How to choose the right laptop for students

There are a few other boxes that the best student laptops should check besides being able to handle the demands of your coursework. One of the biggest considerations you should have when choosing a student laptop is battery life - you need something that will last all day during your classes and still have juice leftover for late nights studying at the library. Student laptops should also ideally be both versatile and lightweight because you’ll want something that can multitask all the programs you’ll need without being a drag to carry around campus. Versatility is crucial with a student laptop, especially with majors that will have you flipping back and forth between a published paper and the essay you’re trying to finish in time. Budget is also a major consideration in choosing the best student laptop for your university experience. Not everyone can shell out a ton of money for a student laptop - we absolutely understand that - so you need to be sure to pick something that meets all your criteria without going overboard on your budget. It’s easy to find a great student laptop within your price range these days, and even better when you find a sale and get a good deal on it.

Is a MacBook a good laptop for students?

This is a slightly loaded question, because ultimately the best operating system for students (whether that's Windows 10 or 11, macOS, or ChromeOS) will always come down to which OS the student in question prefers to use. Some of us are married to the effective functionality of Windows; others might prefer the aesthetically pleasing UI of Apple devices, or the Android-esque, streamlined user experience Chromebook provide. If you're already comfortable using a specific operating system, making the leap can be tricky. ChromeOS is arguably the easiest to pick up and use, but changing to MacOS after a decade spend familiarizing yourself with Windows might lead to confusion. Take this into consideration when choosing a new laptop for school or college. On the hardware side, we're pleased to say that MacBooks are more competitive than ever. Apple's fantastic M1 and M2 chips are much more capable of running demanding tasks than processors with integrated graphics, making Apple laptops excellent all-rounders for the busy student. However, if you need to run highly intensive software, it's worth considering a Windows laptop with a dedicated GPU - ideally an Nvidia RTX one - since this will give you a lot more grunt in GPU-accelerated programs.

Which is better for students: a laptop or a desktop?

Simply put, most college-level students will need a laptop for their studies at this stage. While having a computer of some kind is practically a necessity at this point - with the rise of remote learning and content creation among university students - a laptop can be thrown into a rucksack and taken along to lectures and workshops, unlike a desktop PC. Yes, a desktop will typically offer more processing power and the advantage of a bigger screen, but you might end up spending more (especially once you factor in the need for peripherals) and then still find yourself needing a portable device for note-taking and working on the go. If you've already got a small tablet or laptop that you can take out and about, you might want to consider buying one of the best desktop computers , but otherwise, we recommend you get a more capable laptop and use that in lieu of a desktop.

Best student laptops in Australia

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Quick Menu

(Image credit: Future)

1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best Mac
4. Best looking
5. Best Chromebook
6. Best Gaming
7. Best 2-in-1
8. Best 13th Gen
9. Best under $1k
10. Best budget Chromebook
11. Best AMD
12. How to choose
13. How we test

Whether you're a student looking for a new laptop, or a parent looking to kit their kid out with the tech they need for their studies, there are plenty of challenges to overcome in the vast sea of solid options.

One of the major considerations, for both student and parent alike, is to find a laptop that doesn't cost the planet, but simply finding the cheapest available machine isn't likely to be a worthwhile investment either way.

Thankfully, here at TechRadar, we get to review a vast majority of the laptops that hit shelves, and in doing so we get a great idea of the products that are worth their asking price – particularly when it comes to paying for features and specs that actually matter.

With that said, below are our recommendations on the best value laptops for students, no matter your budget and needs, we'll have a laptop to meet the demands of your study (and wallet).

The quick list

Best of the best

1. Acer Swift Go 14

Best student laptop overall

An OLED screen on a powerful and competitively priced Ultrabook, the Swift Go is an unparalleled offering for students this year.

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Best Mac

2. Apple MacBook Air (M1)

Best Mac for students

If you're already familiar with Mac OS, or you want a device that'll last all day without the need to charge then the late 2020 MacBook Air is still a solid choice for students.

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Best looking

3. Surface Laptop Go 2

Best looking student laptop

The Surface Laptop Go range offers a nice-looking PixelSense display and a slightly older but still powerful processor.

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Best Chromebook

4. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook

Best Chromebook

Chrome is a compelling OS for 2-in-1 devices that don't have quite enough power to run full-Windows operating systems and this is one of the best of the bunch.

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Best 2-in-1

5. Microsoft Surface Go 3

Best 2-in-1

This affordable tablet is one of the most portable and versatile offerings here, but it's still powerful enough to run whatever software you need for school.

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Best 13th Gen

6. Acer Aspire 5 15

Best 13th Gen Intel Laptop

There are a range of current and older generation Acer Aspire 5 15-inch laptops out there, but whether you get AMD or Intel, the current gen or older laptops the whole range of Acer Aspire 5 devices are all competent performers.

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Best under $1k

7. Dell Inspiron 15

Best under $1k

This laptop has plenty of power and a good set of customisable options that all come in under the $1k mark. A great device for students on a tight budget.

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