Best Laptop for College 2022 : (10 Best Student Laptops)

Every college student needs a laptop and that too a good one. But budget becomes an obstacle for most students. However, budget should not restraint you from buying a best laptop for college. Obviously, if you spend a hefty sum, you will get yourself a great laptop, but at the same time, you can find some budget laptops as well.

Speaking of budget, you should not think too low; anything above $500 is good. So, in this round-up, we have listed the 10 best laptops for college students. You will come across some powerful laptops, and some of these are budget-friendly but good for your day-to-day college use. Good Luck!

Best Laptop for College 2022:

1. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2020)
2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
3. Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook
4. Dell XPS 13 9380
5. Acer Swift 7
6. Razer Blade Stealth 13
7. LG Gram 14
8. Microsoft Surface Pro
9. Lenovo Yoga 730
10. Acer Aspire 5 Slim

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What is the best laptop for college?

Before jumping straight to the reviews, get to know these factors mentioned below. This way, you will be able to get yourself a best laptop for college 2022. Because in your college days, study is not the only thing you do. You will be doing a lot on your laptop; you might carry it on a trip or use it to watch a movie with your group. For all this, your laptop needs to be efficient in many ways. Here is how to choose the best laptop for college.

Budget

When a student is buying a laptop, budget is one important thing to know about in advance. You may have been saving bucks for weeks or months now, and so, you should get the right thing. If you plan to buy a powerful beast that will accompany you for many years to come and will stay with you in all ups and downs, then you should think about spending anywhere above $1500. But if this is not the case, then you will have to check on what your needs really are.

If your field of study involves work that is task intensive, say, for example, you are a student of software engineering, and your daily tasks include running heavy software and IDEs, then you will need to stay between $800 to $1200 bucks. Because for this type of workload, you need good performance alongside excellent battery backup, which means more money. However, if you are a business student and all you do is play with data using tools like SPSS or Quickbooks, you do not need to spend a lot. All you need in this case is a higher RAM like 8GB and good storage space; spending somewhere between $600 to $800 will get you an excellent machine.

Portability

When in college, your laptop needs to be lightweight and portable rather bulky. You need to check the thickness and weight of the laptop you are about to buy. Ultrabooks are the most portable type of laptops, and some of them are very powerful, but they are always expensive. So, to keep the portability factor in place, do not buy a laptop above 4 lbs. Anything above this limit will cause problems when you carry it in your backpack.

More, the size of your laptop also plays a role here. If you go for 17 inches laptop, it will make issues. You should stick with 13 or 15 inches laptops. This site is very easy to carry and use anywhere in your lap or outside on the college lawn.

Performance

Any best laptop for students does not necessarily need to be a powerhouse unless you also use it to play games. Recommended specs would be a 7th or 8th Gen Core i5 processor, around 8GB of RAM, and a 256 to 512GB SSD. As for the GPU, an integrated GPU will do good, but you can go for a dedicated graphics card if your work involves using graphics-intensive tools like Photoshop or other video editing software. But ponder that a dedicated GPU will take up the cost of the laptop.

Display

Most laptops these days come with an FHD display which is (1920 x 1080) resolution. This resolution is suitable for all types of work, even watching a movie. However, if you really want to switch towards a better resolution, that would be a good idea as well. But you should not think about going for a 4k laptop because it is useless these days, but it will be a handy thing in the years to come. So, for now, sticking to 1080p or 1440p resolution is a good thing.

Connectivity

I/O ports are as important as everything mentioned above. You need to have 3 or more USB ports, an HDMI or DisplayPort for secondary display connectivity, and a Type-C as well. You may not get Type-C ports in old or cheap laptops; it’s just not there. But it’s an important connection port to have these days.

Battery Life

Finally, battery life is super important for the best laptop for students. Spending more will get you better battery life, but this is not what happens every time. Because if your laptop has high-end components under the hood, then your battery will drain quickly. As a student, anything ranging from 6 to 10 hours will be a nice battery time. Surprisingly, even good budget laptops have battery time at this level, which is nice to know if you do not want to spend a considerable amount.

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Best Laptops for College Students

1. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2020)

Ultimate performance laptop

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2020) REVIEW: Being manufactured by the world’s most reputable firm Apple, MacBooks always enjoys the best position in any laptop listing that you create. They can compete with any other laptop in any category, whether it’s productivity, creativity, or typical daily use. The MacBook Air (2020) is one of their latest products, bringing many improvements to their predecessor. It brings solid performance and longer battery life along with other stunning features. Being a college student, you will need to take your laptop around to college, library, coffee shop, or friend place. Also, among other expectations, you will surely play games and do productive plus creative work. In regard to these, you can challenge the MacBook Air 13 in any way, whether it’s the performance for doing intensive tasks, incredible display for watching, or ultimate portability for carrying around. However, the price is a little higher than competitors, but there is a huge performance gap. So, if you have enough budget, then MacBook Air 13 is the best choice for college students.

2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

Efficient laptop for studies

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 REVIEW: Surface Laptop and Surface Laptop 2 were two of the most successful computers in Microsoft’s Laptops Lineup. They still are, but the Surface Laptop 3 was released in Oct 2020 and it has something new to it. In a look, you may think it’s the same as the previous one. But it actually has lots of differences, although the design is kept the same. They have changed the way you connect other devices to your laptop and there is a 15-inch variant powered by an AMD processor also available now. More, it is lightweight and more portable compared to what the previous surface laptops were.

Speaking of the design, the 15-inch variant has some magic going around. It weighs 3.4 lbs which is stunning and is 0.6 inches thick only, similar to its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 2. More, the overall design, aesthetics, and colors you get are simply good. One could use such a laptop anywhere, college or a business meeting. As always, you do not get a wide range of selection for I/O. All you get is a USB-A, USB-C, and your regular headphones jack. Since Type-C is becoming a thing now, you won’t be needing other ports most of the time. And if you need any, you could just go for adapter cables.

Under the hood of the 15 inches variant lies AMD Ryzen 7, or you could also go for AMD Ryzen 5. It’s a new combination for Microsoft and AMD together, and it must be useful; otherwise, Microsoft would have turned to Intel as it did for the 13 inches variant. This CPU, along with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD makes one excellent configuration for any sort of task you would put onto it. Speaking of the display, it is crisp and comes with a resolution of 2496 x 1664, which is odd for conventional laptops. But Microsoft always does this with their devices. The display is not too wide like other laptops and becomes useful for work tasks like reading a PDF or viewing some website. Finally, its battery goes a bit above 10 hours, which is good but could have been better because there are competitors in the market with better battery life.

3. Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook

Budget Chromebook for college students

Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook REVIEW: Any student would want such a laptop that offers good performance, portability, and at the same time, is affordable. The Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook delivers all these features at a very reasonable price. The design of it is simple and eye-catching. The Flex 5 is excellently slim and lightweight as it weighs 2.97 pounds and measures 0.7 inches. Thus, you can easily carry it to your class, library, or friend’s place for studying. Further, its 2 in 1 versatile nature gives you the option to use it in laptop or tablet mode. Lenovo Flex 5 sports a 13.3-inch touch-sensitive FHD display which offers a good viewing experience. Meanwhile, the Chromebook’s touch screen accepts all kinds of Chrome OS gestures without any issues. Configured with 11th Gen i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, the Flex 5 provides more than enough performance and can efficiently handle intensive multitasking along with daily tasks. Hence, a laptop offering all these incredible specs and features, including a comfortable keyboard at such an affordable price, is an ideal option for college students.

4. Dell XPS 13 9380

Best overall student laptop

Dell XPS 13 9380 REVIEW: Both, Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 have been people’s favorite for a couple of years now. They truly depict what a Dell laptop stands for and what it can do. And is aimed at consumers who what their laptop to be the best at everything. It is ultraportable, rocks an amazing display and is a performance beast too. What brings it to be the best laptop for a college student is the combination of things mentioned above. It won’t let you down in many ways, especially if you are a development student and your work involves running heavy software on your system.

Under the hood, lies an 8th Gen Core i7-8565U along with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. This is pretty much all you will need for your college tasks. Speaking of the design, it weighs 2.7 lbs only which makes it an ultraportable laptop. More, the thickness here is only 0.5 inches, which again gives it a touch of modern laptops. You can get it in white or silver color, both of which look stunning to the eye. Also, another design feature that was a problem with previous models was the pop-out camera. This time, the pop-out has been removed and is brought back to where usually the webcam rests.

This laptop here is housed with an FHD display, and it has one fantastic view. The details are good, so is the brightness and its colors. For sound, you may not like the speakers of it, although they make loud sound but the details in them are not what you can expect to help you in a big conference room for a meeting. Interestingly enough, this laptop pushes the limits and gives you a battery life of 12 hours and 30 minutes which is insane. You don’t normally get such a battery life in most high-end laptops.

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5. Acer Swift 7

Ultraportable laptop

Acer Swift 7 REVIEW: If you want portability to be at max, the new Acer Swift 7 is what you should think of. At 0.35 inches only and 1.96 lbs, it is one of the thinnest and lightest laptop so far. This design brings both pros and cons with it. The good side of it of course is that you get one sleek machine which you can carry anywhere and use it in any way you like. However, on the bad side it brings with it some performance constraints like a shorter battery life. More, You will have to be more careful with it compared to other laptops. Because it is very thin which increases the chances of it getting cracked easily.

About the internals, you get an i7-7Y75 along with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. For graphics, it packs Intel 615, while most new laptops come with 620. The display of it is touch enabled, but it’s not a good experience. However, its colors, accuracy and brightness are simply perfect. The keypad of this ultrabook is very easy to use and makes your typing a comfortable experience. But the trackpad of it might annoy you; you feel the lower deck when you click it, which is because of the thin design.

More, for I/O, you do not get too many ports because of this thin nature. It has 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports on it, and a headphone jack. So, you will have to use adapter cables for everything. As we mentioned the shorter battery life at the start, the new Acer Swift 7 can power itself for 5 hours and then you will have to charge it. This again is an effect of a slim chassis. You simply can not place a bigger battery in there. However, if a thin design and lightweight laptop is what you are after, this laptop can actually prove to be one best laptop for college 2022.

6. Razer Blade Stealth 13

For work and gaming

Razer Blade Stealth 13 REVIEW: Not every college student will use his/her laptop for college work and studies only. You may have some hobbies besides only studying, and if your side work is to play games, this laptop is for you. Razer did something pretty unique, they manufactured an ultrabook but not a simple one, they made it a good gaming laptop. So, at 3 lbs and 0.6 inches only you get yourself a gaming laptop which is powerful and the same time ultraportable. What else will you like if both studies and gaming is your priority.

Design-wise, it is slim and stylish. Comes in all black and actually fits professional use as well. And under the hood, it comes housed with Intel Core i7-8565U backed by 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. In addition, you get integrated graphics, ‎Intel HD Graphics 620. This adds to the overall graphical looks and adds to the beauty of the display. It comes with an FHD display which, of course, is crisp, and the brightness is perfect too.

Speaking of I/O connectivity, since it’s an ultrabook, so you do not get a lot of ports here. However, there is a USB-A and USB-C Thunderbolt 3 on each side. These 4 ports together can do a lot; you just have to get a pair of additional adapter cables for it. More, Razer has been good with the battery here. It will last for over 8 hours on normal use, which is massive for a laptop with this sort of powerful internals. You may not like that it gets heated a bit; this is normal because it is a gaming laptop and comes with powerful hardware. Besides this, it will prove a good choice if you go for it as your next laptop for college.

7. LG Gram 14

Simple yet efficient

LG Gram 14 REVIEW: For a laptop so efficient, the LG Gram 14 is an affordable one. For just around $1000 you get a laptop which not only suits you as a student but even further adds to your personality. LG Gram 14 replaced its older and smaller friend the LG Gram 13 which itself was a good laptop but now that the LG Gram 14 is on many minds it has taken over. The reason it comes up as a better laptop is new added features and still a low price tag.

The laptop takes you on a power ride with a 10th Gen powerful i5 processor and other similarly powerful internals. And despite its immense power and powerful internals, it weighs 2.2 lbs only, which for a teacher is a dream come true. So the LG Gram 14 will always be a nice companion to carry around when switching between classes or going to presentations. Besides its portable nature, the laptop can touch a mark of 18 hours or normal usage, which is truly an insane amount of battery backup.

Finally, the design of it is such that you won’t see any student denying it. This is why if you are a student yourself or you want to buy one for your student friend, Gram 14 truly is the best laptop for students and college. Even better is the fact is that the laptop comes with the latest ports like the Thunderbolt 3 and has stunningly cool looks because of the white color and small footprint.

8. Microsoft Surface Pro

Best tablet for college

Microsoft Surface Pro REVIEW: Surface Pro by Microsoft is one of the most widely used and praised 2 in 1 laptop. Despite having a sleek design and portable nature, it is powerful enough to complete any type of task and can prove to be the best 2 in 1 laptop for college students. It is 12.3 inches in size which is a good number for a 2 in 1 because at times you will be using it as a tablet. And the stand which comes with it on the back is simply amazing, you can literally position your laptop in whatever angle you want.

Surface Pro is durable in nature and feels solid when you use it in tablet mode. This can be very good for students who actively take part in presentations and conferences. Speaking of the specs, the one being reviewed comes with an Intel Core i5 processor backed by 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage in the form of an SSD. Its display is colorful, and the brightness level is accurate. It’s a 12.3 inches 2736 x 1824 panel with an aspect ratio of 3:2. Everything put together, the display of this laptop actually feels premium and would definitely help you out even in the brightest sunlight.

Surface Pro comes with front firing speakers, the sound of which is superb. They are loud and clear; the sound is not disturbed even at the highest volume. The bottom part of it, which you can detach, is basically a type cover. The keys on it are nice with good key travel and actuation force. In a look, it may seem sort of fragile and not so user-friendly, but this is not the case. It gives you a very comfortable typing experience, and the touchpad of it is precise too. But here comes the best part of all, this 2 in 1 laptop can pass a battery juice of around 11 hours, which is massive considering its price.

9. Lenovo Yoga 730

Best 2 in 1 for students

Lenovo Yoga 730 REVIEW: Yoga laptops by Lenovo are well-known for their 2 in 1 design. They are built strong and come with good performance. Same is the case here, the Yoga 730 is a durable 2 in 1 laptop with exceptional performance. You get latest 8th Gen processor and an overall good user experience. Surprising enough, despite being durable and 2-in-1 in nature it still weighs 2.7 lbs and is only 0.6 inches thick. This automatically makes it one of the best students laptop for college.

What you may not like about this Yoga laptop is that its battery life is not satisfactory. It will give you a backup of around 7 hours, but it is below average considering what other latest laptops give. However, if the battery is not that big of an issue for you, you should consider buying this laptop because everything else is perfect. It houses an 8th gen core i5-8250u processor, backed by 8GB of RAM and 512GB storage. Besides, these average specs also bring down this laptop’s cost and become the best budget laptop for college.

About the display, it houses a 13.3 inches good 1080p display but not the best. It is a bit on the dull side; the colors are not very accurate; however, it is good considering the price. Speaking of the ports, on the left side sits 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack. Whereas the right side is home to just a USB-A port. The audio performance of it again stays in the good range, not the best. You might not like its sound when turned to full volume. And last but not least, its keypad is a good one; you can use it for writing your research thesis pretty quick.

10. Acer Aspire 5 Slim

Budget laptop for students

Acer Aspire 5 Slim REVIEW: Last but not the least comes the Acer Aspire 5 Slim. If you are looking for something cheap and at the same time want it to be a durable one, this is it. Aspire 5 Slim is the type of laptop which will last for many years to come and will not degrade with time, and at the same time it costs very low. Spending $500 only will get you a nice laptop which is portable and has a good overall performance, although not the best. More, it is suitable for students whose tasks are not intensive and you only do things like altering data in spreadsheet etc or browsing the web for your research.

It comes with a 15.6 inches 1080p display which is good for many things you want to do. Watching movies is not one of these, but other work tasks will go good. About the configuration under the hood, you get an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Moreover, because of its large size, you also get to use its full-size keypad, which means the Numpad is included. The keypad itself is a nice one for many typing intensive tasks.

It is not short on external connectivity ports in any way; you get Type-A, Type-C and even an HDMI along with a headphones jack. This is pretty much all you will need for external connections. The audio performance of it is superb, you will hear good sound on it, be it movies or work. Even at loud volumes, the sound of it does not degrade in any way.

Conclusion
Choosing a laptop for college should be a picky process. You need to think of many things and then decide. The above listed are the best laptops for students 2022. You must know what sort of usage you have for your laptop and only then decide what you need to buy. Good Luck!