bit more affordable, though, as you’ll still need to add on the Surface keyboard. You’ll need to add on a USB-C power supply too.
Apple M1 MacBook Air for $599: The M1 MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) from 2020 with the original M1 chip is still available, and at $600, it’s a really good deal. The battery will last more than a full workday, under most workloads, and it’s powerful enough for college use. These days, you can only buy the base model with 8 GB of unified memory and 256 GB of storage, but that should be sufficient for college tasks. If you push it with many browser tabs and apps running simultaneously, you may run into some slowdowns. The 720p webcam isn’t great either, but for this price, it’s hard to argue.
Asus Chromebook CX14 for $249: If you’re really on a budget, the CX14 is the best thing you can buy for under $300. Chromebooks often get you better performance and battery life than what you can get for ultra-cheap Windows laptops. The Asus Chromebook CX14 (6/10, WIRED Recommends) might not have the best screen, but in a pinch, this will get you through if you’re really on a budget.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Copilot+ PC for $1,300: Lenovo’s svelte Slim 7x (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t exciting, but it offers the best price-to-performance ratio of the many Copilot+ PCs we’ve tested. Battery life and performance are standouts, though the fan does tend to run loudly. The price can range wildly. It’s not worth buying at full price, but I’ve seen it drop to as low as $800.
Do You Need a Laptop for College?
Yes. Or, at the very least, some kind of computing device you’re comfortable using. If you’re heading off to live on campus, we’d recommend a laptop of some kind for your schoolwork. Alternatively, you can use a desktop in your dorm room paired with an iPad or some kind of note-taking device in class.
However, a laptop is likely a preferable device. It’s extremely useful to take your work on the go with you as you’re in between classes, studying in coffee shops, or just taking notes in lecture. Dorm rooms aren’t known for being spacious, so having a laptop to take your studying to the library or a coffee shop would be a huge benefit.
But as seen in our recommendations above, devices like the iPad Air or Surface Pro 12 can also be good solutions, so long as you pair them with their respective keyboards.
What Kind of Laptop Is Best for College?
All our guidelines for choosing a laptop also apply to a device for college, including evaluating the quality of the display and chassis, along with ensuring that the laptop is fast enough for your work. Get something with at least 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage and you’ll be happy.
There are a couple of important things to consider specific to college. Portability and battery life are paramount. Regardless of your budget, you want something that will last throughout the day and won’t weigh you down while carrying it from class to class. Anything over four pounds or so will start to feel noticeable in your backpack.
Overall dimensions are important too. Bringing a 16-inch laptop to class can feel obtuse given the size of college room desks. The same is true if you plan to bring your laptop to a crowded coffee shop or library. That’s why 13-inch or 14-inch laptops are preferred. There are even 14-inch gaming laptops out there like the Razer Blade 14, which get you the discrete GPU you need without having to sacrifice portability.
Here are some other specs to consider:
Processor
- Windows: If you’re getting a Windows machine, your main options for the processor are Intel and AMD, though Qualcomm is now a viable alternative with Copilot+ PCs. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. For a more complete guide to the differences, see our full guide to buying a laptop.
- Chromebooks: These browser-based machines use half a dozen different processors, most of which you’ve probably never heard of. There’s a reason for that: Those processors are slow. My recommendation when buying a Chromebook is to stick with a Chromebook Plus machine. This is a new standard Google created to ensure a certain level of performance and polish with Chromebooks.
- MacOS: Apple has been making its own processors for a few years, like the latest M5 chip found inside the MacBook Pro right now. The M5 series hasn’t rolled out to other MacBooks in the lineup so far, however, which is why Apple still says the M4 MacBook Air and M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros. These more powerful MacBooks Pros feature GPUs that seek to be comparable with the discrete GPUs you find in Windows laptops. Our MacBook buying guide can help further.
RAM and Storage
Regardless of which OS you choose, the minimum amount of RAM you want in your laptop is 8 GB. That’s enough memory to keep your computer feeling snappy even if it’s running under load. But these days, 16 GB has become the new standard, and you’ll find lots of laptops around $800 or less that come with 16 GB. So, if you can afford it—especially if you plan to edit photos or videos as part of your coursework—go for 16 GB or even 32 GB.
The new default for storage is 256 GB, and it’ll do if you’re trying to save money. You can always use external storage if you need to add on. Spring for 512 GB or a terabyte if you can, though.
Screen
Screens vary tremendously, but don’t settle for anything less than 1080p (or 1200p for 16:10 aspect ratio displays). For a 13-inch laptop, 1080p is sharp enough. If you’re going with a bigger laptop, 2.5K or even 4K screens will improve the viewing experience. If you’re trying to play games as well, be sure to get something with a higher refresh rate—120 Hz or 144 Hz will more than satisfy.
Weight and Battery
Don’t forget you’ll be lugging this thing around. It may well be tugging on your back for eight hours or more. One pound may not seem like much, but at the end of a long day of walking, you will notice the difference between a three-pound laptop and a four-pound laptop. Trust me. Also, maybe pick out a nice bag to carry your computer.
Similarly, battery life is very important when you’re (potentially) away from a wall outlet for extended periods. Whatever you end up getting, make sure it’s capable of lasting at least eight hours under real-world use—browsing the web, editing documents, writing emails, and taking notes. Even then, you might want to consider a portable battery charger.
Are Chromebooks Good for College?
Yes, for most college students, Chromebooks are a good option. They are cheaper than MacBooks or Windows laptops, and the Chromebook Plus models offer higher-quality devices with higher-end features, despite being very affordable. If you’re shopping below $500, things can get more iffy, but I’ve tested a couple of good options that I recommend in this guide even in that price range. That’s the power of Chromebooks as a platform.
Furthermore, you can run almost all apps in the web these days (including Office 365), and Android apps do a good job of filling in the gaps. Occasionally, though, you may run into some compatibility problems, whether with software or hardware. If you’re in a STEM, art, or design program, however, a Chromebook is probably not a good fit. For example, if you’re required to use CAD or Photoshop, you’ll want a Windows laptop.
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