Finding the right laptop for college can be harder than it sounds. Amazon, for example, has thousands of models to choose from. Once you start comparing processors and screen sizes, it’s easy to get lost in the sauce (as they say).
Whether you’re looking for a basic laptop for taking notes and writing papers or a versatile 2-in-1 for studying in the campus library, these are the student laptops we recommend from Amazon right now. We’ll keep updating this list as new laptops become available (and as prices change!), so make sure you check back in!
How did we pick these laptops? We base our recommendations on a combination of hands-on laptop testing and our knowledge of the current market. We take power, portability, and battery life into consideration — as these are top priorities for most students. For laptops we haven’t personally reviewed, we carefully evaluate available configurations and compare them against similar models we’ve tested. Our goal here at PCWorld is to help you find the right laptop so you don’t get too bogged down in confusing model numbers, specification alphabet soup, and features you probably won’t ever use.
Acer Swift 16 AI: Best overall student laptop
Who should buy the Acer Swift 16 AI?
If you’re looking for a college laptop that has it all, the Acer Swift 16 AI is it. Light enough to carry around campus at just over three pounds and boasting a 16-inch 2880×1800 OLED panel that’s lovely to look at, this laptop probably satisfies most students’ needs. Inside there’s an Intel Ultra X7 358H chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. All of that means it’s capable of crushing schoolwork, nightly browsing, and some casual gaming. As for battery life, the Acer Swift 16 AI lasted up to 17 hours in our testing, meaning you don’t have to stress (too much) about finding an outlet between classes.
Acer Swift 16 AI: Further considerations
The OLED screen is the icing on the cake — it’s bright, colorful, and clear. As far as negatives go, there aren’t many to name! The touchpad is on the smaller side, which may pose a problem if you’ve got larger hands.
MacBook Neo: Best budget laptop for students
Who should buy the MacBook Neo?
MacBooks are kind of in a category of their own. They’re known for their premium designs and color-rich displays, that much is true. But they’re also known for being more expensive than their Windows counterparts. But at $689 MSRP, the MacBook Neo is the cheapest one Apple has ever made. That’s a big deal because you’re getting the same MacBook quality, but at a more reasonable price.
The Neo is rocking a A19 Pro chip with six CPU cores, a 16-core Neural Engine, 5-core GPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. That’s more than enough power for lighter activities like browsing, emailing, writing papers, streaming, etc. The 13-inch 2408X1506 Liquid Retina display is bright and sharp, and the aluminum chassis feels strong and lightweight.
MacBook Neo: Further considerations
The MacBook Neo isn’t without a few (very tiny) flaws. There’s no Thunderbolt connectivity and one of the USB-C ports is pretty slow (according to our review).
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED: Best laptop for engineering students
Who should buy the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED?
Engineering programs normally require a good amount of power. The problem is that laptops with a lot of power tend to be big and bulky. That’s because they need the extra space for better airflow, as high-performance parts get hot.
This is where the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED comes in. Despite its slim design, performance is actually respectable.
Its AMD Ryzen 7 processor has eight cores, which helps it run things like CAD simulations. It’s got 16 threads, too. Those let the processor run more tasks simultaneously. It’s also thin at 0.59 inches and light at just 2.82 pounds.
Battery life is good if not class-leading. It completed a runtime of over 16 hours in our testing, which should comfortably cover a full day of classes.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED: Further considerations
This is very minor, but worth noting. Some of the keys are pretty small, especially the backspace key. It’s not a huge deal, but it may take some getting used to. And while the processor can handle lighter software, it might struggle with more GPU-heavy tasks like 3D rendering.
Microsoft Surface Pro: Best 2-in-1 laptop for students
Mattias Inghe
Who should buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1?
Carrying a bulky laptop around campus all day is an exhausting workout, doubly so when you’re running from class to class. That’s why the Surface Pro (2025) stands out–it’s just so light and versatile, with an impressive weight of just over one pound. It’s versatile, too. The 2-in-1 form factor means you can remove the detachable keyboard and use the 12-inch 2196×1464 touchscreen like a tablet. The Snapdragon X Plus processor is also more than enough for a typical student’s tasks and hobbies.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1: Further considerations
The 12-inch 2196×1464 screen helps keep this laptop small and light, but it may feel a bit cramped in use, especially if you’ve got a bunch of browser tabs open. But the IPS display looks sharp. With just two USB-C ports, you’ll probably need to pick up a dongle or dock for USB-A and other connections.
Battery life is a mixed bag at best. If you’re just typing or watching stuff with the brightness turned down, it’ll last a good while. But if you’re cranking everything up and bouncing between heavy apps, it could drain faster than you expect. So be sure to plan accordingly.
Dell 16 Plus: Best Dell laptop for students
Why should you buy the Dell 16 Plus?
If you’re a college student looking for one laptop that can do just about anything, the Dell 16 Plus is a good choice.
This laptop feels like it was made for real life. It’s just a good balance of the stuff that matters. The 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS screen gives you more room for viewing long documents. The battery life is also good enough to get you through most of the school day. Plus, having 1TB of storage means you don’t have to constantly delete things to make room.
Dell 16 Plus: Further considerations
The biggest thing to think about here is size. A 16-inch laptop is perfect when you’re sitting at a desk, but toss it in a bag and you’ll start to feel the weight of it in your shoulder. It’s not the heaviest machine at just over four pounds, but it’s definitely not the lightest.
Also know, this isn’t a gaming laptop. It can handle a good amount of things, but 3D work and heavy video editing may be outside of its range.
But as a general purpose tool for school chores and other matters, this laptop delivers the goods with the backing of the Dell brand and build quality.
HP OmniBook 3: Best HP laptop for students
Foundry / Matthew Smith
Who is the HP OmniBook 3 for?
Hang on. While we haven’t reviewed the HP OmniBook 3 ourselves, we still think it earns a spot here because you’re getting a large display and ample storage for a price you just can’t argue with (just a little over $500 at the time of this writing). The 1920×1080 display measures 17.3-inches, and that’s a lot of space for multitasking or scrolling through long (densely written) documents. But the 512GB SSD is a big selling point here because it’s more than you’d find in most entry-level machines. Toss in the Ryzen 3 CPU and you’ve got yourself something decent.
HP OmniBook 3: Further considerations
Sure, we wish it had more than 8GB of RAM–that’s the bare minimum we’d ever accept. Just remember that this laptop’s meant for lighter workloads, not demanding ones. If you are mostly interested in research, writing papers, browsing the web, email, and enjoying media, this is an affordable option for students.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514: Best Chromebook for students
Who should buy the Acer Chromebook Plus 514?
If your needs are fairly basic (checking e-mail or scrolling through reddit), the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a compelling option and I’ll tell you why.
For one, the 14-inch keyboard feels good for typing, with large keys and a good amount of space between them. The IPS touch-enabled display also offers a functional 1920×1080 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate, all pretty typical for a Chromebook in this price range.
Its Intel i3-N305 processor has eight cores, which is sufficient for things like web chores and Google’s suite of productivity apps. Normally, Chromebooks offer meager storage because it’s web-based. But this model is surprisingly generous with 512GB of storage. That’s worth some attention right there.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514: Further considerations
It’s not the prettiest-looking machine in the world. In fact, it’s pretty utilitarian. The chassis is also made of plastic, so it’s not going to be as sturdy as aluminum builds. Still, it a good laptop for the money. You’ve got to be comfortable using only Google, though.
How we test laptops
The PCWorld team puts Windows laptops through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests.
For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.
Who curated this article?
Hi, I’m Ashley Biancuzzo, and I oversee all laptop and home robotics coverage here at PCWorld. While you’ll see me review Chromebooks on occasion, I’m also deeply immersed in the broader world of consumer tech. I spend a lot of time writing and thinking about where laptops are heading next. When I’m not deep in the world of tech, you’ll probably find me gaming, getting lost in a good book, or hanging out with my greyhound.
How to choose the best laptop for college
First off, think about your budget. What’s your actual limit here? If you don’t have much wiggle room, a Chromebook might be the way to go. They’re cheap and can handle everyday tasks like writing papers and casual browsing. That sort of thing. You can find them anywhere from $200 to about a grand, it just depends on what you’re going for. Laptop prices on Amazon can change at the drop of a hat, so go slow and compare configurations carefully. Don’t just go for the cheapest option.
If you’ve got a little more to spend, 2-in-1 touchscreen laptops are great because they’re so versatile. You can turn the screen all the way back and use it like a tablet or stand it up like a little movie screen. That’s great for Netflix or just zoning out with YouTube. The flexibility’s nice, especially if you’re cramped in a dorm or carrying it around all the time.
As far as performance goes, if you’re doing stuff like email, streaming, or having a bunch of tabs open, more RAM helps. 8GB is what I’d recommend. Your laptop will run smoother and it won’t feel like it’s constantly lagging. 4GB is fine if you’re just browsing or writing papers, but it can feel restrictive if you’re prone to multitasking and working with lots of open windows. Chrome and Spotify are memory hogs as well, and they’ll slow things down if you don’t have enough memory to work with.
Last thing, the keyboard. You’ll be typing a lot in college, so this actually matters. Some people like keys that are clickier and have a little more bounce to them. Well, that’s mechanical keyboards for you. They’re louder, but they help you avoid accidental keystrokes, and they feel kind of satisfying to type on. Totally up to you, but don’t ignore it. A bad keyboard gets old real fast.
FAQ
What’s the best laptop for college students?
The Acer Swift 16 AI is the most well-rounded pick because it offers a strong balance of performance, portability, and battery life.
What’s the best budget laptop for college students?
The MacBook Neo is PCWorld’s leading budget pick. It packs Apple’s A19 Pro chip, which delivers plenty of speed for schoolwork and browsing, and a gorgeous 13-inch Liquid Retina display plus a premium aluminum design.
What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop?
Chromebooks are simple and fast, perfect for stuff like browsing, writing papers, and streaming. They do everything within the ChromeOS. They usually don’t cost much, either. Windows laptops can do a lot more like gaming or editing videos. They also support locally installed programs as opposed to being internet-based. So if you just need a basic laptop for school stuff, a Chromebook is cool, but if you want something that can handle more, go with Windows.
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