The best student laptops 2021: all the best options for school and college

There are several factors to consider when selecting the best student laptops. While most matriculating minds and their parents will gravitate toward the cheapest portables available, a college laptop designed for students must meet a few additional criteria. Otherwise, that low-cost portable will be replaced sooner rather than later, and you’ll be forced to pay for a second machine.

Finding the right student notebook requires balancing all of these factors, as well as durability. That is to say, cost is a significant consideration. A laptop for college students, on the other hand, should have enough performance to handle any schoolwork demands, a battery life that can last a day on a single charge, and easy portability, as it will most likely be carried across campus multiple times per day. With all of the expenses that college students face, such as tuition, housing, and books, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to worry about making another large purchase.

But don’t worry, we’re here to assist you. We’ve put a lot of laptops through their paces, so whether you’re looking for a new laptop or an upgrade, we’ve got you covered. It can be difficult to figure out which computers balance all of these factors.

Chromebook
or a laptop for engineeringIn addition, to assist in the search for , you’ll be able to find something that meets your requirements. best student laptop deals Make use of our built-in price comparison tool while you’re out there.

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And the first to receive it is the company’s thinnest and lightest laptop, making it one of the most anticipated Apple laptops in recent years. This is not the cheapest option for students, but it is the best student laptop to get if you have a slightly larger budget. Apple ended the previous year on a high note, releasing the much-anticipated M1 silicon chip, which has proven to be a game-changer thus far. The MacBook Air is better than ever with this new chip, boasting excellent performance alongside brilliant battery life – all while keeping the price (reasonably) low.

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MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

However, we are confident that you will enjoy this Chromebook as much as we did during our time with it. Have you been waiting for the day when you can finally afford the Google Pixelbook’s premium price? It received our coveted “Editor’s Choice” award in the Chromebook category because we love it so much. And that’s just the beginning. Granted, it’s not quite the high-end gadget you’ve been hoping for. Your wait is finally over, thanks to Google’s Pixelbook Go. Even in 2021, it has an incredible battery life, an even better keyboard, and a 1080p webcam, which you don’t see very often in more budget-friendly laptops.

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Google Pixelbook Go

A good balance between screen space and portability, as well as a surprisingly good keyboard and a decent trackpad, are among the aces. That’s not even taking into account how bright the display is or how inexpensive it is. The HP Chromebook 14 may not be as powerful as other Chromebooks, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve that have helped it earn a well-deserved first place on our list of the best laptops for students.

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HP Chromebook 14

Unfortunately, it suffers from the same problem as the original in terms of being underpowered, especially in the base configuration. It even runs the full Windows 10 operating system, making it even more capable in terms of what applications it can run than other tablets. This laptop is a strong contender if you’re looking for the best student laptops. Microsoft’s devices are known for their higher prices, which is why the Surface Go line appeals to those on a tight budget. It does, however, provide a slight performance boost over its predecessor. It’s Microsoft’s most affordable premium tablet, and the Surface Go 2’s reasonable price and premium design keep that tradition going.

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Microsoft Surface Go 2

At this price point, that’s a rare find in a machine. It also has a keyboard and a touchpad that are both reliable and enjoyable to use. This all-arounder has everything a good student laptop should have, from a long battery life to a solid build and usability. The Acer Chromebook Spin 311, on the other hand, goes above and beyond with its impressive levels of versatility, thanks to its abundance of ports, 2-in-1 design, portable size, and excellent touchscreen display. If versatility is important to you, the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is the laptop for you.

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Acer Chromebook Spin 311
 

A strong feature set adds a lot of value to a laptop, and if you’re looking for the best laptops for students, that’s something to look for. It also has a 3:2 display and a stylus with a lot of features, which gives it an edge over the competition for students: an easy and seamless note-taking experience. This 2-in-1 laptop is versatile not only because of its form factors and long battery life. The Acer Spin 5 (2020) is a fantastic candidate because of this, as well as its affordability. If you’re one of those people who despises typing notes in class, this old-school method might just persuade you to change your mind.

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Acer Spin 5 (2020)

It has the flexibility of a 2-in-1 device that many other Chromebooks lack, and the screen is stunning. The new AMD 3000C-series processors are included, starting with an Athlon 3150C and scaling up to a Ryzen 7 3700C, so you’ll get more processing power out of this Chromebook than many of its competitors. Because it is one of the most powerful Chromebooks money can buy in 2021, the Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook is right at the top of our best student laptops list. While you’ll pay more for this kind of power, especially if you want some of the best features that come with the higher-end models, it’ll be well worth it if you’re looking for a Chromebook that will last you for years – at the very least four years of college.

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Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook

Its large number of ports makes it even more appealing, especially if you have a few peripherals in your collection. It’s not the most comfortable tablet, but even the most expensive contenders aren’t perfect, so it’s easy to overlook this flaw. In fact, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you won’t find a better 2-in-1 for the money, making it one of the best student laptops on the market right now. The HP Envy x360 15 (2021) is a 2-in-1 laptop that combines impressive CPU and GPU power with an elegant yet robust design, a stunning display, and exceptional battery life – all for an unbelievable price.

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HP Envy x360 15 (2021)

Thanks to the latest generation Intel processors, Intel Xe graphics, and Evo certification, it’s also a powerful laptop. It also has a long enough battery life to keep you going all day without needing to charge it. The X1 is a stellar machine that will keep up with just about anyone. It may not be the most exciting looking laptop out there, and the price tag may deter some students, but it is otherwise a stellar machine that will keep up with just about anyone. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 offers a slew of advantages to students willing to pay the hefty price tag. It not only has a fantastic 16:10 screen and a garaged stylus that you can use in all of its forms – it’s a 2-in-1 hybrid notebook – but it also has a number of security features to keep your work safe.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6

The new MacBook Pro 13-inch delivers excellent performance and battery life thanks to Apple’s groundbreaking M1 chip. This is the best student laptop money can buy if you’re looking for a powerful laptop that’s also small and light. Its performance is so good that it can handle 4K – and even 8K – videos with ease, which is fantastic news for film students. The MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) may not have received a major design update, but it more than makes up for it in terms of performance and battery life.

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MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)

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How we test student laptops

We understand that purchasing a new laptop is a significant financial commitment. That is why we take our jobs seriously and thoroughly test each laptop we recommend on this list. This is especially true when it comes to laptops for college students.

That process entails using them in our daily lives to see how long their batteries last, how durable they are – college students, after all, have hectic lives – and how cool they remain under duress. Because the webcam and microphone in a laptop are so important, especially these days, we spend time testing them as well. We also consider their appearance, such as how fashionable they are, whether they are thin and light enough to carry around, and how comfortable they are to work on.

This entails running various apps on Windows 10 (or Chrome OS on Chromebooks and macOS on MacBooks) and observing how quickly they load, noting any issues. To determine how powerful (or not) these laptops are, we use a combination of real-world tests and synthetic benchmarks.

These tests give us a good idea of how long these laptops’ batteries will last. Because battery life is important, we’ll keep track of how long we can use the laptop before charging it. We also ran our own battery life benchmark, which loops a 1080p movie until the battery dies, as well as the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark, which simulates real-world usage like web browsing and document creation.

When everything is said and done, we compare everything we’ve learned about the laptop to its price to see if it provides the best value to students.

• Do you want more options? Take a look at our list of the best laptop 2021
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