Best student laptops 2024: top laptops for school, college and university

The best student laptops not only help you study and create a good work setup, but they're also the perfect university companion for streaming, gaming and video-calling with friends and family.

People may joke about students being lazy but it's not all noon starts and parties. Being a student can be hard. You can’t go off to college or uni without having a decent laptop to support your studies and also help you chill out. Everyone loves a good movie night!

But decent doesn't necessarily mean 'most expensive'. Lord knows students need a bargain. There's a whole host of best laptop options for students, whether best Chromebook, best MacBook, or one of Windows' best laptops – each of the three types running a different operating system.

That said, student laptops typically need to deliver on a tight budget, so we’ve rounded up some of the best options on the market that aren't going to annihilate your bank balance (or loan, or indeed overdraft), considering features and price against value for money. Just make sure you spend some money on food too ok? Your parents worry.

We're also now in the middle of the holiday season, so if you're shopping for laptop deals (whether as a gift or for yourself) you've picked a great time of year. Be sure to head over to T3's Christmas hub to find all of our gift guides and deal highlights!

What are the best student laptops 2024? Top 3

The best student laptop is the Apple MacBook Air (2022, M2). The macOS option is different to the two below, being the most powerful, delivering a premium look and feel too. It's not cheap but if you can afford it or see a great deal, it's well worth grabbing.

The best student laptop for most people is the HP Pavilion 14. This Windows laptop has everything you need to get your work done day to day, whether that be writing and researching an essay, or completing an online exam. It's cost-effective too.

The best student laptop for portability is the Google PixelBook Go. This Chrome OS laptop is like a tablet with a stand, but you can add accessories to make it into a laptop replacement.

If you’re an Apple devotee, then the Apple MacBook Air is a great choice of laptop, especially for creatives such as graphic designers or movie-makers. That's because there's more power on board, thanks to Apple's M2 processor. This laptop is one of Apple’s slimmest and lightest, making it super easy to carry around in your bag.

This laptop uses Apple’s M2 silicon, which boosts performance compared to what you'd normally get for this price. As it's a generation older than the latest M3 model it's a little cheaper, too, making it the ideal selection for students. There's also a 15-inch model if you're feeling extra flush with cash.

Want to know more? Read our full MacBook Air M2 review for the full pros and cons of this student laptop option

Yes, the HP Pavilion 14 is more a mid-range laptop, but the price reflects that, which is a huge part of its appeal. But we think the vast majority of students will find this Windows machine more than ample for their day-to-day needs.

It features strong all-round specs, a simple yet stylish design, a sharp screen, and you get dedicated HDMI, USB Type-C and networking ports, too, meaning that hooking the machine up in the dorm or in class is easy. Battery life sits at up to 11 hours, and the machine comes pre-installed with a fresh copy of Windows 10 Home.

Does this affordable Windows machine sound like the right option for you? Read our full HP Pavilion 14 review for more info

Although it's a little pricier than other Chromebooks, and actually a little older now, Google's Pixelbook Go brings premium looks and build quality for a fraction of what you'd pay for a similarly impressive PC or Mac. The touchscreen is superb, the webcam makes you look great, and the battery life is stellar.

If you've previously looked at Chromebooks but felt they weren't powerful enough then we think the Pixelbook Go may change your mind: although the processor is relatively low-powered compared to, say, Apple's silicon, the Chrome OS operating system has been designed to be as lightweight as possible and doesn't need the same amount of horsepower as rival operating systems do.

Described as "the best Chromebook ever", read our full Google PixelBook Go review to see if you agree

Best laptops for students 2024: The best of the rest

The LG Gram 16 is one of the best combinations of a large screen and a lightweight chassis – it's almost perfect if that's what you're looking for in a Windows laptop, especially if the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro options on macOS don't appeal to you.

No, it's not the cheapest going, which might make it out the reach of some students, but it's the big screen real-estate that really helps sell this laptop. It's not miles away from the critical four-figure sales mark, which for a screen of this size and quality isn't too shabby at all.

Has this big-screen laptop sparked your interest? Read more about it in our full LG Gram 16 review.

The Dell XPS 13 series has consistently wowed us here at T3. This 13-inch laptop is powerful, supremely well-built, and compact too – so just about everything you could possibly want in your search for the best Windows student laptop around during back-to-school season.

This is the '9310' model, so slightly older hardware than the '9320' replacement, but that means you should get it for a better price. Besides, with 11th Gen Intel processors and up to 16GB of RAM, this is a portable computer is no slouch when it comes to power. From late-night Netflix to early-morning essay writing, you'll find the Dell XPS 13 a capable and competent laptop.

The Dell's display has really tiny bezels and can, if desired, be ramped up to a 4K resolution, although we think for most people Full HD is just fine (and a cost-saver). The colour reproduction and detailing are superb anyway.

Does this sound like the top-end Windows laptop for your studies? Read our full Dell XPS 13 review to find out more about this quality laptop

It's true that you need a substantial chunk of money to get one of Apple's more powerful laptops, but if you need real extra power for your studies' demands then you can't really do any better – these laptops will cope with everything that you can throw at them and then some.

The M2 Pro and M2 Max processor options that Apple has fitted offer a leap forward in terms of performance, with up to an absurd 96GB unified memory (RAM, effectively) so you can load gigantic projects no problems. It runs quietly and lasts amazingly well on battery life too, so is ideal for on-the-go student life.

The main consideration is, of course, that the price is higher than anything else on this list by quite a margin. So you might need to take out a loan to afford one. And on top of your student loans that'll seem a bit daunting no doubt. So only consider buying if you truly need one.

Like the ideal of a super-powerful Mac and need one for your studies? Read our full MacBook Pro 2023 (M2 Pro) review to learn more (about the 16-inch model; there's also the 14-inch variant)

If you need a laptop that you'll easily be able to slip in your bag to carry between home and your classes then you should definitely consider the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon. It's no bigger than a notepad and weighs less than a kilo, so it's super portable, and an ideal option if you're looking for one of the best lightweight laptops.

Being so small doesn't mean that you won't get decent specs though, as it packs in decent Intel Core i processor options, which makes it a great choice for getting productive, although we wouldn't rely on it for lots of photo and video editing. Its solid performance is paired with a crisp, detailed screen as well as a sleek, stylish design and a keyboard that feels satisfying and reliable to type on.

Fancy a lightweight laptop to aid your studies (and save your back)? Read our full Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon review to see if it's the right fit for your needs

Up to this point nothing else on this list has featured a convertible format, i.e. a hinge that can rotate through 360-degrees and provide both 'tablet' and 'laptop' forms (even an upright 'tent' mode if it's of use to you). That's where the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 comes in.

With its stylus input option, this is a great solution if you're after a Windows laptop that can cater for drawing, note-taking, annotation and such like. It's powerful enough, although not super-powered, but also silent thanks to passive cooling technology.

If this convertible sounds like a good fit, and you're keen for the stylus input, then take a look at our full Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 review for more info

We've always been fans of the Acer Swift series, because it's a great sensibly-priced entry point into buying a laptop, and this Swift 3 has done nothing to change our minds. You get a 14-inch Full HD screen for staring at those essays and video streaming services, while under the hood everything is powered by Intel Core i5 or i7 chips.

The closer you look, the better the Acer Swift 3 gets – it supports the Wi-Fi 6 standards, for example, and has a decent selection of ports too (2x USB-A, 1x USB-C, and 1x HDMI). At the top-end of the configuration options, you can even have an Nvidia GeForce MX350 graphics card installed if you think you're going to need it (and can afford it).

In the market for a sensibly-priced Windows laptop to help you get the best when back at school? Read our full Acer Swift 3 review to see if it fits the bill

Not feeling the Dell XPS 2-in-1? Then HP has a great alternative 2-in-1 option in the HP Envy x360 13. It manages to marry some decent specs with some very decent looks at a price that's not quite as exorbitant as you might expect, looking at it.

This is a laptop that's going to handle most of the tasks you throw at it, thanks to decent-powered innards, but it's not going to handle intensive gaming and video editing. Still, it's perfect for writing up essays, or doing some research on the web, or putting together a budget spreadsheet to work out where all your money is going.

Especially as this is a 2-in-1, so when the working day is over you can flip the HP Envy x360 into 'tent mode' and enjoy some Netflix or YouTube on the bright, crisp 13.3-inch screen.

Does this convertible laptop sound like your dream study companion? Read our full HP Envy x360 review to learn more about its potential

What's important to consider with student laptops

Laptops for students are not just for writing essays and note taking but now also for taking part in those critical online sessions, so you need one that can handle video calls as well as documents. And with so many online classes, video meetings and virtual collaborations, students are spending more time on their laptops than ever before and to work optimally you don't want to scrimp on an underpowered model.

We're now in the pre-new academic year summer months, and that is good news for student laptop shoppers as plenty of retailers are currently discounting some great systems that are perfect for school and college starters and returning students alike.

If you're wondering what separates the best college laptops from the best laptops overall or specialist systems like gaming laptops and 2-in-1 laptops, it's that they have to satisfy two very different criteria: they need to be excellent all-rounders, and they need to be excellent value, too. That means they can't cut any crucial corners but they need to be keenly priced.

The arrival of the best Chromebooks has given the market quite a kick. Google's mobile-focused laptops have encouraged PC firms to up their game, as have Apple's iPads – and in fact we think you should check out T3's best tablets guide too, because many of today's tablets are perfectly capable laptops too. All you need is a keyboard. If you prefer Dells to Apples and laptops to tablets, though, check out our guide to the best Dell laptops.

And if you're in the market for some external storage, particularly for Apple laptops, check out our best external hard drives for Mac guide as well as this one.

So how do you choose the best student laptop? Price is important, of course, but it shouldn't be your sole criteria. That's why our guide covers so many options, manufacturers and operating systems: every student is different and that means their requirements will differ.

We don’t quite know what this academic year holds – after the last few years anything could happen and we'd believe it – but we do know that whether your learning is fully remote, in-person or a mix of the two these laptops will be the perfect companions for studying, for movie nights with roommates, for staying in touch with friends and family and for creativity, too.

Laptops are also great for serious processing and rendering nowadays, so if you're a budding engineer and need some recommendations, then be sure to check out T3's best laptops for engineering students guide. This guide is filled with systems that won't let you down when using resource-heavy software like AutoCAD, MATLAB and Solid Works.

Oh, and lastly, if you're looking to build a better home or dormitory office for study, we think it's well worth checking out our best office chairs guide, as it will mean you can work for long hours in comfort. A good work environment is essential to produce good work. Plus, our best webcams guide is worth considering if you want to look good in video meetings.

How to choose the best student laptop for you

We hope our student laptop guide proves invaluable for anyone out there shopping for a system that's capable, decent value, and a boon to your productivity. We're constantly updating this list too with newer models and updated information, so be sure to keep checking back regularly, and we've also included some clutch buying advice to help you narrow down the ideal learning tool for going back to school.

Today's computers need to be able to do much more than the primitive number-crunchers of old. They need to support a huge range of software, given that several courses have special requirements, as well as the standard office packages.

When it comes to software, Microsoft's Office 365 suite is free for students, and there are also Google's Chromebooks and the associated Google Docs suite to consider as well, with the latter also free to use.

These laptops need to be able to run HD video lectures without juddering of course, while a set of good speakers always comes in handy when listening to teachers/ pumping out music. These machines have to be affordable too, given the increased cost of schooling all round the world.

Integrated webcams are important as well, for web lectures and broadcast media-related courses, but these are now included as standard on every laptop. You'd be hard pushed to find a model without one.

How we test student laptops

Laptops are very versatile and powerful tools, which means that there is a lot to consider when buying one. As such, we approach testing student laptops with this in mind, parsing down the process according to what a buyer would consider in store.

Firstly, we evaluate the build quality and design of the system. Here we're looking for signs of robustness and quality, as well as overall fit and finish. It is at this stage that we also evaluate the student laptop's screen, judging its colour balance, fidelity and features, such as anti-glare coatings or tiny bezels.

Next up we evaluate the student laptop purely from a hardware point of view, both on paper and in practice. So we check out its core specifications, such as processor, RAM, storage capacity and graphics chip, before benchmarking the overall package with a brace of benchmarking tools.

We then move onto the more experiential side of the reviewing process, which encompasses what the laptop's operating system and software are like to use, as well as how it performs in the real world – such as, how is the student laptop to carry round, or how well does it perform in a coffee shop.

Lastly, we take a look at any of the system's noteworthy features, such as RGB lighting systems, mechanical keyboards, built-in webcams, touchscreens, rotating screens, stylus support, biometric sign-in options and more. We also provide a rough, real-world take on the system's battery life at this point, too.

Only after these stages are complete do we officially score the student laptop, with a 5-star system (1 being the worst, and 5 being the best) used. If the student laptop scores highly, it is then considered for T3's best student laptop buying guide, which is designed to showcase the very best systems on the market.

See T3's How We Test page for full information on how we test all our products for review.

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