Best laptops for students in 2025

Choosing the right laptop is a significant decision for students. It serves as a primary tool for academic tasks, from taking notes in lectures and conducting in-depth research to completing assignments and collaborating on projects. A reliable laptop is often the backbone of academic success. With a multitude of options available, understanding the key features and how they align with your specific needs is essential. Factors such as performance, portability, battery life, operating system, and budget all play crucial roles in this decision. This article provides an overview of the best laptops for students this year, highlighting their features and comparing the laptops to guide you in making an informed choice for your educational pursuits.

Key Factors to Consider When Buying a Laptop

Performance:

One of the most crucial feature of a laptop is performance. The device must possess sufficient processing power and ample RAM to handle a multitude of academic tasks. We recommend Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, or their AMD Ryzen equivalents, alongside at least 8GB of RAM, with 16GB being strongly advised for a smoother experience.

Storage:

The type of storage, (SSD), also significantly impacts the laptop’s responsiveness. When considering the storage capacity of a student laptop, it’s wise to aim for at least 512 GB. Opting for a smaller 256 GB drive might quickly become limiting, as the operating system and essential software can consume a significant portion of that space, leaving less room for your documents, projects, and other files.

Battery life:

Battery life is another cornerstone of a student’s laptop requirements. Laptops with long-lasting batteries allow students to attend classes, library sessions, and work in various locations without the constant worry of finding a power outlet. Models like the Dell XPS 13 features nearly 26 hours of usage on a single charge.

Operating System: Windows vs. macOS vs. ChromeOS:

The choice of operating system is a fundamental decision that will significantly influence a student’s computing experience. Each of the three major operating systems – Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS – offers distinct advantages and disadvantages for students.

Windows stands out for its broad software compatibility, supporting a vast ecosystem of applications essential for various academic disciplines. You’ll also find Windows laptops at pretty much every price point and performance level. The flip side is that you might encounter some pre-installed software you don’t need (that’s the “bloatware”), and it’s a good idea to stay on top of security to avoid any viruses.

macOS is celebrated for its user-friendly interface, seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem, and strong performance and energy efficiency, particularly on newer MacBooks powered by Apple’s silicon. They’re a favorite for creative tasks like graphic design and video editing because of their Apple Intelligence and excellent displays.

ChromeOS offers an affordable, fast, and secure computing experience, primarily relying on web-based applications. They’re also generally very easy to maintain with automatic updates. The main thing to keep in mind is that ChromeOS doesn’t always play nicely with desktop software that you might need to install directly, and it really relies on having a good internet connection to get the most out of it.

For students, the best operating system often depends on their field of study. Those in disciplines requiring specialized software might lean towards Windows or macOS, while students whose work is primarily web-based may find ChromeOS a more cost-effective and efficient solution.

Best laptops for students in 2025

Windows Laptops:

For students seeking broad software compatibility and a wide range of hardware options, Windows laptops remain a popular choice.

Dell XPS 13 Laptop Model: 9350

Equipped with Intel® Core™ Ultra processors Series 2, it can handle demanding tasks like research, complex applications, and running multiple applications simultaneously. The “Ultra” designation signifies Intel’s newer architecture focused on low power consumption and integrated AI capabilities.

Furthermore, the battery life is a standout feature, with tests showing it can last up to 26 hours during streaming with FHD+ .

13.4-inch screen with high resolution (FHD+) makes visuals super sharp, and its bright and anti-glare properties, helps you to even work comfortably in brighter and outdoor environments. This laptop has EyeSafe^® technology, certified to reduce blue light emissions, potentially minimizing eye strain during long study sessions.

A 1080p webcam offers good video quality for online classes and video calls. The dual-array microphones help ensure clear audio during communication.

The Dell XPS 13 positions itself as a direct competitor to high-end MacBooks, offering a compelling combination of power, battery life, and a sleek design. It is particularly well-suited for students who require robust performance on the go and appreciate a high-quality display, although it typically comes with a higher price tag reflecting its premium features.

ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406KA)

The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406KA) is an excellent laptop for students, offering a blend of features helpful for academic life. Its slim profile (0.59 inches) and light weight (2.82 lbs) make it easy to carry around campus.

Equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 Processor and AMD Radeon 860M graphics, it smoothly handles multitasking and demanding applications. Up to 1 TB of storage and 16 GB of memory ensure efficient performance. Integrated with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), it can offer enhanced performance for AI-related tasks.

The OLED screen is a particularly significant advantage for students who value high visual quality. However, its potential limitations in extreme brightness should be weighed against the student’s typical usage scenarios.

The laptop’s adherence to MIL-STD 810H military standards underscores its durability and ability to withstand the rigors of daily student life.

YOU MAY READ: New ASUS Laptop: ExpertBook P3

Acer Swift Go 14 AMD

The Acer Swift Go 14 AMD is designed as an AI PC, integrating AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series Processors and AMD Radeon™ 700M Series Graphics. This laptop ensures smooth multitasking for demanding academic workloads. The vibrant 2.8K OLED display with touchscreen provides an immersive visual experience for both studying and entertainment.

Features like the enhanced video call capabilities with Acer PurifiedView™ and Acer PurifiedVoice™, Eyesafe^® Certified, contribute to clearer and more engaging virtual interactions, essential for collaborative projects and online classes. The laptop enhances the user experience with a 1440p QHD webcam for clear video conferencing.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, Surface Laptop offers excellent performance for student tasks. It handles multitasking smoothly, ensuring that students can run multiple applications without lag. The device is also equipped with ample RAM (up to 32GB) and storage (up to 1TB SSD), providing sufficient memory and space for assignments, projects, and media files.

The 15-inch PixelSense Flow touchscreen HDR display offers a sharp resolution (2496 x 1664) and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which is great for both productivity and content consumption.

With up to 22 hours of video playback, students can rely on the laptop throughout a full day of classes and study sessions without needing to worry about finding a power outlet.

Comparison of Windows Laptops

	DELL XPS 13 (9350)	ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406KA)	Acer Swift Go 14 AMD	Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition
Processor	i7/i9 ultra series 2	AMD Ryzen AI 7	AMD Ryzen 5/7	Snapdragon X Elite (12 Core)
RAM	16/32 GB LPDDR5X	16/32 GB LPDDR5X	8 GB, LPDDR5 16 GB, LPDDR5X	16GB/32GB/64GB LPDDR5X
Storage	1 TB SSD	1 TB SSD	512/1 TB GB SSD	256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
Display	13.4″ Non-Touch FHD+	14-inch up to 3K OLED Touchscreen	14-inch FHD OLED Touchscreen	15-inch PixelSense Touchscreen
Battery Life	26 hours	17+ hours	10 hours	22 hours
Price	$1,399 – $1,849	$1,099	$599 – $899	$999

macOS Laptops

For students who are already invested in Apple’s ecosystem of products, MacBooks offer seamless integration with devices like iPhones and iPads, enhancing workflow and providing a cohesive user experience. Furthermore, they are highly regarded for their optimized performance, especially in creative tasks such as video editing, graphic design, and music production, making them a popular choice among students in these fields.

MacBook Air M4

The MacBook Air with the M4 chip, is available in both a highly portable 13-inch size and 15-inch size. Its incredibly thin and light design, less than half an inch thin, makes it exceptionally easy for students to carry around campus and between study locations. Powered by the advanced Apple M4 chip, this laptop delivers excellent performance for a wide range of student tasks.

The built-in system Apple Intelligence helps you with writing, brainstorming, and getting things done efficiently. It offers features like proofreading, text summarization, image generation, and an improved Siri.

For students who already own an iPhone, the MacBook Air M4 offers a uniquely seamless and convenient experience. Features like Handoff allow you to start a task on one device and pick it up exactly where you left off on the other. Universal Clipboard lets you copy text, images, or files on your iPhone and paste them directly onto your MacBook Air, and vice versa.

Furthermore, you can answer calls and send text messages directly from your MacBook Air, without needing to reach for your phone. AirDrop makes it incredibly easy to share files wirelessly between your Apple devices. This tight integration streamlines workflows, saves time, and creates a cohesive and intuitive user experience that can significantly boost productivity for students managing multiple devices.

The Center Stage camera with Desk View is an innovative feature of the 12MP front-facing camera system on the MacBook Air M4, designed to enhance the video conferencing and recording experience. Center Stage utilizes machine learning to automatically keep the user centered within the camera’s frame as they move around. Desk View uses the ultra-wide lens of the camera to simultaneously show the user’s face and an overhead view of their desk or workspace. This is particularly useful for students who need to demonstrate something on their desk, such as showing notes, sketching ideas, working on a physical project, or displaying a document.

MacBook Pro M4

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip offers students a powerful, long-lasting, and highly capable machine. This model is designed to handle a wide range of academic tasks, from research and writing to more demanding creative and technical projects.

M4 chip delivers remarkable speed and efficiency, allowing students to effortlessly handle demanding tasks such as video editing, running simulations, 3D modeling or compiling code, all while multitasking without lag. The M4 chip also brings an advanced Neural Engine, accelerating machine learning tasks and enabling enhanced features in various applications, which can be beneficial for students in AI or data-intensive disciplines.

Its exceptional battery life, lasting up to 24 hours, allows students for all-day use, and work through long lectures and study sessions without needing to plug in.

The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is another standout feature, providing exceptional visual quality with high resolution, excellent color accuracy, and impressive brightness and contrast ratios. This vibrant and sharp display is ideal for detailed design work, analyzing complex visuals, or simply enjoying multimedia content.

The macOS operating system is specifically designed to work seamlessly with the MacBook Pro’s hardware, offering a streamlined and intuitive user experience. Its clean interface prioritizes ease of use, making it simple for students to navigate and manage their tasks. macOS is designed with seamless integration across Apple devices, a significant benefit for students who may also own an iPhone or iPad. Features like Handoff allow students to start a task on one device and continue it on another, promoting a fluid and uninterrupted workflow. Universal Clipboard enables easy copying and pasting of content between devices, streamlining research and project work. iPhone Mirroring allows you to seamlessly view and interact with your iPhone’s screen directly on your Mac. Beyond just viewing your screen, iPhone Mirroring also enables a smooth file transfer process through drag and drop.

Security and privacy are paramount in macOS. The Touch ID feature offers a secure and convenient way to unlock the laptop and authenticate for various applications and online services. Built-in features like FileVault encryption protect the data stored on the MacBook, while Gatekeeper ensures that only trusted software is installed.

Comparison of MacBooks

	MacBook Air M4	MacBook Pro M4
Processor	M4 (10-core CPU, 8 or 10-core GPU)	M4 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)
RAM	Up to 32GB unified memory	Up to 32GB unified memory
Storage	256GB up to 2TB SSD	512GB up to 2TB SSD
Display	13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina (60Hz)	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR (up to 120Hz ProMotion)
Battery Life	Up to 18 hours video streaming Up to 15 hours wireless web	Up to 24 hours video streaming Up to 16 hours wireless web
Price	$999 – $1599	$1599 – $1999
Student Price	$899 – $1,499	$1,499 – $1,899

Chromebooks

For students primarily working online and seeking an affordable, secure, and easy-to-use device, Chromebooks are a good option.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

One of the main advantage of Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus for students is often the operating system itself: ChromeOS. It’s designed to be simple, secure, and fast. Laptops running ChromeOS boot up very quickly, which is handy when you need to get started right away in a lecture or study session. It’s built around Google’s ecosystem, meaning seamless integration with Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides – tools many students rely on heavily for assignments and collaboration. Updates happen automatically in the background, so you don’t have to worry much about maintenance, and the system is generally less prone to viruses compared to other operating systems. This simplicity lets students focus more on their work and less on managing their computer.

One of the primary advantages for students is its exceptional portability. It is remarkably thin and light design, weighing a mere 2.58 pounds and measuring 0.47 inches in thickness.

A significant advantage for students seeking to maximize their productivity is that the device comes with a 12-month subscription to Gemini Advanced, providing access to Google’s most advanced AI models. Furthermore, the priority access to new features and 2TB of cloud storage offered with Gemini Advanced can significantly streamline workflows and give vast space for academic materials.

Furthermore, the seamless integration with other devices within the Samsung ecosystem offers additional convenience. The ability to access their phone directly from the Chromebook facilitates staying connected and managing tasks efficiently on a larger screen. The inclusion of a wide-angle 1080p FHD camera, enhanced by Google AI for improved lighting, background replacement, and noise cancellation, is particularly beneficial for online classes and video conferencing.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus excels as a student device due to its focus on simplicity, and cost-effective computing solution. This Chromebook features a 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display. The display offers touchscreen capability and antiglare properties. Includes a 1080p Full HD webcam, accompanied by a physical privacy shutter.

Equipped with efficient Intel® processors (up to Core i3-N305) and RAM (up to 8GB), the Chromebook handles typical student workloads effectively. This includes web browse with multiple tabs, running productivity applications, streaming educational videos, and participating in online classes.

Get access to the Google One AI Premium plan for 12 months at no extra cost. This plan provides Gemini Advanced, 2TB of cloud storage and integrated AI assistance within Google Workspace applications.

Acer Chromebook 315

It might not be the most powerful machine for demanding applications, but the Acer Chromebook 315 (CB315-4H/CB315-4HT) focuses on delivering the essentials that students need for successful learning in a portable, user-friendly, and budget-conscious package.

Equipped with Intel Celeron or Pentium Silver processors, available with up to 8GB of RAM, and fast Wi-Fi 6, the Chromebook 315 handles common student tasks.

The 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen provides a large and comfortable viewing area. Optional touchscreen models are also available.

Comparison of Chromebooks

	Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus	Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus	Acer Chromebook 315 CB315-4H/CB315-4HT
Processor	Intel Core 3	Intel Core 3	Intel Celeron/Pentium Silver
RAM	8GB LPDDR5X	8 GB LPDDR5	4GB/8GB LPDDR4X
Storage	256GB	128 GB	64GB/128GB
Display	15.6″ FHD AMOLED	14″ FHD Touchscreen	14″ FHD Touchscreen/ 15.6″ FHD Touchscreen/ Non-Touch
Battery Life	13 hours	11 hours	10 hours
Price	$699	$549	$199 – $489

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