Best laptops for MBA students 2023

At MBA level, performance is everything - so our team of experts tested the best laptops for MBA students. Our hand-picked top MBA student laptops are tailored for the fast-paced, competitive campus and office lifestyles. . 

Like all the best business laptops, MBA student laptops need speed, power, and a pin-sharp design. All the machines we’ve chosen pack powerful processors with plenty of cores. MBA courses demand multitasking power and performance-driven flexibility. 

We compared every last detail, from the RAM speeds to responsive keyboards for comfortable typing. High-resolution displays, battery life length, and webcam and microphone quality have been put to the test. Our reviewers tested the build quality and robustness of each device, and benchmarked performance tests to find out who comes out number one.  

The quick list

The best laptops for MBA students in 2023

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Best laptop for MBA students overall

(Image credit: Future)
A processor, keyboard, and design that’ll cope with anything

Specifications

CPU: Apple M2 Pro (12-core) - Apple M2 Max (12-core)
Graphics: Integrated 19-core – 38-core GPU
RAM: Up to 96GB
Screen: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
Storage: Up to 8TB
Dimensions: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 in / 35.57 x 24.81 x 1.68 cm

Reasons to buy

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Versatile, fast M2 Pro and M2 Max processors
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Brilliant battery life
+
Bold, high-resolution display for multitasking

Reasons to avoid

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Expensive;
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A little largee
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Doesn’t use Windows 

Any good MBA laptop needs to be versatile, reliable and look the part. And there’s nothing better than the Apple MacBook Pro.

On the inside? M2 Pro and M2 Max processors will handle anything short of the tasks you’d give to a desktop workstation – overkill for many MBA students, but it’s enough power to keep you going for years. The Liquid Retina XDR makes every image, website and video look stunning.

On the outside? An Apple laptop will always look slick in the lecture hall, office or boardroom, and the all-aluminum chassis has the build quality to withstand regular commutes, lectures and trips.

Name an attribute and the MacBook Pro probably excels. Speakers? Fantastic – easily good enough for presentations and background music. Camera and microphone? Ample for video chats. Keyboard? Comfortable for long days. The battery? Expect about twenty hours if you’re careful and fifteen hours if you’re pushing the processor. Thunderbolt, HDMI and SD slots complete the picture.

You’ll have to ensure your favored apps run on Mac OS and you’ll have to be prepared to spend big if you want the MacBook Pro 16, but it’s a clear front-runner when it comes to laptops for MBA students.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) review 

Best budget laptop for MBA students

(Image credit: Future)
A fast, versatile, affordable all-rounder

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i5 12500H / i7 12700 H
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
Screen: 14-inch 2880 x 1800 OLED
Storage: 512GB / 1TB
Dimensions: 12.31 x 8.42 x 0.7 in / 31.29 x 21.4 x 1.79 cm

Reasons to buy

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Solid performance
+
A fantastic OLED screen
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Great pricing on all models

Reasons to avoid

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Plain looks
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Middling build quality

You need to make a good impression in business, and the Acer Swift 3 OLED does just that without breaking your budget. The OLED display is bright, bold and accurate, and the metallic exterior looks sleek and smart – if not particularly eye-catching.

Underneath the OLED panel you’ll find full-power Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors – the former is capable of any Office-based task and is a robust multi-tasker and the latter is well-suited to creative workloads and number crunching, too. You don’t get a discrete GPU, but when the Acer is regularly available for three figures, that’s an easy compromise to accept, especially when MBA work doesn’t often need graphical ability.

Fourteen hours of battery life means the Acer will handle lengthy MBA student and office days, and the Acer has full-size USB ports and a Thunderbolt 4 connection. The keyboard and trackpad are only mediocre, but they’re fine at this price and fine for work. You’ll find lighter 14-inch laptops than this three-pound device, too.

Still, a soft keyboard and slightly weighty design are prices worth paying when you get full-power Intel CPUs and an OLED screen for under $1000 / £1000 / AU$1000. It’s a great option for MBA students on a budget.

Read our full Acer Swift 3 OLED review 

Best portable for MBA students

(Image credit: Future)
A top-class, lightweight multi-tasker – and now with a larger 15 in screen

Specifications

CPU: Apple M2
Graphics: Integrated 8 - 10-core GPU
RAM: 8GB – 24GB
Screen: 13.6-inch / 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display
Storage: Up to 2TB
Dimensions: 13.6-inch: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in / 30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13 cm; 15.3-inch: 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 in / 34.04 x 23.76 x 1.15 cm

Reasons to buy

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Great power; Slim and light
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Now in a larger screen size
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All-day battery

Reasons to avoid

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Can be expensive
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Doesn’t run Windows

What should you do if you don’t want the expense or relative bulk of the MacBook Pro? Turn to the MacBook Air, which delivers many of the same benefits into a sleeker and more affordable package.

You don’t quite get the CPU ability of the M2 Pro and Max chips with the MacBook Air, but the standard M2 is still a stellar performer for MBA students – it’s easily got the power to cope with anything you’ll throw at it.

The 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch screen options mean you have choice, with the former ideal for MBA students on the move and the latter perfect for anyone searching for more immersion or space. And at 2.7 pounds and 3.3 pounds respectively, neither will weigh you down.

Apple’s more affordable MacBook has a full working day of battery life and a stonking keyboard. Its slim size means it doesn’t have that many ports, especially compared to the MacBook Pro, but you can overcome that issue if you’re well-prepared with dongles.

It’s a fast, slim, light and long-lasting Apple device that doesn’t break the bank quite like its bigger brother, so this is a superb option for MBA students who want to run MacOS.

Read our full Apple MacBook Air review 

Best for gamers

(Image credit: Future)
Benchmark-breaking performance inside a sleek, professional design

Specifications

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 - 4070
RAM: 16GB / 32 GB
Screen: 14-inch 2560 x 1600 240Hz IPS
Storage: 1TB
Dimensions: 12.23 x 8.97 x 0.7 in / 310.7 x 22.8 x 17.99 cm

Reasons to buy

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Incredible power
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Mature, good-looking design
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Great screen quality

Reasons to avoid

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Can become expensive
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No Intel CPU
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A larger screen may be preferable

MBA students harboring a secret gaming habit can get the best of both worlds with the Razer Blade 14. At four pounds and with a compact chassis it’s easy to take to lectures and days in the office, its matte black design looks smart and professional, and on the inside it’s hiding fearsome graphical power.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 graphics cores will run today’s top games at impressive levels of graphical fidelity. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS is an unusual addition when Intel rules the laptop roost in many designs, but it’s an extremely capable chip that’ll tackle any MBA student task. Factor in the 16GB or 32GB of memory, 1TB hard disk and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and you’ve got a go-anywhere notebook.

Pairs of USB and USB-C connectors and an HDMI output improve versatility, and the display is fantastic – it’s got the quality for everyday work and impressive presentations and the 240Hz speed for esports. It also has a 1080p webcam with facial recognition.

This notebook will struggle to get through a whole working day without electric help and it doesn’t have a card reader, and Razer notebooks are infamously expensive.

You get what you pay for, though, and there’s no denying the Razer’s quality. It’s small, powerful and easily handles MBA student life and all your gaming needs. What’s not to like?

Read our full Razer Blade 14 review 

Best 2-in-1 laptop for MBA students

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
A classy, capable convertible that’ll handle any office task

Specifications

CPU: 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
Screen: Up to 14-inch 3840 x 2400 400-nit OLED touch with 100% DCI-P3, VESA Certified
Storage: 512GB / 1TB
Dimensions: 12.52 x 9.06 x 0.6 in / 318 x 230 x 15.2 mm

Reasons to buy

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Reliable performance
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Eye-catching, smart design
+
Stylus and touchscreen
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Superb battery

Reasons to avoid

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A little pricey
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Display could be brighter 

MBA student life is all about versatility, and few laptops offer more in this department than the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8. Flip the 14in screen around on its smooth hinges and you can use the Yoga as a notebook, tablet, or tent-based presentation and collaboration tool.

The display’s high-resolution OLED spec guarantees crisp, bold imagery no matter the situation, and the packaged stylus adds creative ability to the notebook – it’s a top tool for note-taking, annotating and sketching.

Aesthetically the Yoga has the sleek metal body to impress in any lecture hall, seminar or boardroom, and internally the low-power 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor has the cores and speed to run loads of browser tabs and Office apps simultaneously. It’s only going to struggle with demanding creative or data-heavy workloads.

USB-C connectivity, great speakers, a webcam with facial recognition, a privacy shutter, and great speakers mean the Yoga is well-connected, secure, and good for presentations, video calls, and background music.

You’re only looking at low four-figure prices, too, so you’re getting a lot of superb 2-in-1 for your money. For MBA students who want versatility and good looks, this is excellent.

Read our full Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 review 

Best Chromebook for MBA students

An HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook on a wooden desk

(Image credit: Future)
A fast, first-class Chromebook

Specifications

CPU: Up to Intel Core i7
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: Up to 16GB
Screen: 13.5-inch, 1920x1280p, 400 nits, touchscreen
Storage: 256GB PCIe NVMe
Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 in / 31.4 x 22.09 x 1.77 cm

Reasons to buy

+
Fast and capable
+
Stylish enough for any office
+
Touch-capable, stunning screen

Reasons to avoid

-
An expensive option
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Enterprise security costs extra 

The wealth of software available on ChromeOS these days means that it’s easily conceivable that MBA students can access everything they need on a Chromebook – and if you want a Google-based notebook to impress, the HP Elite Dragonfly should be at the top of your shopping list.

The metal chassis looks and feels fantastic, and the ergonomic design of the keyboard and trackpad are exceptional – you’ll get through a full day of typing without any finger fatigue.

The Intel 13th Gen processors offer the multitasking and single-threaded speed for any task an MBA student might face, especially when running on Google’s lithe Chrome OS software. The touchscreen is excellent, too, and if you’re willing to pay for one of the more expensive models you’ll enjoy extra security features, like a Google Titan C chip and zero-touch enrolment. You can also add 5G connectivity if that’s preferred.

All-day battery life, stylus options and relatively big SSDs for a Chromebook complete an impressive picture. If you’re comfortable working on Chrome OS, you won’t be any more comfortable than here.

Read our full HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook review 

Best 17-inch laptop for MBA students