Top 5 Best Laptops for College Students in 2025

Finding the best student laptops requires balancing cost, performance, and battery life to get through a full day of classes and study sessions.

Now is an excellent time to investigate the market, as there are numerous options available to meet a variety of needs and budgets. Whether you are in high school or college, there is a laptop that meets your academic needs.

Affordable without sacrificing quality is critical for students on a limited budget. The Acer Aspire 5 stands out as a top choice, providing impressive performance at an affordable price. For those who can afford it, the Apple MacBook Air with M3 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus are excellent choices that provide superior performance and sleek designs.

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Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Laptops for College Students in 2025

1.MacBook Air M4

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is virtually identical to the M3 model. Apple has left the exquisite keyboard and responsive trackpad intact, as well as the brilliant Liquid Retina display. The 2.7lbs. weight remains unchanged, and the two Thunderbolt 4 ports are nearly identical. Visually, the only change is a new color option, and the Sky Blue finish is a subtle hue that, depending on the light, can appear almost gray, but a second look always reveals that pleasing almost pastel-like azure. This is a color that should sell out quickly.

Some still mourn the loss of the original MacBook Air’s wedge design, which began at more than half an inch (1.61 cm) on one end and ended at 0.16 inches (4.064mm) on the other. That design is so popular that the M1 model with it is still a best-seller at Walmart.

I have moved on. The MacBook Air M4 weighs only 2.7 pounds / 1.24 kilograms and measures 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches / 30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13 cm, making it thinner than the original MacBook Air at its thickest point. This is a laptop designed for your backpack, and it’s lightweight enough that you might forget it’s there.

Everything about the MacBook Air M4 feels premium. The 100% recycled aluminum enclosure is light but solid and has all the exacting tolerances Apple is known for. It’s a finely machined, eye-catching piece of hardware, and few laptops can match its elegance.

The backlit keyboard is a pleasure to type on, with impressive travel and response for such a slim design. It has all of your function keys as well as a multipurpose power / sleep / Touch ID button, which can be used to unlock the MacBook Air and log into various apps and services using your registered fingertips.

I prefer the Microsoft Surface Laptop’s Windows Hello feature, which allows you to log in with your face in the same way that Face ID works on any of the best iPhones, though I don’t have to touch anything because I’ve set the MacBook Air to unlock automatically with my Apple Watch.

While Apple hasn’t redesigned the keyboard, there is one small change that you might not notice at first glance: the mute key now features a speaker icon with a line through it, which matches what you see on-screen when you press the key. It’s a small but clarifying change.

Ports and other components remain unchanged from the previous two MacBook Air generations. On the left side, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports with up to 40GBps of throughput that can drive two external screens while the MacBook Air lid is open. Next to those is the MagSafe charging port, and on the right side is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The four-speaker stereo sound system is concealed within the hinge beneath the display. It can fill a room with bright, crisp audio, but it lacks bass (the 15-inch model has a 6-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers).

2.Acer Swift Go 14

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Acer Swift Go 14 is one of the first ultraportable laptops in PC Labs to feature Intel’s new “Meteor Lake” Core Ultra processors. It delivers excellent performance, particularly in terms of graphics, thanks to its new Arc integrated GPU. We also give it high marks for its aluminum chassis, bright touch screen, and much-improved keyboard, but noticeable fan noise, as well as weak speakers and excessive bloatware, detract from the experience. Our top ultraportable for most buyers is still the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, but this Acer is still worth considering due to the above-average processing power provided by its new Intel processor.

The Swift Go 14 pictured here is a redesign of the 2023 model. It still has a 14-inch, 16:10 screen and the same footprint (12.3 inches wide by 8.6 inches deep), but it is significantly thinner, measuring 0.59 versus 0.73 inches. It weighs 2.9 pounds, which is less than the three pounds required for ultraportability. Neither the HP Pavilion 14 Plus (0.74 by 12.4 by 8.9 inches; 3.04 pounds) nor the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (0.67 by 12.34 by 8.69 inches; 3.06 pounds) are as compact.

Acer’s silver and black design is elegant in a generic way; it doesn’t attempt anything fresh or original. The chassis is strong and well-made; I tried to create flex by applying pressure to its surfaces and twisting its corners, but it resisted. Another feature I always value is that the lid is rigid and one-handedly openable.

By raising the chassis, opening the lid improves airflow and angles the keyboard slightly. Typing is enjoyable thanks to the keyboard’s efficient white backlighting and quick, captivating feedback. Compared to the 2023 model, it is a significant improvement. In the MonkeyType typing test, I scored 115 words per minute with 100% accuracy on my first attempt, which was very close to my personal best. The arrow key cluster’s lack of intuitiveness is my only grievance.

The Swift Go 14 comes with the 1,920-by-1,200-pixel IPS touch screen on my model or a 2,880-by-1,800-pixel OLED screen. The latter is more colorful and displays a finer picture at the expense of touch support. I found myself frequently using touch to scroll with my thumb or simply to navigate, so I’d be hesitant to give it up. The IPS screen also has an anti-reflective matte coating, whereas the OLED screen’s glossy surface is reflection-prone.

While watching the Dune: Part Two trailer on YouTube, I discovered that the IPS screen produced a top-notch image, displaying extreme brightness in desert settings and plenty of contrast in dark scenes. I usually used it at 60% because the brightness was nearly too much to handle. Though colors don’t pop as much as they do with OLED, saturation appears to be sufficient—the blue eyes of Dune’s characters stood out.

Unfortunately, watching Dune revealed that the Swift’s speakers are a serious letdown: They’re tinny, strained, and lacking volume even with the help of the included DTS sound app (and near hopeless without it). The upside is that Acer includes a DTS:X headphone license that can enhance your headphone listening.

3.Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425)

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Another Zenbook, another day. We’re kidding, but Asus offers a variety of Zenbook models to suit specific needs. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Q425 is a mobile device. This model, which has Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H processor, is thin, light, and has a battery life of almost a full day. Its 1TB SSD and OLED screen enhance usability, making it a satisfying and adaptable small laptop with sufficient processing power for daily office and home tasks. Although it has a limited power ceiling, it’s a good deal with no significant compromises. Only Asus’ own Zenbook 14 OLED Touch (UM3406), which costs can undo it.

Here, we’re examining the Q425 model, which is a single SKU. The Zenbook 14 Q425 costs $1,0499.99 and has a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor. If you want more storage (1TB is rare at this price) or are especially interested in Intel’s AI-ready Core Ultra chips, that’s a compelling package. This configuration is offered by Asus’ online store and Best Buy.

The UM3406 model, our recent favorite Zenbook 14, costs and comes with the same OLED display, 512GB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU. On paper, it’s a better deal overall because that chip also has AI features, unless you insist on double storage.

This ultraportable has another classic Zenbook appearance rather than pushing the boundaries of design. With just a metallic Asus logo on the lid, this simple gray design does the trick. Although the lightweight plastic material will cause you to feel flex around the touchpad, the chassis quality is respectable. Although it won’t draw much attention and doesn’t feel particularly upscale (in contrast to some other, sleeker Zenbooks), it’s reasonable given the cost.

This laptop’s exceptional portability is a benefit of the materials used. With a weight of just 2.82 pounds and dimensions of 0.59 by 12.3 by 8.7 inches (HWD), its incredibly thin frame allows it to fit into almost any bag or tuck under your arm.

Of course, 14-inch laptops are all portable, so you’d expect a smaller screen—but this is slimmer than many of its competitors. The new Dell XPS 14 is thicker and heavier (0.71 inch, 3.7 pounds), while the Lenovo Slim 7i 14 Gen 9 and Acer Swift Go 14 are just as thick and slightly heavier (3.15 pounds and 2.91 pounds, respectively). This has the same footprint as its sibling, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch (UM3406).

4.Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406)

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Zenbook S 16 has a thin chassis made of Ceraluminum, measuring 13.92 x 9.57 x 0.47~0.51 inches. The Zenbook S 16 is slightly heavier, weighing 3.3 pounds. The Dell XPS 13 is thicker than the Zenbook S 14, measuring 11.62 x 7.84 x 0.6 inches, but it is just as light, weighing 2.6 pounds. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425) has a thicker chassis (12.3 x 8.67 x 0.59 inches) and weighs slightly more than the Zenbook S 14, at 3 pounds. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 M3 was the thickest and heaviest in the group, measuring 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches and weighing 3.4 pounds.

While the Asus Zenbook S 14 does not completely avoid the monochrome laptop trap, the oversized geometric Zenbook logo on the Ceraluminum chassis elevates it above its more bland competitors. The Scandinavian White and Zumaia Gray colorways stand out enough from most silver laptops to make the design feel fresh. Our review unit came in Zumaia Gray, which has a subtle but appealing marbling on the Ceraluminum surface.

The Asus Zenbook S 14 has a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Microsoft Pluton security, so your files are secure. The Zenbook also has an IR webcam that allows for secure Windows Hello sign-in.

If you’re concerned about the safety of your hardware, the Zenbook S 14 meets the US MIL-STD 810H standards for dust, high and low temperatures, high altitudes, and moisture. So, even if you take the Zenbook with you on your next mountain hike, it will make it there and back.

The Zenbook S 14 features a glossy 3K OLED display panel that, as you would expect from an OLED display, looks stunning with vibrant colors and minimal glare.

Watching the trailer for Lionsgate’s upcoming adaptation of the novel Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, I was impressed by how clear and colorful the display appeared, despite the trailer’s muted colors. From deep blacks with high contrast to the warmly lit kitchen scene of the Furlong family home, the Zenbook display captured the trailer’s tense introspection and religious trauma.

5.MacBook Pro (16-inch, M4 Pro)

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

With the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has once again stolen a march on the leading mobile workstation laptops. The M4 Pro-equipped version reviewed here competes with some of the best silicon from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, particularly for content creation. In addition to the blazing speeds, Apple now offers the must-have nano-texture display feature, which reduces screen glare and reflections. The company has also added its Center Stage webcam technology to the MacBook Pro, which is useful but not quite as exciting as the nano-texture screen. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro earns an Editors’ Choice award for high-end mobile workstations, thanks to its all-day battery life.

Raising the MacBook Pro’s screen size to 16.2 inches necessitates a significant price increase over the entry-level 14-inch model. At the very least, the 16-inch model includes the M4 Pro processor as a CPU baseline. The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499. It includes the M4 Pro, 24GB of unified memory, and a 512GB solid-state drive, as well as everything else that all 16-inch MacBook Pro models include, such as Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

This section of the review is relatively simple to write: Apple changed nothing about the MacBook Pro laptop design except for the optional nano-texture display and the transition to Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

The 2024 16-inch MacBook Pro has the same dimensions and weight as last year’s model, and none of the connection options have changed or increased in number beyond the Thunderbolt upgrade: three Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI-out, an SD card slot, and an audio jack. I’m still a fan of Apple’s MacBook keyboard and trackpad: they’re consistently among the best on any laptop, from the touchpad’s smooth comfort to the keys’ uniform, bright backlighting.

Apple’s nano-texture display, which adds material between the glass and pixel layer, effectively reduces glare and reflections in direct lighting. The display remains the same mini LED Liquid Retina XDR panel, displaying 3,456 by 2,234 pixels at up to 120Hz using ProMotion variable-refresh-rate technology.

As for the aforementioned Center Stage webcam, the automatic centering feature is useful but limited in how far it can follow you across a room. I also question the usefulness of the Desk View addition, which is more useful for iMacs than MacBooks. When used on a short desk, Desk View just shows your torso and below, which isn’t pleasant for the viewer on the other side of the webcam in any daytime scenario. I can imagine ways to make it worthwhile, such as on a larger desk with a raised surface over the keyboard (with another connected to type on), but it’s a niche upgrade.

Is a MacBook a good laptop for students?

This is a slightly loaded question because, in the end, the best operating system for students (whether Windows 10 or 11, macOS, or ChromeOS) is always determined by the student’s preference. Some of us are loyal to Windows’ effective functionality; others may prefer the aesthetically pleasing UI of Apple devices or the Android-esque, streamlined user experience provided by Chromebooks.

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.

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.