Finding it difficult to pick a good laptop for college that will help you in completing your school or college projects? Here you will find the best Laptops for College students with technical specifications to compare:
Students may often require different specifications for their projects, applications, and tools to study or complete work. So why not shift to the best Laptops for Colleges?
The best laptop for colleges is built with ideal hardware components that deliver fast performance. Keep in mind the budget. They are designed to deliver complete support to your work. It is essential to find the right device that matches your specifications.
There are hundreds of laptops available and finding the perfect one can involve a lot of research. To help you with this, we’ve come up with a list of the top best laptops for college available in the market today. Simply scroll down below to pick your favorite one.
Table of Contents:
- Selecting the Best Laptop for College
- List of the Best Laptops for College Students
- Comparison Table of Some Best College Laptops
- #1) Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
- #2) Apple MacBook Air Laptop
- #3) Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1
- #4) Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop
- #5) HP 15-Inch Laptop
- #6) Google Pixelbook Go 13.3 Inch
- #7) Fast Dell Latitude E5470
- #8) HP Pavilion 15 Laptop
- #9) Dell Inspiron 3583 15 Inch Laptop Intel Celeron
- #10) ASUS Laptop L510 Ultra Thin Laptop
- #11) Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Selecting the Best Laptop for College
Market Trends: According to Business Wire, the global requirement for laptops is increasing because of innovations in technology. The increasing demand for 2-in-1 laptops is leaving a high impact on the global sales and distribution of laptops for both students and working professionals.
We expect the incremental growth of this market from 2019 to 2024 to be around $7.52 billion. The effective CAGR of the global laptop industry is expected to be around 1% in the upcoming years. It is also estimated that almost 36% of the growth will originate from the APAC region.
Expert Advice: While selecting the best Laptop for Colleges, the first thing you need to keep in mind is the option of having a decent screen size. The dimensions of your screen also improves the display and makes it much better. A lot of the screen size impacts the dimensions of your laptop, including the weight.
The next key thing is the option of having a decent processor and a graphic unit in the best laptops for college. It is a great help for people dealing with high graphics and applications. Students who look out for decent hardware support can take the help of high-end GPU support.
Some other key points to focus on are the price, compatibility, OSS, 2-in-1 ability, and also the portability of your laptop. These features become highly essential if you want to use a laptop for fast performance.
List of the Best Laptops for College Students
A notable list of college students’ laptop options:
- Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
- Apple MacBook Air Laptop
- Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1
- Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop
- HP 15-Inch Laptop
- Google Pixelbook Go 13.3 Inch
- Fast Dell Latitude E5470
- HP Pavilion 15 Laptop
- Dell Inspiron 3583 15 Inch Laptop Intel Celeron
- ASUS Laptop L510 Ultra Thin Laptop
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
Comparison Table of Some Best College Laptops
| Tool Name | Best For | Screen Size | GPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop | Multimedia Projects | 15.6 Inches | Vega 3 Graphics | $393.07 |
| Apple MacBook Air Laptop | High Graphic Support | 13.3 Inches | Apple 8-core GPU | $949.00 |
| Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1 | Notebook Features | 14 Inches | AMD Radeon Graphics | $671.49 |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop | Quick Voice Assistance | 15.6 Inches | AMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics | $415.00 |
| HP 15-Inch Laptop | Multi-Tasking Ability | 15.6 Inches | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | $504.56 |
Detailed reviews:
#1) Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
Best for multimedia projects.
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The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop comes with a portable design offering 15.6 inches IPS display. It has an Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU and NVIDIA GeForce MX350 graphics. While testing, we found that the laptop is powerful enough to handle medium productivity tasks and light easily.
In fact, you will have a great experience with 16 GB of RAM, which allows you to multitask. With this laptop, you will have several connectivity options along with USB Type-C and Ethernet. It has a decent 48Wh battery along with 8 GB of RAM and 1080p IPS panel that offers total reliability.
Features:
- Comes with 14 inches of 1080p LCD.
- Has an 8 GB memory storage capacity.
- Features an Intel Core i5-1135G7.
- It has a 720p webcam.
- Has Intel Iris Xe graphics.
Technical Specifications:
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home S |
| CPU Manufacturer | AMD |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Silver |
| Hard Disk Size | 128 GB |
| Dimensions | ?14.31 x 9.74 x 0.71 inches |
| Weight | ?3.97 pounds |
Pros:
- Elegant design.
- Has a great battery life.
- Offers IPS display with higher luminosity.
Cons:
- The interface seems mediocre.
Price: It is available for $393.07 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of Acer for a price of $449.99. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#2) Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Best for highly graphic support.
Doesn’t matter for what purpose you are buying a laptop, the Apple MacBook Air Laptop will remain one of the best choices. The product comes along with an Intel Core i5 processor that is from the 10th generation. Apart from that, you will have 8 GB of RAM to store anything you want.
With this product, you will have a 13.3 inch Quad HD LED Backlit IPS Retina display to give you the best viewing experience. It has an Intel Integrated Iris Plus graphics processor and is compatible with macOS Big Sur and runs well.
Features:
- Comes with an SDXC port.
- Has Intel HD Graphics 6000.
- 12 hours of battery life.
- Includes two USB 3 ports.
- Has 13.3 inches display screen.
Technical Specifications:
| Operating System | Mac OS |
| CPU Manufacturer | Apple |
| Graphics Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Gold |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches |
| Weight | ?2.8 pounds |
Pros:
- Improved keyboard.
- It has a sleek design.
- Includes long battery life.
Cons:
- Has limited port selection.
Price: It is available for $949.00 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of Apple for a price of $999.00. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#3) Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1
Best for Notebook features.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1 is yet another amazing laptop that has a convertible feature. This will let you quickly switch from work mode to entertainment mode. It offers an amazing performance with the Ryzen 4500 processor. You will have several ports that allow you to have smoother connectivity.
With an ample storage space of 512GB, you can store anything you want. It offers an amazing battery life of around 9 hours with constant usage. We like a design that feels premium and classy, with a hinge mechanism that will let you set it at any angle you desire.
Features:
- Has a 2.3 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 4500U.
- Comes with AMD Radeon 7.
- Has 8 GB RAM.
- The screen size is 14 inches Full HD.
- Comes with Bluetooth 5.0.
Technical Specifications:
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Human Interface Input | Touchscreen |
| CPU Manufacturer | AMD |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Graphite Grey |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB |
| Dimensions | ?12.66 x 8.56 x 0.82 inches |
| Weight | ?3.63 pounds |
Pros:
- Amazing battery life.
- Comes with a comfortable keyboard.
- Offers excellent performance.
Cons:
- The display is not bright enough.
Price: It is available for $671.49 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of Lenovo for a price of $669.74. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#4) Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop
Best for quick voice assistance.
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop comes with an amazing performance, all thanks to the quad-core Ryzen 3 3350U processor. While reviewing the product, we found out that it has a fingerprint scanner for Windows Hello sign-in along with a backlit keyboard.
Apart from that, the laptop has 4 GB of RAM along with 128 GB SSD storage to let you store data, files, and more. You will have a full HDMI port, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. The 15.6 inches display offers 1080p resolution, which is pretty ideal. You can expect to have a comfortable keyboard for great usage.
The audio quality is also worth mentioning with a good amount of detail and a dash of bass.
Features:
- Comes with AMD Radeon Vega 6.
- Has 4 GB DDR4 RAM.
- Offers 128 GB NVMe SSD storage.
- Includes AMD Ryzen 3 3350U Quad-Core processor.
- Comes with a full HDMI port.
Technical Specifications:
| Operating System | Windows 10 S |
| Human Interface Input | Keyboard |
| CPU Manufacturer | AMD |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Special Feature | Multi-touch Gesture |
| Color | Silver |
| Dimensions | 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches |
| Weight | 3.97 pounds |
Pros:
- Noise-cancelling technology.
- Has a long battery life for continuous use.
- Comes with a large display with sharp images.
Cons:
- Features are not for professional use.
Price: It is available for $415.00 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of Acer for a price of $433.00. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#5) HP 15-Inch Laptop
Best for multi-tasking ability.
The HP 15-Inch Laptop comes with amazingly high specification hardware, starting with 16GB RAM for a super-fast 512 GB SSD for storage purposes. You will get a huge touchscreen display of 15.3 inches FHD that will give you the best viewing experience.
What is more interesting about this laptop is the fantastic look with a slim appearance. You will get a full-size keyboard along with a decent webcam, which makes it great for your work purpose. In fact, there are decent port options with HDMI 2.0 to give you the best support for connecting external devices.
Features:
- Has 256 GB storage space.
- Comes with great battery life.
- Has Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor.
- Features 15.6 inches display screen.
- Includes 4 GB RAM.
Technical Specifications:
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Human Interface Input | Keyboard |
| CPU Manufacturer | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Natural Silver |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, HDMI |
| Dimensions | ?14.11 x 9.53 x 0.71 inches |
| Weight | ?3.75 pounds |
Pros:
- Offers a large display of amazing quality.
- Has more storage options.
- Comes with an energy-efficient power source.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a good build-up.
Price: It is available for $504.56 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of HP for a price of $649.99. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#6) Google Pixelbook Go 13.3 Inch
Best for a touch screen Chromebook.
Google Pixelbook Go 13.3 Inch is quite lightweight and easy to carry. The speakers are quite loud and it offers a good quality 1080p webcam for doing video calls. In fact, if you consider the battery, it will last you for 8 hours of constant usage and will not make noise due to the fanless design but will make it a little hot with the load.
The product comes along with 8 GB RAM and is great for handling light productivity tasks. You can store anything with a good storage capacity of 256 GB and offers a 4K display with the Core i7 model. It is a great laptop for students who would like to have a decent keyboard and responsive touchpad.
Features:
- Has 13.3 inches screen size.
- Comes with an Intel Core M3 processor.
- Has 8 GB RAM.
- Comes with a 64 GB storage capacity.
- Has Chrome OS.
Technical Specifications:
| Screen Size | 13.3 Inches |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Human Interface Input | Touchscreen, Touchscreen with Stylus Support |
| CPU Manufacturer | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Just Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions | 0.57 x 12.25 x 8.12 inches |
| Weight | 2.38 pounds |
Pros:
- Comes with impressive speakers.
- Has 12 hours of battery life.
- Includes a rare 1080 p webcam.
Cons:
- Has chunky bezels.
Price: It is available for $1,342.89 on Amazon.
The products are also available on Google’s official site for a price of $999. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#7) Fast Dell Latitude E5470
Best for regular use.
If you are looking for a business laptop for your daily use, then you must check out the Fast Dell Latitude E5470. It comes with good working memory, security features, a strong processor, as well as a solid-state drive installed. The laptop includes 8 GB DDR4 RAM along with 256 GB storage space to store anything you want.
The connectivity port options, such as 3 USB 3.0. You will find an SD card reader and the average transfer speed of a JPG file is around 136 MB/s. Apart from that, this laptop has a good keyboard which is spill-proof and typing seems quite pleasant. Talking about the display, it offers 14 inches IPS panel.
Features:
- Has AMD Radeon R7 M360, Intel HD Graphics 530.
- Comes with an SD memory reader.
- Has 256 GB SSD.
- Includes a Windows 10 Pro operating system.
- Has Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity.
Technical Specifications:
| Screen Size | 14 Inches |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| CPU Manufacturer | Intel |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | WiFi, Ethernet |
| Dimensions | 13.2 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 3.90 pounds |
Pros:
- Offers strong CPU performance.
- It has a stylish and practical design.
- Offers docking station port.
Cons:
- Offers no backlighting.
Price: It is available for $276.99 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of Dell for a price of $299.00. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#8) HP Pavilion 15 Laptop
Best for online meetings.
HP Pavilion 15 Laptop is a great device for students looking for a big screen. It offers 15.6 inches full HD IPS touch screen for a better viewing experience. You will find that a storage capacity of 512 GB is more than sufficient to store large files and data.
Speaking of ports, this laptop has a full-size HDMI port, a USB Type-C port, a combo headphone microphone jack, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port. In fact, all the USB ports are USB 3.1 Gen 1 and support around 5 Gbps and we think it is fast enough for several accessories.
Talking about built quality, it looks fairly premium but nothing spectacular. However, you will love the little protection it gives to the LCD panel. This product works quite fast with AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon™ Vega 8 graphics.
Overall, it is a great device for having a nice work experience. A good balance of price, power, amazing keyboards, and performance makes it a great buy.
Features:
- Comes with an Intel Tiger Lake UP3 PCH-LP processor.
- Has Integrated AMD Radeon graphics.
- Offers 16GB DDR4 RAM storage space.
- It weighs only 1.75kg.
- Comes with AMD Ryzen 4700U.
Technical Specifications:
| Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Natural Silver |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, HDMI |
| Dimensions | 14.18 x 9.21 x 0.7 inches |
| Weight | 3.86 pounds |
Pros:
- Comes with a good Turbo Boost performance.
- Has USB Type-C ports.
- Looks attractive and has a robust case.
Cons:
- Has high power consumption
Price: It is available for $908.00 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of HP for a price of $949.99. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#9) Dell Inspiron 3583 15 Inch Laptop Intel Celeron
Best for fast processing unit.
If you are on a budget yet want a good value-for-money laptop, then look no further. The Dell Inspiron 3583 15 Inch Laptop Intel Celeron comes with a 128 GB SSD along with 4 GB of RAM to give you a good storage facility. With the Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor and an integrated Intel UHD graphics chip, you can expect good working performance.
Talking about the speakers of this laptop, it offers good sound quality which is loud and clear. It comes with several ports, such as a USB 2.0 port and an audio jack, along with an SD card slot. And then on the left side, you will have an HDMI 1.4 Port, two USB 3.2 ports, and a power adapter connector.
It is designed to give you the most reliable performance with a 720p webcam, comfortable keyboard, long-lasting battery, and wide screen size.
Features:
- Has 128 GB SSD storage.
- Comes with Intel UHD Graphics 610.
- Has 5 hours of constant battery life.
- Offers 15.6 inches HD Display.
- Offers anti-glare features.
Technical Specifications:
| Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Hard Disk Size | 500 GB |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Dimensions | ?19.37 x 13.07 x 2.99 inches |
| Weight | ?4.4 pounds |
Pros:
- Comes with an FHD Backlit display.
- Has a powerful processor.
- Offers HDMI and Ethernet ports.
Cons:
- Has no VGA port.
Price: It is available for $348.50 on Amazon.
The products are also available on the official site of Dell for a price of $549.99. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#10) ASUS Laptop L510 Ultra Thin Laptop
Best for fast storage.
ASUS Laptop L510 Ultra Thin Laptop comprises a lightweight design. This product only weighs around 3.59 pounds which is quite easy to carry. It also features a 180-degree hinge, which makes the product efficient to use.
It comes with 8 hours of battery life. The 15.6-inch display with an 84% screen-to-body ratio is noticeable. Overall, this is quite helpful if you want to use a product with high graphical support. The budget it compliments is definitely quite attractive.
Coming over to key features, the ASUS Laptop L510 Ultra Thin Laptop comes with a completely fanless design which keeps the noise levels down. This product also comes with the support of the MyASUS application, which makes this device quite useful.
Features:
- Has USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.2.
- Comes with 4M cache, up to 2.8 Hz.
- Has a 15.6″ FHD display.
- Weighs only 3.59 lbs.
- Has 128 GB eMMC flash storage.
Technical Specifications:
| Operating System | Win 11 Home in S Mode |
| Human Interface Input | Touchscreen |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions | 14.18 x 9.31 x 0.71 inches |
| Weight | 3.59 pounds |
Pros:
- Quite compact and light in weight.
- Backlight keyboard and number pad integrated into the touchpad.
- Includes MicroSD, USB Type-C, and Bluetooth.
Cons:
- Battery life is average.
Price: It is available for $262.00 on Amazon.
The product is also available on the official site of ASUS for a price of 279.99. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
#11) Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
Best for the fingerprint power button.
While reviewing the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go, we found out that the product comes with a sleek aesthetic look. It is pretty light in weight and has a portable profile that will give you the freedom to carry it anywhere you want.
This product is an anti-glare PixelSense display that will give you deeper and richer colors. The overall viewing experience will be enhanced. You will get a full-size keyboard with 1.3 mm key travel that will let you type comfortably. Regarding the 720p HD Webcam, would love some clarity.
Features:
- Comes with an Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor.
- Has Intel UHD Graphics.
- Comes with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM.
- Has 256 GB storage capacity.
- Includes 12.4 inches, 1,536 x 1,024 Touchscreen.
Technical Specifications:
| Screen Size | 12.4 Inches |
| Operating System | Windows 10 S |
| Human Interface Input | Touchscreen |
| CPU Manufacturer | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Color | Sandstone |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions | 9.27 x 12.19 x 1.93 inches |
| Weight | 2.45 pounds |
Pros:
- Comes with an extra-tall 3:2 aspect ratio display.
- Has USB Type-A port.
- Comes with a class-leading keyboard.
Cons:
- Has no backlit keyboard.
Price: It is available for $549.99 on Amazon.
The products are also available on Microsoft’s official site for a price of $549.99. You can also find this product available at multiple e-commerce stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which laptop is suitable for college?
Students are most comfortable with a laptop that is good for project work and other working setups. It is important to pick products that have advanced technical setups and come with higher configurations.
Here are some best laptops for college students that you can pick from:
– Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
– Apple MacBook Air Laptop
– Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1
– Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slip Laptop
– HP 15-Inch Laptop
Is 8GB of RAM enough for college?
Having good laptops for college will allow most college students to be getting help from good storage support. 8 GB RAM is very helpful if you want to use multiple editing software or even games. For students, it is an ideal specification to have.
If you are dealing with advanced graphics and there are countless numbers of software included, 16 GB RAM is a great option.
Is a 15.6-inch laptop too big for college?
Generally, it would be right to say that having a 13.3-inch screen is the ideal choice for laptops for colleges who focus on projects and for personal use. Screen size is an important consideration because it also impacts the dimensions and weight of a laptop.
If your personal choice is for a wide-screen laptop, then you can go for a 15.6-inch screen. But you can still go for a compact model for easy portability and use.
Is i3 or i5 better for college students?
Having a good processor will help you get an improved interface which will allow you to get faster performance from the laptop. Both i5 and i3 processors have improved speed and efficiency and are a great choice as the best laptops for school. But it is important to have a few considerations, including software support and budget.
If you have a higher budget and upgradable support, you can look for i5 core processors.
Is 256GB good for college?
The option of shaving 256 GB College laptops is a good choice for college. However, it also depends on the type of course that you are opting for. Usually, Engineering and Business students need to use more programs and more applications to work on.
Thus, they may require a bit of extra space for better performance. In this case, having 512 GB of storage will help you get the right storage
Conclusion
The best laptops for college bring perfect performance to your laptop. Most of them come with improved hardware components that allow the device to work faster and with effective features.
While reviewing, we found that the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop is the best laptop available in the market today. This device is ideal for Multimedia Projects and also comes with 15.6 Inches screen with Vega 3 Graphics.
Other best laptops for students are Apple MacBook Air Laptop, Lenovo Flex 5 14 2-in-1, Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop, and HP 15-Inch Laptop.
Research Process
- Time is taken to research this article: 20 Hours.
- Total products researched: 17
- Top products shortlisted: 11