Whether your classes are in-person or online, a laptop is a vital tool for college.

When buying a laptop for college, one of the most important things to consider is price.

College is expensive, and saving money anywhere is beneficial.

Four hard drivers sticking out of a rack-mount server that’s being used as a NAS.

Laptops with 8GB of RAM are generally okay as long as its a Chromebook or aMacBook.

Generally, youll want a 13-, 14-, or 15-inch laptop thats easy to carry around between classes.

We only recommend the best products based on our research and expertise.

Person securing a laptop in the Pelican Ranger Series Laptop Case

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

The backlit keyboard is comfortable to jot down on, and the trackpad doubles as a touch calculator.

If you should probably download large video files or games, 128GB probably wont be enough storage for you.

But for the majority of college students who may only download a few photos and files, its plenty.

ASUS Zenbook 14” OLED Touch PC Laptop

ASUS

The Yoga 7i is a Windows-based laptop that looks sleek and packs plenty of power inside.

The Lenovo Yoga 7i is a mid-range 2-in-1 laptop that can function as a traditional laptop or a tablet.

With 256GB of storage, theres enough room to download a few games or store photos and videos.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus Laptop

Lenovo

Like all MacBooks, the Air features a sleek design with a cool-to-the-touch magnesium chassis.

Its thin and light, making it easy to carry around in a backpack.

On a single charge, you could get up to 10 hours of battery life on this laptop.

Lenovo Yoga 7i Laptop

Lenovo

Inside, theres also an M2 Pro 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

Its powerful, has a long battery life, and itll last for your entire college experience.

FAQ

Can an iPad or tablet replace a laptop for a student?

macbook air M1

However, if you need a specific software, double-check its compatibility with the tablet youre looking at.

What size laptop is best for a student?

Because students are generally always moving, a smaller, lighter laptop is often the smartest choice.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714

A 13-, 14-, or 15-inch laptop is usually the best bet for students.

Are there college student discounts for laptops?

Why is my laptop so slow?

macbook pro

Apple

How do I connect a laptop to a monitor?

Connecting a laptop to a monitor is as simple as finding the right cable.

ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED laptop on blue and green background

ASUS

Article image

With a 14-inch OLED display, an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, the ASUS Zenbook 14 is the best choice for most students.

Lenovo ideapad slim 3i chromebook on green background

Lenovo

Lenovo Yoga 7i 14-Inch laptop on wood floor

Bill Loguidice / How-To Geek

MacBook Air with M1 chip on pink background

Apple

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 laptop on orange background.

Acer

Apple MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip on pink background

Apple