Being a university student these days – whether it’s high school, university, or even graduate school – is very different from how it was a few years ago, with the emphasis on working online. There is less face-to-face contact, more seminars, and virtual classes, as well as more resources that are shared over the internet on different platforms.
And all that means that it is more important than ever to have access to one of the best laptops for university Studnets in 2021.
Laptops are not just for writing essays, but for taking part in those important online sessions. With so many online classes, video meetings, and online collaborative work, university students spend more time on their computers than ever before, and in order to work efficiently, having the best possible support is important.
Although the school year is now almost over, chances are that the home computer needs a replacement after more than a year of virtual meetings.
Also, with the summer sales come interesting things.
Best Laptop For University Students
Table of Contents
If you’re wondering what the difference is between the best laptops for university students under 500 USD and the best overall laptops or the best gaming laptops or the best 2-in-1 laptops, it’s that the former must satisfy two different criteria: they must be incredibly versatile. and give the best for its price. This means that you can’t leave out any essential functions, but it must be affordable.
The arrival of Chromebooks has given the market a boost. The laptops dedicated to Google mobility have encouraged other brands to improve their game, as has happened for example with Apple iPads: all you need is a keyboard to give even more useful to Apple’s flagship tablet.
Well then, how do you choose the best laptop for university students? Price is important, sure, but it shouldn’t be the only criterion. That’s why our guide covers various options, manufacturers, and operating systems – every university student is different, and that means their needs are too.
We do not know what the next school year holds – after the last 14 months we have been taught not to try to predict the future – but we do know that whether you go to face-to-face classes or continue in online mode, or in a model hybrid, these laptops will be the perfect companion for studying, keeping in touch with friends and family, and letting your creativity run wild.
Best Laptop For University students | Comparison Table 2021
Image | Title | Buy | |
---|---|---|---|
Windows Laptop Computer 15.6 inch, 8GB RAM 128GB M.2 SSD Windows 10 Pro PC Laptops, Intel Celeron J4155 Quad Core Notebook, Support 5G WiFi, Mini HDMI Webcam, Grey | MRMAODOU | Check Price | |
Apple MacBook Air MJVE2LL/A 13-inch Laptop 1.6GHz Core i5,4GB RAM,128GB SSD (Renewed) | Apple | Check Price | |
HP Chromebook 14 Laptop, Intel Celeron N4000 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC, 14” HD Display, Chrome, Lightweight Computer with Webcam and Dual Mics, Home, School, Music, Movies (14a-na0021nr, 2021) | HP | Check Price | |
(Renewed) Samsung Chromebook XE303C12-A01 11.6-inch, Exynos 5250, 2GB RAM, 16GB SSD, Silver | SAMSUNG | Check Price | |
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT Slim Laptop | 15.6" Full HD Display | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor | 4GB DDR4 | 128GB NVMe SSD | WiFi 6 | Amazon Alexa | Windows 10 Home (S Mode) | Acer | Check Price | |
HP 14" Touchscreen Home and Business Laptop Ryzen 3-3200U, 8GB RAM, 128GB M.2 SSD, Dual-Core up to 3.50 GHz, Vega 3 Graphics, RJ-45, USB-C, 4K Output HDMI, Bluetooth, Webcam, 1366x768, Win 10 | HP | Check Price | |
2020 Lenovo IdeaPad Laptop ComputerAMD A6-9220e 1.6GHz 4GB Memory 64GB eMMC Flash Memory 14" AMD Radeon R4 AC WiFi Microsoft Office 365 Platinum Gray Windows 10 Home | Lenovo | Check Price | |
ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6” FHD Display, Intel i3-1005G1 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Windows 10 Home in S Mode, Slate Gray, F512JA-AS34 | ASUS | Check Price | |
Lenovo Chromebook S330 Laptop, 14-Inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Display, MediaTek MT8173C Processor, 4GB LPDDR3, 64GB eMMC, Chrome OS, 81JW0000US, Business Black | Lenovo | Check Price |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Best Laptop For University Students | 2021 Products Overview
1. Windows Best Laptop For University Students
- 【PROCESSOR & STORAGE】This windows laptop 8GB ram computer built-in Intel x64-based Celeron J4115 Quad-Core processor at 1.8GHz (can up to 2.3 GHz), which is low-power & low-noise. Pre-installed with Windows 10 Pro(64-bit) and loaded with 8GB RAM, 128GB M.2 SATA SSD, starting up quickly and running more smoothly safely & stably. Storage capacity can be expanded by the TF card. An ideal windows 10 laptop for basic home use and kids' school work.
- 【LARGE SCREEN & 5G WiFi】15.6 inch FHD display provides a wider view, rich colors, and clear text. 15.6 1920*1080 resolution HD screen breaks the low-end laptop in a low-resolution state and makes you enjoy a clearer picture quality. What's more, this 15.6-inch computer laptop notebook supports 2.4GHz WiFi and 5GHz WiFi, compatible with Bluetooth and mobile hotspot. Allows you easily surf the Internet and work on different occasions.
- 【MULTIPLE INTERFACES】MRMAODOU laptop computer 15.6 inch equipped with 1 x mini HDMI, 1 x ultra-fast USB3.0, 1 x USB2.0, 1 x micro TF card slot and 1 x headphone jack port. The mini HDMI port allows you to connect your laptop to an external display or a larger screen TV.
- 【SLEEK ERGONOMIC DESIGN】Ultra slim simple grey body design and a large screen full HD display, webcam, chocolate keyboard, smooth touchpad, dual speaker at the button, energy-saving function make this 15.6 windows laptop ideal for watching the video, e-mail, word processing, and media streaming. Whatever compact size or lightweight becomes your optimum portable laptop windows 10 for the trip.
- 【ENERGY SAVING】Dual 34.2Wh 4500mAh large-capacity battery provides you long battery life. When you are not beside the windows 10 laptop 15.6 inches for a long time, the screen will go to the sleeping mode by itself to save energy. Perfect for kids, university students, office and go out work etc.
2. Apple MacBook Air
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high performance bar may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
- 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache
- 8GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM; 128 GB PCIe-based flash storage; Mac OS X El Capitan (or upgrade)
- 802.11ac WiFi; Bluetooth 4.0; Two USB 3.0 ports; One Thunderbolt 2 port
- 13.3-Inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Glossy Widescreen Display, 1440 x 900 resolution; Intel HD Graphics 6000
3. HP Chromebook 14 Laptop
- REMOTE WORK-READY - Work efficiently from the comfort of your own home office using the HP 14 Chromebook.
- CLEAR IMAGING - Images appear crisp with the 14 HD (1366 x 768), micro-edge, anti-glare (1) display.
- LIGHTNING FAST PROCESSING - Games, music, and binge-watching are taken to new heights with Intel Celeron N4000 (2) processing power and Intel UHD Graphics 600 (3).
- SECURELY SAVE YOUR WORK - With 32 GB eMMC storage (4), saving important documents is made simple. Plus, quickly access your documents with 4 GB of RAM.
- LONG-LASTING BATTERY LIFE - Enjoy up to 13 hours and 30 minutes of wireless streaming (5) depending on usage.
- MODERNIZE YOUR WORLD - Navigate seamlessly through tabs and programs with the Chrome operating system. Also, rest easy knowing your investment is protected with HP’s 1-Year Limited Hardware Warranty.
- BE SEEN & HEARD - HP’s Wide Vision HD camera (6) with integrated dual array digital microphones lets you video chat with vibrant clarity.
- CONNECT SMOOTHLY - Your connections are rock solid with the Wi-Fi 5 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.0 combo (7).
- TAKE WORK WHEREVER YOU GO - The Chromebook is 3.24 lbs (8) so you can take your work and entertainment wherever you need it.
- ENERGY-EFFICIENT - Do the environment a favor by working with an HP ENERGY STAR certified (9) and EPEAT Silver registered (10) laptop computer.
4. Samsung Chromebook XE303C12-A01
- Chrome OS, Samsung Exynos 5250 Dual Core Processor
- Display: 11. 6 LED HD 1366 x 768 16: 9, Ports: HDMI, Headphone/MIC combo, 1 x USB 3. 0 + 1 x USB 2. 0, 3- in-1 (SD/SDHC/SDXC)
- Memory: 2 GB DDR3L RAM, 16GB Solid State Drive
- Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802. 11 a/b/g/n, Webcam, 3W Stereo Speaker
- This Chromebook is not compatible with Current Updated Google Operating System
- With free, automatic updates, your Chromebook keeps getting better and better. The Samsung Chromebook’s dual core pr
- If you know you’ll want access to a file or photo offline, you can easily save it to the built-in SSD for offline access, Chromebooks are easy to use, and don’t slow down over time.
5. Acer Aspire 5
- Powerful Productivity: AMD Ryzen 3 3350U delivers desktop-class performance and amazing battery life in a slim notebook. With Precision Boost, get up to 3.5GHz for your high-demand applications
- Maximized Visuals: See even more on the stunning 15.6 Full HD display with 82.58% screen-to-body, 16:9 aspect ratio, and narrow bezels
- Backlit Keyboard and Fingerprint Reader: Biometric fingerprint reader and Windows Hello sign-in options help keep your Acer PC secure
- Internal Specifications: 4GB DDR4 onboard memory (1 slot available); 128GB NVMe solid-state drive storage (1 hard drive bay available) to store your files and media
- Acers Purified.Voice technology, features enhanced digital signal processing to cancel out background noise, improve speech accuracy and far-field pickup, which not only makes calls clearer but makes talking to Alexa easier than before.
- Using Alexa on your PC is as easy as asking a question. Just ask and Alexa can check your calendar, create lists, play music, answer questions, read the news, and more.
- Secure Operating System: Windows 10 Home (S mode) comes with advanced security features built right in, like protections against phishing and malicious software so you don't have to think twice when navigating to a new webpage or downloading an app
- Connections: 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz featuring MU-MIMO technology; 10 100 1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN; Bluetooth 5.1
- Ports For All Your Accessories: USB 3.2 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (1 Power-off Charging), USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP support, headphone speaker line-out jack, Ethernet (RJ-45), DC-in for AC adapter
- The Right Fit: 14.32 W x 9.86 D x 0.71 H; 3.99 lbs; One-Year International Travelers Limited Warranty (ITW); Up to 10 hours of battery life
6. HP 14″ Touchscreen
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Processor (2.60 GHz base clock, up to 3.50 GHz max boost clock, 4 MB Cache, 2 Cores) Smart dual-core, four-way processing performance for HD-quality computing
- 14 Touchscreen, typical 1366 x 768 HD resolution. Natural finger-touch navigation makes the most of Windows 10. Energy-efficient LED backlight screen
- DDR4 2400 MHz RAM Memory with Solid State Drive (SSD) combo brings the muscle for gaming, creating, and advanced multitasking, so you can do it all, anywhere. To smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once
- 1x Headphone-out & Audio-in Combo Jack; 1x Built-in HD webcam with microphone; 1x Built-in fingerprint reader; 1x Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer; 1x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert; 1x HDMI 1.4b 4K Output; 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C; 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A. 12.75 x 8.89 x 0.78 in (323.85 x 225.81 x 19.81 mm), 3.25 lbs. (1.47 kg)
- Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11b/g/n/ac (1x1)(19a) Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and RJ-45 LAN Ethernet combo. Connect to a Wireless-AC router for nearly 3x the speed, more capacity and wider coverage than Wireless-N. Backward-compatible with all other Wi-Fi networks and hotspots
7. Lenovo IdeaPad Laptop
- ▶ AMD A6-9220e accelerated processor; Dual-core processing. AMD A6 APU handles the AMD Radeon graphics alongside the central processor to balance the load, enabling great performance, rapid multitasking and immersive entertainment.
- ▶ Beautiful 14 display Typical 1366 x 768 HD resolution. Energy-efficient LED backlight.
- ▶ 4GB DDR4 Memory for full-power multitasking; 64GB eMMC flash memory: This ultracompact memory system is ideal for mobile devices and applications, providing enhanced storage capabilities, streamlined data management, quick boot-up times and support for high-definition video playback.
- ▶ 802. 11ac wireless LAN; 2 x USB 3. 0, 1 HDMI 1. 4; 1 headphone/microphone combo, AMD Radeon R4 integrated graphics
- ▶ Windows 10 Home 64-bit English brings back the Start Menu from Windows 7 and introduces new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen. Microsoft Office 365 Personal 1-year subscription for free
8. ASUS VivoBook 15
- 15.6 inch Full HD (1920x1080) 4-way NanoEdge bezel display with a stunning 88% screen-to-body ratio
- Compatible with Google Classroom; run Google Classroom on Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer 11
- Latest 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU (4M Cache, up to 3.4 GHz)
- 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 128 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- Ergonomic backlit keyboard with fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello
- Exclusive Ergolift design for an improved typing position
- Comprehensive connections including USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 2.0, and HDMI; Gigabit Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) (USB Transfer speed may vary. Learn more at ASUS website)
- Windows 10 in S mode exclusively runs apps from the Microsoft Store. To install an app that isnt available in the Microsoft Store, simply switch out of S mode in three easy steps. Theres no charge to switch out of S mode
9. Lenovo Chromebook S330 Laptop
- High performance laptop: The Chromebook S330 is equipped with a MediaTek MTK8173C Processor, Chrome OS, 4 GB LPDDR3, 64 GB eMMC 5.1 and so much more
- Sleek and stylish design: Sleek, stylish and secure, the Lenovo Chromebook S330 is less than one inch thin and 3.3 pounds light with a 14-inch FHD display. Perfect for day-to-day computing and multimedia, on or offline
- Powerful processing: Perfect for all your daily computing needs, The Lenovo Chromebook S330 delivers a host of performance features. Enjoy powerful processing for daily tasks, LPDDR3 memory for multitasking, eMMC storage for quick boot-ups, fast software loading, and additional 100 GB of cloud storage via Google Drive
- Built to connect us: Full I/O support comes standard on the laptop computer with USB-C, micro SD and USB 3.0 for effortless connectivity. Further, this Chromebook also features powerful 2 x 2 Wi-Fi ac with Bluetooth 4.1, a 720p webcam, and two 2W speaker systems for effortless collaboration, all supported via a suite of collaborative apps via Chrome OS
- Easy to use: The Lenovo Chromebook S330 is easy to use, Offers built-in virus protection and keeps going with long battery life. Further, no setup is needed, just a Google account so your stuff stays with you via cloud storage of your emails, maps, docs, pics and more
Purchase Criteria: The Best Laptop For University Students | Buyer’s Guide
There are three key elements to consider when buying a university laptop before even looking at the hardware specs: weight, portability, and noise.
You’ll be taking your computer from home to car to class, so you’ll want something that’s not heavy or unwieldy. If you intend to use your device during class, looking for options with a quiet fan is also a bonus (especially for your fellow students).
Durability and comfort are two features that are often overlooked in favor of high-end specs. Don’t make that mistake!
You want a comfortable keyboard layout for typing long documents and spending a little more in exchange for a longer product life is always a smart move. Or you can check out the general laptop choice!
- Size and resolution
Size and resolution is definitely the first thing to look for in your new laptop as you will rarely use it on a desktop, but most of the time you will be on the go and working anywhere.
Therefore, paying attention to size is crucial as it is something that will determine the versatility and even portability of your laptop. Other than that, the resolution will determine the ease of use of your laptop. We always recommend students also check the screen quality when checking the resolution.
This will help you understand your laptop’s capabilities when it comes to size, resolution, and even screen. What’s left after that is performance and even a few other form and design features.
- Shape / Design
Aside from the size, shape, and design that will determine the ease of use, you will discover useful features that the manufacturer added to the laptop, it will tell you more about the portability and versatility of the laptop without even having to put your hands on the laptop.
We recommend that you look for the materials used to build the laptop, the number of ports, the thickness of the laptop, the weight of the laptop, and basically anything that you can see and is located on the laptop.
Other than that, we even recommend that you take a look at the ease of access to the main components, as you never know when you might end up updating your laptop, after all, and trust us, you don’t want to have to remove a lot to access the components.
Paying attention to some useful features even before you get your hands on the laptop, like the fingerprint sensor, is very important so that you can be prepared and understand what else the laptop can offer (besides performance, of course).
- Performance
The main part of the notebook, the heart, and soul is what is inside: the configuration/components. Even if you don’t understand much when it comes to the components, you will need to do some research.
Because laptop components can tell you a lot about the performance your laptop will be able to deliver. And if you are looking for a laptop that meets your specific needs, it is really important to know the performance level of your laptop.
Fortunately for you, if you know nothing about the components, our categorized selections will help any student find the perfect laptop for their school needs. All you need to do is pay attention to a few other things mentioned in these criteria, and you won’t be wrong at all.
- Keyboard
As a student, you can expect to type a lot on the laptop as you will be doing anything from homework, essay writing, dissertations, and much more.
A quality keyboard does not need to be a full-size keyboard, but it should have a decent key size, excellent and comfortable key distance travel, and it should be of quality material that gives you plenty of comfort as you type.
When you are looking at the keyboard, we strongly recommend that you make sure that the keyboard is not placed awkwardly and that the palm rests are perfectly suited to the purpose of the keyboard. Also, make sure the trackpad is out of the way (or isn’t too big).
In addition, we also recommend students to get a keyboard that comes with a backlight function, as it is one of the most useful functions voted by students all over the world. You never know when it might be useful for your needs!
- Connectivity
You may not have plans to connect additional and external devices, but you will have to connect your laptop with other devices at your school sooner or later.
As we always say, it is better to be prepared than to regret having made the wrong decision, and if you don’t make sure you get a laptop with many ports, you will have a lack of connectivity problem that won ‘not only slow you down, but even It may prevent you from doing some school work.
We highly recommend that you get a laptop that has at least some USB ports, HDMI port, micro card slot, and even ethernet and CD / DVD drives (if necessary).
At the level of modern technology, getting a laptop that’s slim and yet has excellent connectivity is definitely not a problem.
Frequent questions
Which laptop processor is best for students?
The ideal student laptop processor would definitely be an i5 processor. It falls within the range of affordability without giving up much power.
What is the best laptop brand for university students?
There is no best brand, but there are top laptop brands that students agree on. These brands are Dell, Lenovo, and Acer.
Should you buy a 2-in-1 laptop to go to university?
It depends on what you plan to do with your laptop. If you just want to take notes with it and surf the internet, then a 2-in-1 laptop is a good idea. It is portable and usually affordable.
What’s the best laptop size for the university?
The best laptop sizes should be between 12 and 15 inches. Laptops within this size range are easier to transport and at the same time powerful enough to run resource-intensive software that university students will use for their course.
Do I want Mac OS or Windows 10?
Right now, the operating system you choose is more a matter of personal preference. Most programs are available in a multitude of operating system options, and there are emulators to run tools on other operating systems. Windows computers tend to be available with high-end specs, especially in terms of graphics cards and processor speed.
Should I choose a Chromebook for my university laptop?
Going with a Chromebook can be a great way to save money and get a lighter, more portable laptop. However, there are major drawbacks to consider. While you can now download Android apps with Chromebooks, you still can’t install Windows programs. In many cases, that may not matter. If your courses don’t use any high-end software, there is no reason to shell out the extra money.
What other features should I consider?
One big issue to consider for a school laptop is longevity. Whether you’re attending a two-year tech school, earning a four-year degree, or even going beyond, you want a computer that lasts. Inexpensive laptops may be necessary when you factor in tuition and book costs, but they are not good long-term options.
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