It goes without saying that having the right laptop makes your college life easier. From taking everyday notes to working on term papers, having a personal laptop means you don’t have to visit the college’s computer lab every time you need to work on something. Apart from being your go-to workstation, a powerful laptop can also perform double duty for entertainment and gaming.
There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing a laptop for college. However, it all boils down to the requirement that is specific to you. By considering some of the most important factors, including your curriculum, your personal requirements, and the number of years you plan to use the laptop, it becomes easy for you to make an informed decision.
Here, we have curated a list of 9 best laptops for college in 2021. The models that we have included in this list vary by computer performance, price, design, and upgradability.
Minimum Requirements for buying best laptops for college
Before exploring the models, we recommend going through this minimum requirement sheet below to help you make your laptop buying journey a smooth-sailing one.
- CPU: For basic college-related requirements such as note-taking, web-based research, and preparing presentations and term papers, a Core i3 CPU is a must-have. Core i5 CPU delivers the right amount of computing power for more complex requirements.
- GPU: Integrated graphics chipset used in affordable, entry-level laptops are good enough for basic graphics performance requirements. A discrete GPU with dedicated video memory is a must-have for designing and machine learning students.
- RAM: 8 GB is the minimum RAM capacity to have to be able to simultaneously and smoothly run up to 3 to 4 programs.
- Storage: Although SSD storage isn’t an absolute must-have, it definitely comes as more beneficial over HDD storage with fast read and write speeds. A minimum of 128 GB SSD storage is good to look for in a laptop. 500 GB or higher HDD storage capacity helps you store all your college-related essentials.
- Connectivity: Laptops with Thunderbolt 3 ports, USB Type C ports, ethernet port, mini display port, HDMI port, SD card reader, and USB Type A ports offer good customization options.
Review of best laptops for college of 2021
Dell Inspiron 15 5593 – best value
For many college students, laptops that pack a mid-level computing performance in a budget present one of the best values. One such laptop is the Dell Inspiron 15 5593. For non-heavy laptop users, this model comes as a perfect choice as it covers all grounds. College students also can get the best out of their entertainment experience apart from using this laptop as their main workstation.
Powerful and smooth computing performance is one of the main reasons why Dell Inspiron 15 5593 is one of the best laptops for college in 2021. The laptop uses a 10th generation Intel i5 4 core CPU which can easily take on document editing, spreadsheet editing, browsing the internet, and preparing reports with its base 1.0 GHz and max 3.6 GHz of computing power.
college-standard performance at a balanced price
If you need to keep multiple programs running in the background when attending multiple classes, the 8 GB DDR4 RAM of this laptop will not let you down with its smooth multitasking performance. The mid-level graphics processing performance that the laptop’s Intel UHD integrated graphics chipset delivers comes on par with the CPU’s overall performance. Also, despite the mid-range pricing, this laptop comes with 512 GB SSD storage which is undoubtedly one of the best deals to get your hands on.
Viewing experience for both work and entertainment is up to the mark in Dell Inspiron 15 5593. Its 15.6 inch full HD display eases your viewing experience with its anti-glare panel. This, in turn, helps you work and enjoy your favorite entertainment content for long hours without eye strain. Unlike many new 15 inch laptops, this model includes a full-sized backlit keyboard.
This model scores a good ranking as one of the best Dell laptops for college in terms of external connectivity options as well. Port options in this laptop include one USB 3 Type C port, one USB 2 Type C port, two USB 3 Type A ports, one SD card reader, one HDMI port, one ethernet port, and one headphone/mic jack.
Pros:
- Powerful and smooth overall performance
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Waves MaxxAudio Pro improves audio performance
- Backlit keyboard
- Sturdy chassis with a balanced weight
Cons:
- Heats up a bit during extensive usage
- Not the brightest display
- Average battery life
New Apple MacBook Air 13 inch – best in class
13 inch MacBooks are the best choice for college students who want a powerful yet portable laptop. The new MacBook Air 13 inch is one of the most premium and portable 13 inch models that are well-suited for college use. It deserves a good spot among some of the best laptops for college students in terms of overall performance, premium build quality, durability, and overall aesthetic appeal.
A 10th generation Intel i3 2 core CPU powers the base model of the new MacBook Air 13 inch. The CPU’s base performance clocks at 1.1 GHz. With an overclocking performance that reaches up to 3.2 GHz, the CPU provides you with all the computing power you need to get your college-related tasks done.
premium computing experience
The CPU is paired with Intel Iris Plus Graphics integrated graphics chipset. The new MacBook Air 13 inch delivers an exceptionally good performance in the multitasking department with its 8 GB DDR4 RAM. The mid-level RAM capacity makes it easy for you to keep separate programs running in the background so that you can seamlessly switch back and forth between them. For storage, the base model comes with 256 GB SSD storage capacity.
As one of the best MacBooks for college, the new MacBook Air 13 inch makes no compromises in terms of delivering a good viewing experience as well. Its 13.3 inch retina display uses True Tone technology to make visuals come to life. One of the newest additions to this model is a dedicated fingerprint reader on the keyboard bay. For external connectivity options, this model includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports and one headphone/mic jack.
Pros:
- Good overall performance
- Dedicated fingerprint reader
- Thunderbolt 3 ports support charging and display connectivity
- Improved keyboard and audio performance
- Premium look and feel
Cons:
- Non-upgradable internals
- Limited selection of ports
- Can heat up a bit under heavy loads
ASUS VivoBook 15 inch – best performance
When it comes to offering budget laptops, ASUS knows best. But despite the trimmed-down prices that affordable ASUS laptops such as the ASUS VivoBook 15 come with, the overall performance isn’t compromised. Apart from performance, other aspects such as sleek and modern look, overall portability, and reliability also make this model one of the best cheap laptops for students.
The core performance of ASUS VivoBook 15 lies in its 10th generation Intel i3 2 core processor. The CPU’s performance ranges from 1.2 GHz of base frequency to 3.4 GHz of max frequency which is impressive for an affordable laptop.
affordability with no compromises
The 8 GB DDR4 RAM capacity of this model offers a good multitasking bandwidth for taking notes during classes while simultaneously browsing the internet and opening other documents and files. If you need more multitasking bandwidth, later on, you can max out the RAM capacity to 12 GB. ASUS has also made the upgradability option available on the storage front; 128 GB SSD storage capacity comes as standard.
ASUS VivoBook 15 has one of the best-looking displays in the affordability segment. The 15.6 inch full HD display of this model has an ultra-thin bezel design. What’s most impressive to note is ASUS has included a dedicated fingerprint reader in the trackpad area. Also, the widely-space, full-sized layout of the keyboard improves typing experience. Completing the overall configuration of this laptop is a robust suite of ports, including one USB 3 Type C port, two USB 2 Type A ports, one USB 3 Type A ports, one microSD card reader, one HDMI port, and one headphone/mic jack.
Pros:
- Good overall performance
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Dedicated fingerprint reader
- Backlit keyboard
- Fast charging
Cons:
- No ethernet port
- Not the brightest display panel
- Can run a bit noisy and hot during intensive usage
GIGABYTE AERO 15 – best display
There are college students who have lightweight computing requirements and then there are other sets of students, such as computer engineering and digital design students, who require desktop-class performance in a portable laptop. If you fall in the latter category, you cannot go wrong with GIGABYTE AERO 15.
GIGABYTE AERO 15 offers a powerful base computing performance of 2.6 GHz with its 9th generation Intel i7 6 core CPU. With Intel Turbo Boost technology, the CPU can crank out up to 4.5 GHz of overclocking performance.
hardwired for exceeding expectations
Together with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU that has 6 GB DDR6 memory, the CPU helps you effortlessly complete all your college work, including working on term papers, creating presentations, streamlining notes and documents, practicing on your designs, simulating 3D CAD models, and deploying testing tools. The overall performance of this laptop gets an extra boost with a combo of 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD storage capacity. RAM as well as storage includes the option of upgradability.
GIGABYTE AERO 15 gets a competitive edge over other high-powered laptops with its 15.6 inch ultra HD 4K display that uses a Samsung AMOLED panel to deliver lifelike visuals. This model is also one of the best laptops for college students with battery life that can back you up for all your classes. The wide selection of ports in this laptop include one Thunderbolt 3 port, three USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C port, one ethernet port, one SD card reader, one HDMI port, and one headphone/mic jack.
Pros:
- Powerful hardware configuration
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Stunning 4K display
- Good thermal management
- Dedicated fingerprint reader
Cons:
- Weight is a bit on the heavier side
- Cooling fans can run a bit louder during intensive usage
- Bottom webcam placement
LG Gram 14 inch – best in speed
The best notebooks for students are often the ones that have a lightweight design. The lighter the laptop, the easier it gets for students to carry their laptops around. However, many students have a tough time finding a good balance between portability and performance. For steering clear of such an issue, laptops like the LG Gram 14 inch comes as the perfect choice.
The lightweight chassis of LG Gram 14 inch houses a 10th generation Intel i5 4 core CPU. The base 1.2 GHz and peak 3.7 GHz of computing power of the CPU helps you get all your college-related work such as document editing, note-taking, preparing presentations and term papers done at blazing speeds. Intel Iris plus graphics card doesn’t fail to keep up with the computing performance of the CPU.
peerless portability
The multitasking performance of this model is on par with that of other high-performing laptops, thanks to its 8 GB DDR4 RAM. Booting up the computer, loading different files, and firing up different programs/apps become a seamless experience with the 256 GB SSD storage on this laptop.
Getting all your college-related work done becomes further easier with the 14 inch full HD display of LG Gram 14 inch. This model shares similarities with GIGABYTE AERO 15 in terms of good battery back up. LG has included two USB 3 Gen 1 Type A ports, one Thunderbolt 3 port, one HDMI port, one microSD card reader, and one headphone/mic jack for offering external connectivity options in this laptop.
Pros:
- Powerful CPU
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- One of the most lightweight chassis in the 14 inch territory
- Backlit keyboard
- Good wireless connectivity performance
Cons:
- No ethernet port
- Average build quality
- Can heat up when handling heavy loads
HP 15 inch – best lightweight
HP is popular for its premium-range laptops, such as the models from the Envy series. However, the brand also knows how to offer good value in their budget mid-range laptops. A perfect example of this is the HP 15 inch laptop. As one of the best HP laptops for college, this model is neither an underkill nor overkill in terms of performance as well as price.
From taking and organising notes to working on your curriculum-specific tasks such as surveys, dissertations, and 3D CAD models, getting all your college-related work done becomes effortless with HP 15 inch’s 10th generation Intel i5 4 core CPU. The CPU’s computing performance ranges from a base 1.2 GHz frequency to 3.4 GHz of peak frequency.
college-ready performance
An Intel UHD Graphics integrated graphics chipsets joins the CPU in helping this laptop deliver a smooth graphics processing performance. Just like other mid-range laptops, this model comes with 8 GB DDR4 RAM which offers a sufficient multitasking bandwidth needed to maintain your productivity at its best. No compromises have been made in the storage department as this model comes with 512 GB SSD storage capacity.
The 15.6 inch display of this laptop has an HD resolution. The ultra-thin bezel design of the display makes this laptop one of the most modern looking models in the mid-range pricing category. The display also has a highly responsive touchscreen feature which makes it easy for you to get hands on with your work. Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C port, one SD card reader, one HDMI port, and one headphone/mic jack offer external connectivity options in this model.
Pros:
- Good overall performance for the price
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Dedicated fingerprint reader
- Considerably lightweight design
- Fast SSD performance
Cons:
- Limited selection of ports
- Average build quality
- Average battery life
2019 Dell G3 – RGB keyboard
There are very few brands that can pull off a mid-range gaming laptop offering, and Dell is certainly one of them. The 2019 Dell G3 gaming laptop bears testimony to this. With a well-thought-out hardware configuration, this laptop performs well both as a work laptop as well as a gaming machine. The best part is, it doesn’t cost as much as other high-end gaming laptops.
The powerful 9th generation Intel i5 4 core processor that 2019 Dell G3 uses makes it one of the best laptops for college and gaming. Whether you want to use the laptop for completing all your college work or prefer to use it for work as well as gaming, the CPU, with its 2.4 GHz of base and 4.1 GHz of peak computing power, will not let you down.
an unmistakable balance of work & play
The laptop fuels all your college-related work and gaming requirements on the graphics processing front with its powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU that has 6 GB DDR6 dedicated video memory. Multitasking performance of this laptop is just as powerful as its overall computing performance, thanks to the 8 GB DDR4 RAM it comes with. Also, the addition of 512 GB SSD storage capacity makes it easier for you to store all your college work essentials and all your favorite games.
2019 Dell G3 comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display that has a thin bezel design. Unlike many mid-range gaming laptops, this model has good thermal management. Also, the overall design of this laptop isn’t overly gaming-centric which makes it good for regular college use as well. For external connectivity, this laptop includes one USB 3 Type C port, two USB 2 Type A ports, one USB 3 Type A port, one ethernet port, one HDMI port, one SD card reader, and one headphone/mic jack.
Pros:
- Powerful work and gaming performance
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Blue RGB keyboard
- Dedicated gaming mode overclocks performance
- Good cooling performance
Cons:
- Fans are a bit noisy during extensive cooling
- Chassis is a bit bulky and heavy
- Average build quality
MSI GF63 – best optimisation
Another high-performing laptop that is well-suited as a college work laptop and can perform double duty as a powerful gaming machine is MSI GF63. The powerful hardware configuration that this model packs works to its advantage of excelling at both departments, work, and gaming. If you are willing to put in a bit of extra budget in order to get your hands on a powerful work and game performance, there is no reason why you shouldn’t go with this model.
MSI GF63 houses a 9th generation Intel i5 4 core CPU in its sleek chassis. The CPU, with its 2.4 GHz of base computing power, helps you complete all your college-related tasks without any performance lags. With Intel Turbo Boost technology, the CPU cranks up to 4.1 GHz of power to meet all your gaming requirements.
work & game with zero performance compromises
Further improving the gaming performance on this laptop is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti GPU that has 4 GB DDR5 dedicated memory. Although MSI has included 8 GB DDR4 RAM in this model, users get the option to max out the memory capacity at 64 GB. For storage, this model includes 512 GB SSD storage capacity.
MSI GF63 deserves the moniker of one of the best laptops for studying, online tutoring, and gaming with superior display performance as well. 15.6 inch full HD display of this laptop brings the best out of the GPU’s powerful graphics processing performance. The pre-included MSI Dragon Centre control centre helps you optimize the laptop’s performance according to your liking. Also, this laptop comes with a good selection of ports, including three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C port, one ethernet port, one HDMI port, one headphone jack, and one mic jack.
Pros:
- Well-balanced performance for work and gaming
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Built-in AMP improves audio performance
- MSI Dragon Center ease performance optimization
- High-quality brush aluminum chassis
Cons:
- Weight is on the heavier side
- Runs a bit noisy under heavy loads
- Middle placement of the power connector
- Comes with bloatware
2019 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 – best keypad
No other laptops come close to ThinkPads when it comes to offering a powerful and reliable work-focused performance. The 2019 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 is undoubtedly one of the best laptops for business students who want a powerful laptop that can keep up with their business curriculum requirements.
2019 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 uses a 6th generation Intel i5 2 core CPU to power all your business studies-related requirements such as market research, using analytical tools, and reviewing business roadmaps. The CPU’s performance ranges from a base 2.4 GHz frequency to 3.0 GHz of max turbo frequency.
an unmistakable choice for business students
This laptop delivers a mid-level graphics processing performance with its Intel HD Graphics chipset. The 256 GB of SSD storage capacity of this laptop makes it easy for you to keep all your college-related files, programs, and apps within quick reach. The high-powered multitasking bandwidth that the laptop’s 8 GB DDR4 RAM delivers works to your productivity advantage.
2019 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 comes with a 14 inch full HD display that has 180 degree rotation. Although not a full-sized layout, the classic ThinkPad keyboard of this model, together with a three button trackpad, improves accessibility and overall user experience. One Thunderbolt 3 port, three USB 3 Type A ports, one HDMI port, one ethernet port, one SD card reader and one headphone/mic jack offer external connectivity options in this laptop.
Pros:
- Good work/productivity-focused performance
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- One of the best keyboards
- Considerably lightweight design
- Easy to set up
Cons:
- Average audio performance
- Can heat up during heavy usage
- Not the brightest display
FAQs
1) Is a laptop really necessary for college?
That totally depends upon you and your college. While some colleges make it a must for students to have a laptop, many don’t. Of courses, colleges do have computer labs. However, the convenience comes with limits such as having to wait in long cues and not being allowed the permission to install certain programs.
2) What’s the best laptop for college?
The best laptops for college are the ones that meet the requirements of students and suit their curriculum. For arts and communication majors, a mid-level laptop is the right choice. A high-performance laptop is a must-have for technology majors.
3) How much should I spend on a college laptop?
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to deciding upon a college laptop budget. For lightweight requirements, cheap laptops get the job perfectly done. And for heavy requirements, such as working on CAD software, keeping a high budget for a premium laptop is definitely worth it.
4) Are Chromebooks good for college students?
Yes, Chromebooks with good overall performance, including Acer Chromebook 315 and Lenovo Chromebook C340, are a good choice for college students who prefer portability and have lightweight requirements.
5) Which is better for college students MacBook Air or Pro?
Both are excellent choices. MacBook Air is good for portability and lightweight usage. On the other hand, MacBook Pro is great for high-powered requirements.
6) What is a good GB for a laptop for college?
It’s good if a laptop you choose for college has a least 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 128 GB SSD storage.
Conclusion
You will be using your college laptop day in and day out. So, it’s best not to choose a laptop by just looking at the specs on paper. Once you start using the laptop you’ve chosen, it can take a while for you to work your way around being comfortable with it. Making further adjustments such as display brightness and contrast, performance optimization, and removing bloatware can help you make your college laptop easier to use.