The best laptops for students to buy in 2024

Overview

Best budget MacBook

Apple MacBook Air (M1)

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$999 Best Buy

Best upgrade pick

Apple MacBook Air (M3)

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$1,299 Best Buy

Best 2-in-1

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

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$999.99 Microsoft

Best for gamers

If you’re a college student, your laptop is your toolbox, your textbook, your everything — and you need a solid machine that’s going to last you from orientation to graduation. It’s an essential tool, and you need one that you can rely on. No one has the extra cash to replace a subpar laptop halfway through school, and you don’t want to be dealing with unexpected repairs when you have papers to write and parties to attend.

Luckily, there are a ton of affordable student laptops worth buying — as well as ones that (while a little pricier) are the specialized tools you need if you’re going into a field that requires specific hardware (think video game engineering). Better yet, even some pricier options are often on sale, like the Microsoft Surface Pro 9, our favorite 2-in-1 laptop on this list.

Whether you’re looking for a Mac or PC (and yes, you should definitely consider a PC), there’s something out there for any college student.

Memory and processors are important when you’re looking for the best laptops for students: You’ll want something that can handle a ton of tabs and simultaneous programs, as well as enough storage to save downloaded lectures, textbooks, films, the dreaded term project, and other study materials. And that’s just speaking generally — if you’re studying graphic design, computer science, video production, or other computer-intensive subjects, you’ll need a laptop that has a little more oomph in the CPU department so you can power through those projects.

What's the best laptop for students?

If you plan to go into a graphics-heavy field like video game engineering or data visualization, you’re going to want to have a machine that’s a little more powerful than your average Chromebook to get you through your processor-intensive coursework. Keep an eye out for video editing laptops or even gaming laptops — you’ll want to look for features like 8-core or AMD Ryzen processors that deliver superior smoothness when there’s a lot going on, as well as souped-up graphics cards.

It’s hard to get over the fact that most quality laptops cost north of a grand, so think of this as an investment in your education. That being said, the broke student life is real, so we’ve included some budget options that balance not-eye-watering price tags with performance and durability. Here are our favorite student laptops for 2024.

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Apple MacBook Air (M1)

Best budget MacBook

$999 Best Buy

Read Mashable's full review of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M1).

Who it's for:

The M1 MacBook Air is a winning combination of portability and power at a budget-level price. If you don't mind sacrificing the processing power and webcam quality of newer MacBook models, this thin and light laptop is going to be a great get. As long as you don't plan on putting your device through the absolute wringer by running every app you have at the same time, the M1 Air will serve you well.

Why we picked this:

Even in 2024, the M1 MacBook Air is still one of the best early-gen MacBooks you can get. To make things even better, it's relatively affordable at just $999 (that's a "budget pick" when it comes to MacBooks, unfortunately), and it's almost always on sale for $749.99 with at least one big retailer at a given time.

The bargain-worthy price isn't the only benefit, though. Even though this MacBook dates back to 2020, the M1 Air is still considered a powerful productivity machine. Yes, you'll make some sacrifices by not picking up a more current model — namely the processing power and webcam quality — but if you're mostly just going to run basic apps, this laptop will handle your workload with ease. For those who are looking to use their device for more creativity-based apps like photo and video editing, you'll want to stick with one of Apple's M2 MacBooks at a minimum.

We also love the Air's fanless design, which helps it run near-silently, as well as its decent battery life and high-quality construction (especially for a laptop as thin and light as this one). As with most MacBooks, we aren't thrilled with the limited port selection, and we already mentioned the dip in processing power and webcam quality if you go back to this earlier model. But, those aren't huge prices to pay when you're getting a MacBook for (probably) under $750.

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$999 Best Buy

Apple MacBook Air (M3)

Best upgrade pick

$1,299 Best Buy

Read Mashable's full review of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air (M3).

Who it's for:

If your budget is a little bit more flexible, the Apple MacBook Air M3 is a huge upgrade from the M1 version (and even the M2), and is undoubtedly one of the best MacBooks for college students. You'll get that patented portability, plus a whole lot more power to tackle schoolwork, creative projects, and fun without ever skipping a beat.

Why we picked this:

"As someone who has been using the 15-inch MacBook Air – the one equipped with an M2 chip – it’s long overdue for a performance jump to keep up with increasingly demanding apps," wrote Mashable Tech Editor Kimberly Gedeon in her review of the M3 Air. In her testing, the laptop's hike in processing power proved to be worth the upgrade from older models — it ran about 20 percent faster than the previous MacBook Air's M2 chip.

The M3 Air also brings some new key perks with it aside from performance. Now, the compact laptop supports two external displays (even though the lid needs to be closed for it to work), which we could see being a huge benefit for students who are constantly multitasking with assignments. WiFi 6E support is a welcome addition, too. What student couldn't use faster internet speeds?

The MacBook Air M3's display, webcam, speakers, and keyboard remain the same from the M2 generation, but that's not a bad thing, because they were already great as is. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Even the pretty decent price of the last generation was carried over to the M3. We would've appreciated some more ports and RAM, though.

While we tested out the 15-inch version of the M3 MacBook Air, the laptop also comes in a 13-inch version that starts at $1,099. So, if you're fine with sacrificing some size, you have an opportunity to save some much-needed cash. (Just note that this variant has two fewer speakers than the bigger one.)

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$1,299 Best Buy

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Best 2-in-1

$999.99 Microsoft

Who it's for:

After spending some time with the Microsoft Surface Pro 9, we can see how it could make a Microsoft fan of even the staunchest Apple die-hard. Yes, it's a powerful device in its own right, but the name of the game here is versatility. If you're a student who needs a device that can do a little bit of everything, and do it well, look no further. It's a laptop, it's a tablet, and it's a powerful productivity machine. The note-taking features also make it indispensable in the classroom.

Why we picked this:

As a 2-in-1 laptop, the Surface Pro 9 is extremely impressive. It's a breeze to switch from laptop to tablet mode at a moment's notice, and with the help of the computer's 12th Gen Intel Core processor (which can be upgraded, along with a bunch of other customizable specs), you'll get fast and smooth performance whether you're going handheld or setting up home base at a desk. The Pro 9 is also the first Surface to offer 5G support, which is a welcome addition. Access to all your favorite Android apps, as well as Xbox Cloud Gaming, is here too, which only sweetens the deal.

We loved the new Slim Pen 2, which makes taking notes an enjoyable activity rather than a chore. The ability to handwrite messages and convert them to computer text never ceases to feel like magic, and pulling up your go-to note-taking app by clicking the pen's tip is a fun little gimmick that actually feels useful. Art students will especially love the Slim-Pen-2-Adobe-Suite synergy. The new kickstand is also improved, and feels much more balanced in tabletop mode than any of its predecessors (we still don't recommend using it on your lap, though — it's too unstable).

While we really loved the feel of the Pro 9's detachable keyboard, we couldn't help but feel like it was a little bit flimsy. Long story short, we don't think this thing is surviving any big falls, so we recommend playing it safe and getting a carrying case. One more minor gripe we had with the laptop-tablet combo was the angle it sits at in tabletop mode — it's not great for video calls and makes you look downright awkward on the other end of the camera feed (the camera quality is really good, though). As long as you're OK with everyone on the call staring at your chin, it shouldn't be a dealbreaker for you. Oh, and not having a headphone jack will always be a bummer to us. Sorry!

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$999.99 Microsoft

Acer Chromebook 516 GE

Best for gamers

$649 Best Buy

Who it's for:

Students who have hobbies outside of schoolwork — which we hope is all of you — will enjoy the impressive cloud gaming and general-use features of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. It goes on sale often (even though it already sits at a pretty budget-friendly MSRP), so it thankfully won't break the bank after you've already shelled out a whole bunch of money on textbooks. You'll save even more money once you redeem those sweet Chromebook Plus membership perks.

Why we picked this:

Going to school shouldn't be all work and no play. The budget-friendly Acer Chromebook 516 GE can thankfully do both.

The affordable gaming Chromebook packs in a worthwhile cloud-based PC gaming experience, plus all the capabilities that you need to stay on top of your assignments. The Chromebook 516 GE breaks the cloud-gaming-only mold by offering impressive performance for general use and game streaming, a really nice display, solid bonus perks, and more for just $649 (we've even seen it on sale for $499). During our testing period, every Game Pass title we loaded up ran quite smoothly and showed us a good time despite the negligible loss in fidelity, but that's something you can always expect when streaming games. We never experienced any input lag or stuttering, either.

While Xbox Game Pass was our platform of choice, it's not your only option with the Chromebook 516 GE. When you pick one up, you'll be able to redeem three free months of NVIDIA GeForce Now at the Priority level, granting you access to NVIDIA's high-end servers with better resolution and frame rates. Those aren't the only perks, though — you'll also bank three months of YouTube Premium, a year's worth of Google One cloud storage, and a month of access to Boosteroid.

This Chromebook is also just a solid general-use laptop that'll serve you loyally throughout the school year. The build quality is durable and sturdy, which surprised us, and the laptop features a great-feeling RGB keyboard with anti-ghosting tech. We could see it being ideal for notetaking, document editing, and performing your usual, run-of-the-mill tasks. There's a decent port selection, too: USB-C, HDMI, and Ethernet are all here. Oh, and the display is a showstopper. The 16-inch, 1600p screen looks fantastic and produces clear, bright, and vibrant colors (and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate).

The only downside we could find was the device's battery life. It lasted around six hours for us, but that was during heavy gaming use, so your mileage may vary.

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$649 Best Buy

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How we tested

Mashable staff and contributors hands-on tested every laptop recommendation in this shopping guide. Each pick scored a spot on our list for different reasons, but all of them have qualities that fit seamlessly into the hectic life of a college student. When choosing these laptops, we considered specs such as:

Processor: The central processing unit, or CPU, is responsible for how fast your laptop can complete a given task. High-end CPUs will be able to handle multiple demanding tasks at once, whereas more budget-friendly options may be better solely for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing.
Graphics processor: The graphics processing unit, or GPU, is responsible for rendering clear and detailed visuals. It's especially important for gaming and photo/video editing, so if that's something you'll be using your laptop for, pay close attention to GPU specs while you shop.
RAM: A laptop's RAM is where active application data is temporarily stored to assist the CPU. Essentially, if you have more RAM, you'll be able to run more applications at the same time. Look for devices with a minimum of 8GB of RAM.
Storage: This is where your laptop saves long-term data like files and downloads. Keep in mind that SSD storage is faster than eMMC flash and regular hard drive storage. For students, we recommend starting at 256GB of storage and above, but you can probably get away with 128GB if you mostly use cloud storage or don't normally have that many files saved on your device at once.
Battery life: Eight to ten hours is the "sweet spot," but your mileage may vary. Generally speaking, the more battery life, the better.
Portability: Smaller laptops will be easiest to take on the go, but they are usually less powerful than their counterparts. Still, as a student, you may care more about convenience than power.
Price: Schooling ain't cheap, and neither is a laptop. But unlike your tuition, there are more affordable options for laptops out there. We kept that in mind when sourcing our picks.
Student-friendly features: Laptops that excelled in schoolwork-related tasks like note-taking, document editing, and running photo/video editing applications got higher marks during our testing, and those are the recommendations you'll find in this roundup. You're already dishing out a pretty penny for a laptop, so you're going to want one that can support and enhance your student lifestyle.
Fun stuff/extras: All study and no play is a recipe for student burnout. We sourced picks that have fun extras like cloud-gaming support, vivid displays for streaming services, and more so that you can take a break from student life every once in a while.

Frequently Asked Questions

There’s nothing worse than having your laptop’s battery start to die halfway through a lecture or when you head to the student union to study only to find all the power outlets are occupied. Long battery life is key for students, so having one that can go most of the day (or even overnight for those all-nighters in the library) is essential.

Most manufacturers list battery life in terms of “average battery life” or “up to X hours,” but keep in mind that this is highly dependent on what you’re actually doing with the laptop. If you’re just typing up a paper in Word or streaming some Netflix, chances are you’ll get a little longer out of your battery than if you’re creating 3D animated models. The best laptops for students get up to 20 hours of battery life, so look carefully to find one that’s going to accommodate your workload without making you hunt for outlets all the time.

The last thing you want in a laptop is one that you have to lug instead of carry, and with full days going between classes on campus, the lighter the computer, the better. (This is, of course, if you don’t need a super souped-up machine — the performance you need should always come first.) Something in the range of one to two pounds is ideal, and make sure you check the weight before you buy — some computers top out at close to six pounds. Trust us: Your back will thank you.

Touchscreen laptops can sometimes be heavier than regular ones, so make sure you’re looking at the right set of specifications when you’re weighing (sorry) this decision.

In general, the amount of RAM a student laptop needs will depend on the software you’ll be using. For the bare minimum when it comes to running computing essentials, 4GB of laptop RAM should be sufficient. However, if you want your laptop to run quickly or be able to tackle multiple demanding tasks at the same time, then you should consider upgrading your laptop to a model with 8GB to 16 GB of RAM.

While laptops are a pretty essential school supply these days, that doesn’t always mean there’s room in the budget to drop a couple grand on a top of the line machine. And chances are high that, on a student budget, the price point might make or break a purchase. That being said, you don’t want a laptop that’s going to crap out on you after a year, either.

Modern laptops come in a full range of prices, from super-basic Chromebooks to extremely fancy specialized ultrabooks. In fact, the number of options can sometimes veer toward overwhelming, so we’ve done the hard work for you (you have enough to think about right now, anyway). In general, you should expect to pay at least $500, but we recommend spending anywhere from $650 to $1,300 on a college laptop.

Yes, MacBook Pro laptops are kind of a status symbol on campus — and while they’re always going to be cool, the stuffy, fuddy-duddy rep of PC users is starting to fade. Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and other companies are coming out with models like the Dell XPS, Acer Aspire, HP Chromebook, and more that are high performers and built for the performance-heavy jobs that Macs were formerly coveted for. They’re usually cheaper, too — and yes, some are just as cool as the MacBook Pro. Don’t think of it as a compromise to get a PC for a college laptop — think of it as expanding your options.

Leah Stodart

Senior Shopping Reporter

Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.

Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].