The best laptops for students — for every type of student and budget

We couldn’t not include a MacBook, could we? While the mighty MacBook Pro is still the jewel in Apple’s firmly-held crown, for a price and portability that’s outweighed by impressive features – which is all thanks to new M1 CPU – the 2020 MacBook Air(opens in a new tab) is the best Apple option for students. It’s slim and light but also a powerhouse that outstrips the previous Air.

For such a small machine – just 1.63cm thick and 2.8 pounds – the M1 makes it a powerful piece of hardware. It's helped along by some nifty software called Rosetta 2 and the Big Sur operating system, which allows you to glide through most apps and software at lightning speed – whatever your studies require. 

As always with Apple laptops, this is a top choice for design and video editing – perfect if you're a creative student. And when taking a break you’ll be pleased to find this is also Apple’s best gaming laptop to date. 

The 13.3-inch screen has a resolution of 2560 x 1600p, and the base model includes the M1 chip with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. You can double up on storage (512GB) and add an extra GPU core for a higher-spec version.

Despite the big update, it’s going for roughly the same price as the previous gen MacBook Air, which is a huge bonus – and makes it an attractively priced option next to usually cheaper competitors. 

The regular Google Pixelbook was hailed as the best Chromebooks of all time. The Google Pixelbook Go(opens in a new tab) packs all that brilliance – and a few easily overlooked downsides – into a cheaper, student-friendly bundle that’s made for working on the move.

It includes an 8th Gen Intel CPU, with a 13.3-inch touchscreen display that delivers a resolution of 1920 x 1080p. The base level model has 64GB storage (128GB and 256GB also available) and 8GB RAM. That of that is encased in an easy-to-grip, matte texture chassis – a feature that makes this especially good for carrying around. Not to mention its lightweight dimensions, measuring just 0.5 inches thick and weighing 2.3 pounds.

The real bonuses are an excellent 1080p webcam – if your studies include a lot of video calls, you’ll look sharper than ever – and a ‘Hush’ keyboard, which is joyously comfortable and just the right amount of quiet. It seems an obvious thing to say, but this really is a laptop for typing on – all day, every day. 

Perhaps most useful for mobile workers and students is the battery. It boasts a battery life of up to 12 hours and charges very quickly – perfect if you’re moving from home to library to café to the train. 

This is one instance where the cheaper, lower spec version of the laptop is actually better value. If you’re willing to spend the cash on the top end model, it might be worth spending a little more extra on a competing model with better features.

If you’re looking for a laptop that can both work and play – and won’t cost your entire student loan – look no further than the Acer Nitro 5(opens in a new tab). It’s an attractively priced machine that handles pretty much anything – easy essay writing on its comfortable keyboard, creative tasks such as photo and video editing, and real-time ray tracing on up-to-the-minute games. 

That’s all down to an 8th Generation Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics card, which are backed up by 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM. It boasts up to 189fps on games such as Fortnite. 

All of that plays out across a 17.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080p. That means the Acer Nitro 5(opens in a new tab) is a solid choice if you like to wile away your leisure time watching movies too. Serious gamers will enjoy the addition of adjustable dual fans, which allow you to control heat and power usage. It's packed with multiple USB ports too.

If gaming is your thing, the Acer Nitro 5 looks the business with its red trim and backlit keyboard. It also has a decent – though not mind-blowing – battery life for a budget-level gaming laptop, lasting up to seven hours. At this price you’ll have to excuse the less-than-inspiring craftsmanship but it’s a palatable downside at this price.

Different configurations are available at various price points, including versions which are equipped with Ryzen CPUs.

The Asus Chromebook Flip(opens in a new tab) falls either side of the £500 mark – depending on the specific model – which is half (or more) off the price of some other laptops on this list. You may be thinking that a weirdly low price means that it's not good, but you'd be wrong. When the Flip first flipped its way onto shelves, it was an immediate game-changer for Chromebooks. Subsequent upgrades have continued to improve. 

This version, the Asus Chromebook Flip C433(opens in a new tab), is physically sturdy, has the iconic thin and sleek MacBook look, and has specs that can compete with the best of them.

Inside, you'll find a 6th generation Intel Core m7 processor, up to 4GB RAM, a fully backlit keyboard, and ultra-fast loading speeds thanks to the 802.11 ac WiFi connection. In other words, the Chromebook Flip is pretty powerful. 

It has a four-side NanoEdge touchscreen with ultra-slim bezels that essentially pack a 14-inch screen into what feels and looks like a much smaller laptop. It gives you an impressive 85% screen to body ratio. As the name suggests, just flip it over to convert into a tablet. 

A fully charged battery should last around 10 hours, and there are two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, and a micro SD card slot.

A sturdier (and of course more expensive) model is also available – the Asus Chromebook Flip C434.

The Dell XPS 13 is a well-known and well-loved laptop. It’s often cited as the go-to premium choice for students who use Windows 10. And not just students. The Dell XPS 13 is arguably the best Windows 10 laptop for anyone.

The 2-in-1 version, which flips over to convert into a tablet, isn’t just a nifty design quirk. The 2-in-1 feature isn't especially unique either – not even unique on this list. But there’s more to it than added portability.

In the past we called the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1(opens in a new tab) a happy medium between Dell's traditional powerhouse laptops and the elegance of a convertible model. This rebooted version puts the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1(opens in a new tab) into a league of its own. 

It’s powered by an 11th gen Intel i7 quad-core processor – part of Intel’s celebrated “Tiger Lake” family of CPUs – with integrated graphics and a 13-hour battery life. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will handle all your apps and jobs like a champion multi-tasker. It's even a competent gamer when you’re trying to find ways to ignore those deadlines. It also has unusually big storage for a 2-in-1.

If you’re all about looks, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 features Dell's InfinityEdge technology, which is a fancy term for extra-thin bezels and a wide-as-possible, gorgeous screen. Other features include a variety of ports – two USB-C ports, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a headphone jack – plus a specially designed cooling system that uses internal vapour chambers.

If you've done any other laptop research recently, this pick isn't quite a shocker. The Huawei MateBook X Pro has been dubbed the best laptop by numerous media brands. 

It's a pretty shameless copy of the MacBook Pro's thin look, but packs some excellent specs into such a lightweight device — which is ideal for people who travel a lot or have an annoying commute to work. Plus, the battery is said to last up to 13 hours (especially impressive for a laptop this size), which will make long days significantly more painless.

It's also a powerhouse inside, with an Intel Core i7 1165G7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 1 TB SSD. The 13.9-inch, 3K touchscreen display is crystal clear with a 3000 x 2000 resolution for movie theatre-like visuals, featuring ultra thin bezels and integrated Intel Iris XeGraphics. Quad speakers will also give your movie nights a boost. 

If you're wondering where the camera fits in those thin bezels, we'll let you know that the camera isn't up there — it's in a little pop-up button on the keyboard. This makes everything more compact, but gives an awkward up-the-nose angle. 

That'll be annoying if your long-distance relationship relies on Zoom, but don't let that sway your choice too much. Your smartphone can more than make up the difference.