The 10 Best Laptops for College Students in 2021

Best Overall: ASUS Zenbook 14 (2021)

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For the average student headed off to college, you’d be hard pressed to find a laptop that offers more at such a relatively affordable price point than the ASUS ZenBook 14. It really hits the sweet spot for power and portability on a limited budget, while also delivering remarkable build quality. Not only is it solidly built, it also looks great, and it would be easy to mistake the Zenbook 14 for a much more expensive laptop.

Inside that shiny metal chassis, you’ll find an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. That SSD is particularly nice in a mid range laptop like this, considering its relatively spacious capacity. It will make a big difference in day to day computing. However, its integrated AMD Radeon R5 graphics won’t really cut it for heavy duty gaming or video editing, though it should stand up to light photo editing and other less intensive tasks. Also worth noting is the number pad built into the trackpad, which grants you a level of functionality not usually found in such a compact device. 

The 14 inch display is smaller than the typical 15.6 laptop, which makes it much more portable. Though the 1920 x 1080 resolution isn’t too impressive, on a screen of this size it’s no problem. I’ve personally used similar ZenBook models as my daily driver in the past, and can personally vouch for their exceptional quality. This is easily the best laptop for college students.

_{Size: 14 inches | Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 | GPU: Integrated AMD Radeon R5 graphics | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 512GB SSD | Touchscreen: No}

Best Ultrabook: Lenovo Yoga C740

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The Lenovo Yoga C740 is a slim and powerful laptop that’s ideal for college students. It features a 10th Gen Intel core processor, runs Windows 10 Home, and comes in a variety of configurations that give it beefier options in terms of power. These configurations allow you to pick between 8GB and 16GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB SSDs. The specs are more than enough to handle the average productivity workload of a college student, from graphing on Excel to typing up Word docs. 

There isn't a dedicated GPU for video editing or gaming, but the 14-inch FHD screen is IPS and looks sharp and colorful. It also supports Dolby Vision, so shows on Netflix, Hulu, and other services will look great. In all other regards, the Yoga C740 excels as a well rounded ultrabook.

_{Size: 14 inches | Resolution: 1920x1080 | CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i5 | GPU: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 256GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes}

Best 2-in-1: Microsoft Surface Go 2

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The Microsoft Surface Go 2 is a step up from the previous generation in many regards. It comes with a bigger 10.5-inch touchscreen that's fully detachable, has a built-in adjustable kickstand, and a detachable keyboard. The screen size might be a little small for spreadsheets, but when it comes to note-taking (with the Surface Pen), sketching, homework, and browsing, the Surface Go 2 won't disappoint.

The 1.2 pound weight and 10 hour battery life makes the Surface Go 2 ideal for travelers too, since you won't need to worry about running out of juice. Storage might leave a little to be desired, but the specs are solid for productivity and the real strength comes from the sheer flexibility of the form-factor.

_{Size: 10.51 inches | Resolution: 1920x1080 | CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i9 | GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB DDR4 | Storage: 64GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes}

Best Chrome 2-in-1: Lenovo Chromebook Duet

3.8

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The sleek and attractive Lenovo Chromebook Duet is one of the best Chromebooks around, and is a great pick whether you’re a college student or not. It's an ultra-portable convertible laptop/tablet hybrid with a long-lasting battery, keyboard, and kickstand. The 10.1-inch detachable screen makes it one of the most portable, fully functional devices out there. 

The screen is a crisp, Full HD IPS panel that will work great for streaming, and is potentially a great option if you’re looking to take advantage of game streaming services such as Google Stadia. Though ChromeOS is somewhat limited, as is the relatively low power hardware of this device, you should still be able to handle all your productivity needs with the Chromebook Duet.

_{Size: 10.1 inches | Resolution: 1920x1200 | CPU: MediaTek Helio P60T | GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB DDR4 | Storage: 64GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes}

Best for Durability: ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS04

3.6

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The ASUS Chromebook C202 is a rugged computer that’s capable of being repeatedly thrown in your backpack. It has a spill-resistant keyboard, a reinforced rubber bumper to protect it from minor drops and scratches, and nano-molding technology on its edges and corners to reduce the impact of falls. 

The Chromebook C202 is capable of withstanding a fall from as high as 3.9 feet — and that's particularly impressive, given that it only weighs 2.65 pounds. The C202’s 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display even comes equipped with anti-glare technology, so you can work while you catch some rays on the quad. With a 180-degree hinge, you can also transform the laptop into a tablet to take full advantage of its touchscreen capability. 

On the inside, it packs an Intel Celeron N3060 Processor (2M cache up to 2.48 GHz) and 16GB or 32GB of flash storage. Like other Chromebook models, the C202 also employs automatically-updating anti-virus protection so you don't have to worry about accidentally downloading any malicious software when you're surfing the web.

_{Size: 11.6 inches | Resolution: 1366x768 | CPU: Intel 1.6 GHz celeron | GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB DDR4 | Storage: 32GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes}

Best Budget: Acer Chromebook R11

4.3

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Every college student needs a laptop that can handle both homework and extra-curricular internet use—like those early morning hours when you’re five hours deep into a Netflix original series. The Acer Chromebook R 11 gets an A+ for both. The convertible, 360-degree laptop/tablet runs on Chrome OS, so you can download apps from the Google Play Store and use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to complete your classwork. With an Intel Celeron N3150 Quad-Core Processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage, the Chromebook R 11 is capable for basic tasks. Built-in virus protection—which updates itself automatically—also safeguards your files, so you don't have to worry about crashes or data loss. 

Once you’ve submitted your report or finished your online quiz, you can flip the screen all the way back to enjoy your favorite mobile games and shows in tablet mode on its 11.6-inch HD IPS touch display with 1366 x 768 resolution. The battery life is rated at about 10 hours, so it’ll last you a full day of classes and then some. You also get 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years, so you won't have to worry about storing important documents or photos.

_{Size: 11.6 inches | Resolution: 1366x768 | CPU: Intel N3150 Celeron | GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB DDR4 | Storage: 32GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes}

Best Lightweight: ASUS ZenBook S

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The ASUS ZenBook S is one of the most rugged and portable laptops out there, with a 2.2-pound, 0.5-inch thick design made from aerospace-grade aluminum. It’s got a neat backlit, tilting keyboard, too, that can angle your typing surface by 5.5 inches. This function also allows for additional airflow which helps keep the machine cool—in tandem with a copper-alloy heat pipe and liquid-crystal-polymer fan—so it won't sound like a rocket ship when it's working hard. Add in a headphone jack and three USB-C ports (with two that can handle Thunderbolt 3 cables) and you’ve got some serious connectivity in this highly portable device. 

The ZenBook S also comes with Alexa integration for voice commands and a lithium polymer battery that can last up to 12 hours without a charge. You can gear it up with either an i5 or i7 Intel CPU for some serious power in exceptionally small form, and you can outfit your ZenBook S with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM for a smooth, multi-app running experience. If you’re looking for something a little different, you can opt for the laptop in Deep Dive Blue or Burgundy Red. Media-types will dig being able to add a 4K glossy touchscreen as an option, with HD glossy non-touch or HD anti-glare screens as the other two.

_{Size: 13.9 inches | Resolution: 3300x2200 | CPU: 11th Generation Intel Core i7 | GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Storage: 1TB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes}

Best for Gaming: MSI GF65 Gaming Laptop

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Whether you want to do some gaming in your dorm room, or you need plenty of graphics horsepower for video editing or other creative tasks, the MSI GF65 is a great affordable laptop. At its core is Nvidia’s latest Geforce RTX 3060 graphics card, which is fully capable of running the latest games at max settings on the GF65’s 144hz 1080p display with silky smooth high framerates. Also, if you’re taking graphic design or video editing classes, that GPU is going to be essential.

The graphics card is really the star of the show, and beyond it and the screen, the components of the GF65 are rather mediocre. Its 10th gen Intel i5 core is adequate, as is the 512GB of solid state storage. The biggest downside of this laptop is that its mere 8GB of RAM could be a potential bottleneck for the rest of the system. A gaming laptop should really have at least 16GB. Minor caveats aside, the MSI GF65 is an awesome gaming focused pick for college students.

_{Size: 15.6 inches | Resolution: 1920  x 1920 | CPU: Intel Core i5-10500H | GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 512GB SSD | Touchscreen: No}

Best Windows: Dell XPS 13 9310

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If you love Apple’s stellar build quality, but prefer Windows as your platform of choice, then the Dell XPS 13 9310 offers a great alternative to the Macbook Air. It features a gorgeous 13.4-inch 1920 x 1200 display, a durable aluminum and carbon fiber body, and a trackpad that is every bit the equal of Apple’s. Similarly, you can expect an excellent keyboard, and a light and razor thin profile. This thing is eminently portable. 

Of course, the caveat is that for the price, the base model of the XPS 13 is rather disappointing in terms of its internal hardware. You only get 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and an integrated GPU. However, on the plus side you do benefit from Intel’s latest 11th generation Core i3 processor, though even this is less powerful than I’d like to see. However, if you don’t mind spending more, RAM, storage, and processor can all be upgraded.

It’s important to remember though, that compared to its Apple counterpart the Dell XPS 13 9310 is comparable in terms of cost and components. What you’re paying for is looks and build quality.

_{Size: 13 inches | Resolution: 1920 x 1200 | CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4 | GPU: Integrated | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 256GB SSD | Touchscreen: No}