Before choosing the best laptop for college students consumer reports, you must understand the essential characteristics of your college degree. For students like CS, Engineering, Civil, and many others like that, a powerful laptop with specialized visuals and top-notch CPUs is required. In summary, before you choose a laptop, do your research.
As a student, you will undoubtedly agree with me even though selecting the best laptop for high school is a critical choice that is affected mainly by your daily requirements and budget. As a student, you should invest in a moderate laptop to assist you throughout your college years.
You can browse the web with it, or take notes, and watch your favorite TV programs on your laptop. With Consumer Reports in mind, we have discovered a variety of the finest laptops for college students.
You should buy a laptop that can manage all of your schooling, post-coursework, surfing, and maybe light gaming. Most students consider power, mobility, and battery life to be the essential qualities to look for when purchasing laptops.
Contents
- 1 Here are the 5 best laptops for college students consumer reports.
- 1.1 Dell XPS 13 (Best Laptop for College Students)
- 1.2 HP Spectre x360 (Best Portable Convertible Laptop for Students)
- 1.3 HP Envy 15 Laptop (Best High-Quality Laptop for College Students)
- 1.4 ASUS ZenBook 15 (Ultra-Slim Laptop for College Students)
- 1.5 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Best laptop for college students consumer reports)
- 2 Buying Guide
Here are the 5 best laptops for college students consumer reports.
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Dell XPS 13 (Best Laptop for College Students)

Design:
It looks incredible, appears superior to Apple MacBook, and allows pupils to demonstrate their aesthetics. Its battery life, large screen, excellent keyboard, and touchpad make the laptop seem nice to choose from.
Thanks to its high specimens and quality features, this computer makes it a perfect laptop for college students. Item Weight is 2.80 lbs, making it lightweight and easy to use; its dimension is 7.82 x 11.64 x 0.58 inches.
CPU and GPU:
It uses 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7, a 4-core processor that supports hyper-threading up to 4.8 GHz turbo boost computing. The 12 MB cache reduces the demands on the RAM, and eight threads effectively make it easier to handle complicated files.
It includes an integral graphics card; Intel Iris Xe graphics and memory space enhance your processing to the next level. Visually laden activities may be performed quickly, and gaming fans can play comparatively light games.
RAM and Storage:
This laptop is an excellent choice with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. Students with high storage requirements might easily save their bigger files.
Moreover, you may increase the storage and let this laptop hold a whole library of games, movies, or business applications.
Display and Keyboard:
The big catch is its 13.4-inch FHD edge display. It has a 500-nit display with anti-blind panels on it to enhance your watching experience smoother and flawless. You can see everything in the most excellent quality and clarity with a dimension of 1920 x 1200 pixels. There is a 16:10 image display that provides a larger screen for viewing the internet and doing tasks or composing papers.
This laptop has a precise keyboard that allows users to complete their writing tasks efficiently. The backlit keyboard provides a lighted environment that never stops writing in all conditions.
The crisp, bright display and also the real keyboard are excellent for maintaining with schoolwork.
Battery Life:
Its battery life is amazing; with 10 hours of timing best laptops for work and school.
Connectivity:
It has a USB Type-C to a hub to connect many devices to a computer without a problem and it has 2 Thunderbolt ports, with a MicroSD card reader and a headphone jack.
- 13.4" FHD (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display
- 11th Generation, Intel Core i7-1185G7 Processor (12MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz)
- 16GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x Memory Onboard, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics with shared graphics memory
- A bright display of 500 nits
- Wide and large screen
- Longer backup battery
- Smooth keyboard with reactive pad
- Fast Processor
- Insecure
- Expensive
HP Spectre x360 (Best Portable Convertible Laptop for Students)

Design:
Students love convertible portable computers and consumer report laptops may be converted into a tablet and utilized for touchscreen streaming and consumption. The item weight is 2.88 lbs, and its dimensions are 12.08 x 7.66 x 0.67 inches means easy to carry and portable. It comes with a robust setup that enhances your performance in all respects.
CPU and GPU:
It features Intel Core’s 10th gene i7-1065G7 CPU. In other words, this model will be processed as smoothly and as quickly as feasible. Intel UHD graphics processor for visually heavy work.
You have the processor with no problems with clock frequency up to 3.9 GHz and cache 12MB best laptops for work and school.
RAM and Storage:
It has enough RAM so you can open everything. 16GB RAM capacity is a relatively large memory that regularly takes care of the student’s responsibilities.
It has a vast storage capacity. You can store anything with 512GB SSD storage. There are several hundred films, online programs, and dozens of significant games large enough to store.
More than just that, it is an SSD drive multiple times quicker than conventional storage, and it allows you to start and load smoothly.
Display and Keyboard:
Its 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen display and IPS technology with a wide viewing angle. The touchscreen is snappy and has an HP Active stylus pen, allowing students to take notes right on the screen with an amazing keyboard. The stylus pen came in useful and helped pupils draw things precisely for sketching and graphic design.
Battery Life:
Battery life is about 10 hours make it perfect for college students for long-time learning.
Connectivity:
The most incredible aspect is still to come; thunderbolts. Yeah, this slim, flexible laptop has two thunderbolts 3. Thunderbolts are the newest port type, and they may be used for charging, the transmission of data up to 50 gb/s, and connection with 5k external displays. Only one port and numerous computer peripherals may be connected.
- Newly Launched HP Spectre x360 13T Cutting Edge GEM CUT Design - 10TH GENERATION QUAD CORE CPU:...
- UNMATCHED AUDIO PERFORMANCE with QUAD Bang & Olufsen speakers: The partnership between Bang &...
- SUPERIOR SPEED and NETWORKING: Fast Data Access with 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201...
- IMPRESSIVE HD PANEL with HD Active Stylus Pen and Thunderbolt Support: Experience exceptional colors...
- Responsive style touchscreen
- Long hours of battery
- An impressive option for memory
- Flexible Laptop
- Slim Design
- Loose keypad
- Design without fans may affect performance.
HP Envy 15 Laptop (Best High-Quality Laptop for College Students)

Design:
HP Envy 15 is another excellent choice for university students. This laptop has excellent esthetics and has a more extended rechargeable battery than an ordinary laptop. It is likewise a touchscreen but not a foldable laptop such as the HP Spectrum X360 model with 14.09 x 9.32 x 0.73 inches dimensions and 4.74 pounds with amazing features and excellent performance.
CPU and GPU:
This laptop has excellent CPUs intended for difficult work on heavy equipment. It features an Intel Core i7-10750H CPU of the 10th generation. The coffee lake processor has six cores and a turbo boost of up to 5.0 GHz. It enables hyperthreading, which means that you have 12 virtual threads which improve your artistry.
Tasks that are difficult to process via the processors are submitted to be processed here. Visually laden activities like video editing, managing, and much more may be readily handled through GTX 1650 Ti.
This laptop is intended for college students with sophisticated visual or gaming handlings. Game playing is nothing for you as it is powered by GTX 1650 TI.
RAM and Storage:
This laptop has the proper storage and memory integration. It features 16GB of RAM that allows you to do several tasks simultaneously. The additional RAM size may be extended and powered by the extra slot on the laptop.
The capacity of the storage is 512GB SSD. More significant than anticipated for the price and more extensive data, folders, and games to store. The storage space provides additional sweetness and speed for the loading and operation of applications or programs. The storage capacity may also be readily increased by utilizing the additional space this model provides.
Display and Keyboard:
The device has an FHD IPS display of 15.6 inches. It is a multi-touch Micro-edge display with 400-nits of luminosity. The luminosity of this laptop gives it a convenient choice for outdoor students, thanks to its outstanding brightness and anti-blend coating, to study outside in a group.
It provides precise color output; sRGB coverage of 100%. It creates every color in the cosmos and never skips any color. Improved 82 percent display to body ratio brightens the display more.
Battery Life :
Another essential element to take into consideration is its day-long battery life. The laptop is excellent for the battery and provides about 15 hours of recharge. This tackles the long hours of dull courses and makes the most of your time at college.
Overall, this laptop is one that you can count on. It ticks all the boxes correctly and makes you take it over for the more complex chores.
Connectivity :
There is a headphone jack on the left side, one USB Type-A Port, one HDMI connector and a Thunderbolt 4 port, while the power jack, one USB Type-A port as well as a MicroSD card on the right
- A LIMITLESS POWERHOUSE: Breeze through long college classes on a single charge, work on creative...
- DISPLAY WITH DEDICATED GRAPHICS: 15.6-inch diagonal FHD, IPS, micro-edge WLED-backlit,...
- SUPER FAST PROCESSOR: 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H Processor, 6-Core, 2.6 GHz base...
- FAST BOOTUP WITH SOLID-STATE DRIVE & HIGHER BANDWIDTH MEMORY: Boot up in seconds, transfer files...
- Wide colorful display
- Extended battery backup of 15 hours
- Good RAM and storage
- Fast Processor
- Premium Look
- The specifications of the base model are poor.
- Slow SSD
- Speakers may be more comprehensive
ASUS ZenBook 15 (Ultra-Slim Laptop for College Students)

Design:
The Asus Zenbook is one of the finest all-round Windows laptops for students with a strong performance and a superb display. This laptop has 3.60 lbs weight, and its dimensions are 13.9 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches. Without harming the foundation, they provide something distinct and additional.
Display and Keyboard:
This laptop has a dual-screen, one 15-inch main screen, and another 5.65-inch touchscreen that allows you to use a backup screen to carry out all the jobs you want.
It comes with an Ultra HD 4K screen of 15.6 inches with a nano or edge display. It is a High definition screen with a colorful viewing experience.
This laptop is renowned for its most incredible body-to-screen ratio. With a 92-per cent body screen ratio, you’ll receive the highest real-life picture screen that seems as genuine as the world around you. The crisp, bright display and the numerical keypad are excellent for sustaining with schoolwork.
CPU and GPU:
With the 10th generation mobile-series Intel Core i7-10510U CPU. They consume less electricity and keep the voltage longer. It is a 4-core CPU, up to 4.9 GHz clock speed in turbo boost.
It’s got a graphics card. Yes, our thin and compact laptop chassis includes discrete GPUs. With an Nvidia-designed GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics card, the laptop provides easier visual handling.
This highest rated laptops for college students has the newest games or other graphically laden activities to help you get something out of your computer.
RAM and Storage:
The storage and memory choices are also a nice view. The storage of 512GB SSD NVMe allows you to store whatever you want. The storage area has a large space for storing games, videos, applications, and programs.
Furthermore, there is additional room to allow pupils to increase their size if they require more storage to complete their data. This laptop also has a RAM capacity of 16GB. The larger RAM also helps to handle many activities. You can run and manage numerous applications and programs seamlessly. Here you receive an additional slot, which may be filled with more RAM size.
Battery life:
Its battery life is up to 12 hours.
Connectivity:
It includes USB Type-C integration. However, the overall number of USB slots is lower. You may need to utilize a USB hub to boost your connection. It’s connectivity with HDMI, wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and SD card reader.
Other Features:
It has an IR camera. It’s excellent for fast, trouble-free log-in with the Windows Hello software.
- 15.6 inch wide-view 4K UHD 4-way NanoEdge bezel display with 92% screen to body ratio
- Innovative ScreenPad: 5.65-inch interactive touchscreen trackpad that adapts to your needs for...
- Latest 10th generation Intel Core i7-10510U Quad Core Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.9 GHz) with...
- Fast storage and memory featuring 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD and 16GB RAM
- Premium Stylish Design
- Fast Performance
- Portable
- Spacious ultra HD 4K Screen
- Discrete graphics card onboard
- RAM and storage are upgradable
- Tablet settings a bit unmanageable
- Expensive
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Best laptop for college students consumer reports)

Design:
The Microsoft Surface laptop 3 looks great and has a sober appearance. You may carry this basic but attractive laptop and amaze the folks around you. It’s an easy-to-use laptop. With just 2.79 pounds of weight, it’s easy to carry best laptop for college students in 2020. A lightweight, small chassis laptop is simple to backpack and carry a day without battery problems. The laptop looks wonderful and defines all criteria of a decent laptop student.
CPU and GPU:
This model has a four-core CPU with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU on board. It is ten times quicker in CPU performance than the AMD promises and 15 times higher in GPU handling. This 4-core CPU is the ideal method to manage anything as you want.
Display and Keyboard:
This sleek and beautiful laptop is available in two different screen sizes: 13.5 inches and 15-inch. The 15-inch version assist you in getting a larger screen area to study groups with 2496 x 1664 screen resolution.
Its display is excellent for outside sunlight. Its matt coating avoids glaring, and broader viewing angles of 178 degrees with an amazing keyboard enables you to see things clearly from any position without deformation.
RAM and Storage:
This laptop has several storage and memory variants to suit a wide range of customers. It features a storage capacity of 128GB and 1TB SSD storage, making it the ideal laptop for college students.
The version includes a minimum of 8GB and a maximum 32GB size for the RAM capacity. It allows you to manage many applications with a couple of dozen Chrome tabs available for your study.
Battery life:
Make a strong impact with Surface Laptop 3. With 11.5 hours battery life, Smooth and light offer better speed, efficiency, and power consumption. The point is a laptop built for Windows, a dependable and efficient computer that can endure easily throughout the school.
Connectivity:
This laptop has USB Type-C and USB Type-A to allow you to connect and dock terminals and external displays as long as the connection is concerned.
A USB hub may improve connectivity and port choices for users with an external device and outside mouse connection.
- Clean, elegant design — thin and light, at just 3. 4 pounds, Surface Laptop 3 15” is easy to...
- Complement your style with rich color and premium finishes.
- Improved speed and performance to do what you want, with the latest processors – Surface Laptop 3...
- More ways to connect, with USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and...
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Sober looking laptop
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Integrates USB Type-C
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Lightweight model
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Good bright display for outdoor
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Long 11-hours battery
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Expensive
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Thick bezels
Buying Guide
Hard drive:
Look for a hard disk with 256GB or more capacity, as far as Windows laptops are concerned, and you don’t use many applications.
Find a good performance over a conventional hard disk if feasible. Astronomically, efficiency and speeds will rise. An SSD of 256GB should be plenty. Ensure you choose enough space for the hard disk.
RAM:
If you need to locate a college laptop with something more demanding than simply using a web browser, search for a laptop with at least 4GB of RAM or more, preferably 8GB, if you intend to use applications such as Photoshop.
Sensitive touchpad and ergonomic keyboard:
To prevent tiredness and to obtain a sensitive touchpad, users need a comfortable keyboard to avoid sluggish laptop operations.
System of operations:
Finding the appropriate operating system for your college program is essential. If you’re in computer science or need to utilize Windows or Mac apps, it’s wise to stay away from Chromebooks.
If your research is done online and you don’t have to utilize Windows or Mac software, leap the weapon and buy a Chromebook.
Processor:
If you use it for little activities like writing papers, surfing the web, seeing the medium, and so on, a lower clocked dual-core CPU below 2 GHz won’t slow down your laptop.
Suppose your degree program includes specific challenging applications. In that case, you will need to search for a quad-core processor at or above a clock speed of 2GHz. This lasts longer and makes rendering and overall performance more accessible and more efficient than a two-core CPU less than 2 GHz. Pay attention to pupils in engineering. This also applies to video editing.
Don’t overbuy the CPU clock speed at the same time. For example, there are not many changes between a 3.7GHz quad-core CPU and a 3.9GHz quad-core processor. The only significant difference is that prices are considerably higher. In terms of processing power and efficiency, there is minimal impact.
To examine laptop specifications by speed and storage processing. We advise you to buy a laptop with i5 CPU or intel series core H-series
Display:
Finding a decent display has a lot to do with the size you have to deal with. Whether the screens are 11-inch or 17-inch, each display is an HD display as long as the resolution is 720p or above. Anything below is frequently blurred and highly unclear. Be aware of this while selecting screen sizes. Check for Intel UHD graphics for a first-class experience. Intel UHD is an integrated graphics chip that significantly enhances your graphics. You may also opt for Intel HD and achieve excellent results. And if you love to play games then a dedicated GPU should be your choice
You’ll want to ensure your display has at least 60Hz to prevent tearing of screens or changing visuals while you play games and watch movies.
The display you buy should have built-in capabilities to reduce eye stress, such as brightness lowering or even night usage features. This helps a lot, and so far as eye strain is concerned.
Battery:
Some lectures may run for 4 hours in one seat. Do you want a laptop that will at least extend over two of them a day without charging?
Most high-grade laptops have integrated power-saving capabilities that may extend their lifespan to 10 or more hours.
In only two hours, you must be able to obtain a full charge so you can return to work fast anytime you need.
Portability:
Make sure you get a lightweight and thin laptop. Nothing is worse than having a stupid and hefty laptop about the school or the library. It is also excellent practice to ensure a compact footprint for your laptop, which allows you to fit in most backpacks or shoulder things with books and other learning resources.
Ports:
The finest laptops for university students are provided with more than one USB connection. More companies are heading to include just one USB port. However, this is a problem since you cannot hook into any more devices or accessories without first plugging in a USB hub. Make sure it includes USBC ports as well.
Make sure that your laptop is fitted with an HDMI, DVI, VGA, or Display Port. You always know when to move to a larger screen because one of these ports may allow you to do so since VGA is the most often used for projectors in the typical classroom. Please ensure your computer has Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connector for quick charging.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specs should a college student have in a laptop?
- Windows 10*64
- RAM 16GB
- Hard Drive 500GB
- Wireless Networking
- An Intel Core i5 Processor
Which Laptops do consumer reports recommend?
The Dell XPS is the best buy consumer report. Consumer reports tell us that foldable laptops are easy to use and reliable. If you choose a Mac, Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is the top listed laptop in the consumer reports.
What is a good processor speed for a college student?
It is essential to purchasing an excellent laptop with a quick and robust CPU for a university student. Quad-core manufacturers are ideal for general and specialized courses in which students depend on computers for the most part.
The CPU speed should exceed 2 GHz. I am stating that’s the minor clock speed; you’re trying to go above 3 GHz, although most of the quad-core CPUs provide this clock variable speed
Conclusion
A college student utilized his computers to browse the internet, monitor social media trends or emails. Today, college life is dynamic and challenging everyday.
Obtaining a fast laptop is no longer a luxury to your pals; it is now a requirement. We have carried out a thorough study. For college students, we have included the best laptops for college students, according to customer reviews and reports. Dell XPS 13 is our favorite laptop since it is excellent in design and exceptional in performance. It operates effectively in the processor.
Last update on 2023-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API