Finding the best laptop for college students can be a challenging task, especially with so many options available on Amazon. In 2024, students need devices that not only fit their academic requirements but also cater to their lifestyle. Whether it’s for taking notes, performing research, or handling multimedia assignments, the right laptop can make all the difference. This guide presents a detailed review of the top 10 laptops for college students available on Amazon, along with a buying guide to help you make the best choice.
| # | Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
HP Newest 14" Ultral Light Laptop for Students and Business, Intel Quad-Core N4120, 8GB RAM, 192GB... | $249.99 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 2 |
|
HP Notebook Laptop, 15.6" HD Touchscreen, Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD,... | $429.86 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 3 |
|
HP Portable Laptop, Student and Business, 14" HD Display, Intel Quad-Core N4120, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 64GB... | $217.92 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 4 |
|
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 Laptop, 15.6” FHD Display, AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11... | $358.00 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 5 |
|
Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH Slim Laptop | 15.6" Full HD IPS Display | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U Quad-Core... | $299.99 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 6 |
|
Lenovo 2022 Newest Ideapad 3 Laptop, 15.6" HD Touchscreen, 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor,... | $318.75 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 7 |
|
Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina... | $849.00 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 8 |
|
HP Chromebook 14 Laptop, Intel Celeron N4000 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC, 14” HD Display,... | $192.90 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 9 |
|
HP Stream 14-inch Laptop for Student and Business - Intel Quad-Core Processor, 16GB RAM, 320GB... | $269.99 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 10 |
|
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 Student Laptop, Intel Dual Core Processor, 20GB RAM, 1TB SSD + 128GB eMMC, 15.6"... | $389.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Contents
Buying Guide for the Best Laptop for College Students
When selecting the best laptop for college students, consider the following factors:
1. Performance
- Look for laptops with at least an Intel i5 or equivalent Ryzen processor. This ensures smooth multitasking and fast performance for applications commonly used in academic settings.
2. RAM
- A minimum of 8GB of RAM is recommended. This provides sufficient memory for running multiple applications at once without slowing down your device.
3. Storage
- Opt for SSD storage over traditional HDD. SSDs are faster and will significantly reduce boot and load times. A minimum of 256GB SSD is advisable for storing documents, applications, and multimedia files.
4. Battery Life
- A laptop with a battery life of at least 8 hours can support long days on campus without needing a recharge.
5. Weight and Portability
- Look for lightweight models that can easily fit into a backpack, especially if you will be commuting or walking between classes.
6. Display Quality
- A Full HD (1920 x 1080) display is ideal for clear visibility when reading, writing, or consuming multimedia content.
7. Keyboard and Touchpad
- A comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad enhance the overall user experience, making it easier to type assignments or navigate applications.
8. Price
- Set a budget. While you may want to invest in a high-end model, there are plenty of affordable options that provide excellent performance for students.
Top 10 Laptops for College Students in 2024
1. Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022 Model)
The Apple MacBook Air with M2 chip has redefined what a student laptop can be. With its lightweight design, exceptional performance, and impressive battery life, it’s perfect for any college student.
The M2 chip allows for faster processing speeds, making tasks like coding and video editing efficient. Furthermore, the 13.6-inch Retina display boasts vibrant colors and sharp resolution, ideal for visual work. Apple also offers a robust ecosystem with applications that are particularly useful for creative tasks.
The MacBook Air gives around 15-18 hours of battery life and weighs only 2.7 pounds, making it easy to carry around campus.
- STRIKINGLY THIN DESIGN — The redesigned MacBook Air is more portable than ever and weighs just 2.7 pounds. It’s the incredibly capable laptop that lets you work, play or create just about anything — anywhere.
- SUPERCHARGED BY M2 — Get more done faster with a next-generation 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU and up to 24GB of unified memory.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. It draws on your personal context while setting a brand-new standard for privacy in AI. Coming in beta this fall.
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Go all day and into the night, thanks to the power-efficient performance of the Apple M2 chip.
- BIG, BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY — The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display features over 500 nits of brightness, P3 wide color and support for 1 billion colors for vibrant images and incredible detail.
2. Dell XPS 13 (2023 Model)
The Dell XPS 13 continues to be a favorite among students, boasting premium performance in a sleek package. This laptop is powered by Intel’s 13th generation processors, ensuring speedy performance.
The 13.4-inch display features a near-borderless design with stunning visuals. With options for touchscreen functionality, it adds to the versatility, ideal for drawing or note-taking.
Battery life is exceptional, lasting up to 12 hours, making it suited for a full day of classes and study sessions in the library.
- ☞⚠❤️🛑⭕️‼️ NOTE: Before placing order, PLEASE make sure to verify your laptop model number as this case is MODEL specific and NOT interchangeable. ‼️⭕️🛑❤️⚠☜
- ❌‼️🛑⭕️ NOT fitting other Dell XPS 13 / 15 / 17 laptops. NOT compatible with ANY other Dell laptops as well. ❌‼️🛑⭕️
- Made of high-quality translucent polycarbonate material which is shatter-proof and will protect your 2020~2023 13.4" Dell XPS 13 9300 / 9310 / 9315 non-2-in-1 Models Notebook Computers all around
- Designed to perfectly fit the 2020~2023 13.4" Dell XPS 13 9300 / 9310 / 9315 non-2-in-1 Models Notebook Computers with dimension of 11.64 x 7.82 x 0.38 inch ( 295.65 x 198.68 x 9.58 mm )
- 2-piece light-weight ( 8.3 oz or 235 g ) shell easily snaps on and off.
3. HP Envy x360 (2023 Model)
With a convertible design, the HP Envy x360 doubles as both a laptop and a tablet, making it a flexible option for college students. Under the hood is an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB of RAM, providing sufficient power for multitasking.
The 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen enables interactive learning, and the 360-degree hinge allows for various usage modes—whether typing or drawing, the versatility is unmatched. Its battery life can last up to 10 hours, ensuring you can work on projects throughout the day.
- ☞⚠❤️🛑⭕️‼️ NOTE: Before placing order, PLEASE make sure to verify your laptop model number as this case is MODEL specific and NOT interchangeable. ‼️⭕️🛑❤️⚠☜
- ❌‼️🛑⭕️ NOT fitting other 15.6" HP PAVILION or ENVY laptops. NOT compatible with other HP laptops as well. ❌‼️🛑⭕️
- Made of USA-made high-quality translucent polycarbonate material which is shatter-proof and Will protect your 2022 ~ 2023 15.6" HP ENVY x360 15-EW0000 (Intel CPU) / 15-EY0000 (AMD CPU) series Laptop all around
- Designed to perfectly fit the 2022 ~ 2023 15.6" HP ENVY x360 15-EW0000 (Intel CPU) / 15-EY0000 (AMD CPU) series Laptop with dimension of 14.13 x 9.02 x 0.73 inch ( 35.9 x 22.9 x 1.86 cm )
- 2-piece light-weight ( 10.1 oz or 286 g ) shell easily snaps on and off.
4. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (2023)
Lenovo’s IdeaPad 3 strikes a balance between performance and price. It features AMD Ryzen 5 7535U and 12GB RAM for performance that caters to any student needs.
With a 15.6-inch display, it’s slightly larger, making it perfect for extensive tasks like spreadsheet analysis and graphic design. Additionally, the IdeaPad’s keyboard is comfortable for long typing sessions, crucial for essay writing.
This model comes with a solid battery life of up to 9 hours, making it reliable for all-day usage.
- Expect more from your entertainment: Dolby Audio delivers crystal-clear sound. Whether you’re watching a video, streaming music, or video chatting, you’re sure to love what you hear on the IdeaPad 3.
- See more, Do more: A narrow bezel on 2 sides makes for a clean design and larger display, giving you more viewing area and less clutter.
- Privacy at your fingertips: Keep your privacy intact with a physical shutter for your webcam for peace of mind when you need it.
- Big-time entertainment in a thin and light design: Experience entertainment like never before on thin & light devices, powered by an Intel Core processor with integrated Intel UHD graphics.
- Work and play from anywhere: A built-in 720p camera with a dual microphone and a battery that lasts up to 7.5 hours gives you the freedom to work or play where you want, when you want.
5. ASUS ZenBook 14 (2023)
The ASUS ZenBook 14 is revered for its compactness and powerful performance. It’s equipped with the latest 13th gen Intel Core processors and boasts up to 16GB RAM.
Its 14-inch Full HD display presents vivid colors, a must-have for students involved in graphic design or multimedia. Despite its tiny form factor, the battery supports up to 12 hours of usage.
This laptop is incredibly lightweight at just over 3 pounds, making it ideal for students who need to travel a lot.
- 【Processor】The ASUS Zenbook 14X is powered by the CPU i5-13500H, a 12-core processor with a turbo boost up to 4.7GHz, 16 threads, and a generous 18MB Cache. This processing powerhouse ensures smooth multitasking, rapid application launches, and seamless performance for your daily computing needs.
- 【Display】Experience visuals like never before on the 14.5" 2.8K OLED touchscreen display. With vibrant colors, deep contrasts, and impressive clarity, this screen elevates your content, whether you're working on creative projects or streaming your favorite shows. The touch functionality adds an intuitive element to your interactions with the laptop.
- 【Graphics】Enjoy exceptional graphics performance with Intel Iris Xe Graphics. This laptop handles graphics-intensive tasks, creative work, and even some gaming with ease. Immerse yourself in vibrant visuals and experience your multimedia content in all its glory.
- 【Upgraded】This ASUS Zenbook 14X comes equipped with 8GB of DDR5 RAM, providing a noticeable improvement in multitasking and system responsiveness. With up to 2TB of PCIe SSD storage, you'll have ample space for your files and benefit from rapid data access. The backlit keyboard adds convenience, allowing you to type comfortably in low-light environments.
- 【Operating System】This laptop runs on Windows 11 Home. Experience the modern and intuitive interface of Windows 11 Home, elevating your computing experience with its enhanced productivity features. You'll have access to the latest apps, enjoy the benefits of a secure environment with Windows Defender, and find familiarity in the user-friendly design.
6. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2023)
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 5 is a stylish, high-performance notebook great for students. It comes equipped with Intel Core i5 or i7 processor options and up to 16GB RAM.
The 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display is perfect for note-taking or sketching. With over 18 hours of battery life, this laptop is perfect for long days on campus without needing to plug in.
Its premium design and lightweight chassis make it a fashionable yet practical option for students.
- Introducing Copilot on Windows 11, your everyday AI companion - Copilot empowers you to create faster, complete tasks with ease and lessens your cognitive load - making one complicated task, simple.
- Your style – complemented – Sleek and ultra-smooth 13.5” PixelSense touchscreen for ultra-portable productivity. Make it your own with your choice of four bold colors [1].
- Lift the lid and get in the flow – Effortlessly open with one finger and sign-in securely in seconds with Windows Hello and your face as your password.
- Type accurately and quickly with exceptional typing comfort – Featuring the perfect balance of key travel and responsiveness, plus easy navigation on the large touchpad.
- See more and do more – With the 3:2 Surface ratio on the vibrant PixelSense touch display, Surface Laptop 5 has 18% more vertical screen real estate for less scrolling and more doing [2].
7. Acer Swift 3 (2023)
The Acer Swift 3 is another affordable option for college students without skimping on performance. It is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor and comes with 8GB RAM, making it suitable for multitasking.
This 14-inch laptop features a Full HD display and produces excellent color accuracy, essential for design courses. Notably, it has a battery life that reaches nearly 12 hours – perfect for students who are always on the move.
Its lightweight nature, at around 2.6 pounds, makes it one of the most portable options on the list.
- Get high performance, responsiveness and long battery life with the Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor - up to 4.7GHz, 4 cores, 8 threads, 12MB Intel Smart Cache
- 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Widescreen LED-backlit 100% sRGB Display | Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- 8GB Onboard LPDDR4X Memory and 256GB NVMe SSD
- 1 - USB Type-C Port USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps) DisplayPort over USB Type-C, Thunderbolt 4 & USB Charging | 1 - USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (featuring power-off charging) | 1 - USB 2.0 port | 1 - HDMI port
- Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 | Acer Bio-Protection Fingerprint Solution | Up to 16 Hours Battery Life
8. Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2023)
For students interested in gaming or graphic design, the Razer Blade Stealth 13 is a premium choice. With an Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, this laptop handles both casual gaming and intensive tasks seamlessly.
The 13.3-inch OLED display provides vibrant colors, and with a battery life that can last up to 11 hours, it’s more than capable of handling long study sessions.
As a gaming laptop, it’s a little heavier at 3.1 pounds, but its performance advantage makes it worth considering for the multimedia-driven student.
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- Designed for mobility: Ultra-thin, light and incredibly durable with a cnc unibody aluminum frame and long battery life.
- 120hz full HD thin bezel display: Super-fast 120hz full HD display that enables smooth visuals in games, with 100% sRGB color space.
- Razer chroma keyboard and precision touchpad: keyboard featuring single-zone rgb lighting with 16.8 million color options, and a precision glass touchpad.
- Complete connectivity — Includes thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, wireless AX, HD webcam utilizing windows hello, and 4-array mics.
9. Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 2 (2023)
Samsung’s Galaxy Book Flex 2 is a premium 2-in-1 laptop that stands out thanks to its stunning QLED display and incredible battery life of up to 20 hours.
With an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM, students can run multiple applications simultaneously. The 13.3-inch touchscreen display is vibrant, perfect for watching video lectures, or using design software.
The device is also incredibly portable, weighing about 2.5 pounds.
- Safety: This item is up to nationally recognized standards for high-level electronic safety.
- Fit for Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 2 Alpha NP730QDA-KB1US NP730QDA-KA1US KB2US KB3US KA3US Laptop
- After-sales services: This product is eligible for replacement or returns within 30 days, and the manufacturer provides an additional 12 Months Guarantee.
- Output: 19V 2.1A Input: 100-240V 50-60Hz
- Package Includes: 1 X AC Adapter
10. Chromebook Flex 5 (2023)
For students who primarily use web applications and prefer a more budget-friendly option, the Chromebook Flex 5 is a great pick. It includes an Intel Core i3 processor with 4GB of RAM.
While the performance might not rival high-end laptops, for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing, it suffices. Its 13.3-inch touchscreen is responsive and convenient for students needing a simple machine.
Battery life extends up to 10 hours, making it suitable for attending classes and studying without frequent recharges.
- Powerful 13th Generation Intel Core i3-1315U 6-Core (Base Clock 2.1GHz, Up to 4.5 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 10 MB Intel Smart cache, 6 cores, 2 Performance-Cores, 4 Efficient-Cores, 8 threads ). 2-in-1 Design as Laptop/Tablet
- [ Customization ] Upgraded to 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 4266 MHz | 128GB NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive | Chrome OS
- Brilliant 14" WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS Touchscreen 300 nits, 45% NTSC, 60Hz, Thin Bezel LCD Display. Powered by Intel UHD Graphics , 1080p FHD Camera with Privacy Shutter and integrated digital microphone
- Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.1. 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support Data Transfer / Power Delivery / DisplayPort / 10Gbps, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A support 5Gbps, 1x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack, 1x Memory Card, 1x USB-C Power Jack
- Backlit Keyboard, 2-in-1 Design, Speakers 2Wx2; 51Whr 4-cell lithium-ion battery (Up to 8hours non-gaming battery life); 12.42 x 9.02 x 0.78 inches, 3.48 lbs; Storm Grey / Grey Color; 45W AC Adapter, free ONT 32GB USB Drive
Conclusion
In 2024, college students have a vast range of options for laptops that cater to their specific academic and lifestyle needs. The best laptop for college students not only excels in performance but also provides portability, battery life, and value for money. Whether you lean towards Mac, Windows, or a Chromebook, there’s a high-performance laptop available on Amazon that will fit your academic endeavors.
Make sure to weigh your options using the features outlined in our buying guide and select a laptop that best suits your learning and lifestyle needs. With the right laptop, you can enhance your productivity and streamline your college experience effectively.
Last update on 2024-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API | votechriscarrillo.com is a participant in the Amazon Associate program and will earn from qualifying purchases.