Picking out a laptop for college doesn’t have to be annoyingly complicated. Whether you’re stuck in lectures all day or pulling an all-nighter to finish a last-minute paper, having a reliable laptop will make things a heck of a lot easier. The trick? Figuring out what really matters in a laptop so you don’t end up spending on stuff you won’t even need.
That’s where we come in. We break things down without all the technical word vomit so you can quickly find the best machine for your lifestyle. From featherlight models that disappear in your bag to laptops with marathon battery life, we’ve got you covered.
Why you should trust PCWorld for laptop recommendations and advice: It’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but also rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
Acer Swift 16 AI – Best overall
Pros
- Sleek, sturdy design
- Sharp OLED screen
- Pleasantly tactile keyboard
- Good battery life
Cons
- AI features still lacking
- Some keyboard keys too cramped
- Too many pre-loaded apps
Best Prices Today:
$939.99
Who should buy the Acer Swift 16 AI?
If you’re looking for a great college laptop, the Acer Swift 16 AI is easy to recommend. It’s light enough to carry around campus at just over three pounds, and the 16-inch 2880×1800 OLED screen looks amazing whether you’re typing up notes or watching Netflix after a full day of exams. It comes with an Intel Core 7 chip, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD, so it’s fast enough for schoolwork or research.
Battery life is pretty darn good, too. It lasted around 17 hours in our testing, and you can charge it quickly using one of the two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Acer Swift 16 AI: Further considerations
The OLED screen is the real highlight here. It’s bright, colorful, and clear. The keyboard also feels really good for long typing sessions, and even though the touchpad’s a bit smaller than most, it still works fine for the day-to-day stuff.
If you’re after something lightweight and reliable, the Acer Swift 16 AI is one of the best around.
Read our full
Acer Swift 16 AI review
Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025) – Best budget laptop for students
Pros
- Great value
- Solid display
- Generous RAM and storage for the price
- Reasonable webcam and mic
Cons
- Slow Intel N-series CPU
- No fingerprint reader or facial recognition
- Middling battery life
- No keyboard backlight
Best Prices Today:
$317.90
Who should buy the Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025)?
If you’re on a tight budget and just need a laptop for research and writing essays, the Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025) is easy to recommend. It’s nothing fancy, but you shouldn’t have any problems streaming lectures or writing papers.
It comes with solid basics for the price — an Intel Core i3 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. That’s enough to handle most of your school work without any problems. The 15.6-inch 1080p screen is also spacious with good viewing angles, which is nice for both work and Netflix binges.
Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Further considerations
This laptop keeps it simple — no touchscreen, no backlit keys. But it runs smoothly thanks to the generous amount of RAM and storage.
Read our full
Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025) review
HP OmniBook 5 14 – Best battery life
Pros
- Enjoyable keyboard
- Attractive 1200p OLED display
- Incredible battery life
- Ships with small GaN charger
Cons
- Though attractive, build quality doesn’t stand out
- Connectivity is limited
- So-so performance
Best Prices Today:
$599.99
Who should buy the HP OmniBook 5 14?
If you’re a student who wants a Windows laptop to last throughout the day, the HP OmniBook 5 14 should definitely be on your shortlist. It lasted an incredible 25 hours in our battery tests, a jaw-dropping result. Plus, it charges fast, reaching 50 percent in as little as 30 minutes. It also comes with a tiny GaN charger that’ll fit perfectly in your school bag.
It’s also built for writing papers and juggling a bunch of research tabs thanks to the Snapdragon X Plus chip and whopping 32GB of RAM. The 14-inch 1200p OLED touchscreen is a nice bonus, too.
HP OmniBook 5 14: Further considerations
The OmniBook’s not a powerhouse, so it’ll struggle with heavy-duty creative apps or serious gaming. However, for everyday life, it’ll run just fine. The keyboard also feels nice and it’s lightweight at just under three pounds. The battery life is just plain ridiculous at this price.
Read our full
HP OmniBook 5 14 review
MacBook Air (M4) – Best MacBook for students
Pros
- Can drive two external displays at 6K/60Hz
- M4 provides a performance boost
- New 12MP Center Stage camera
Cons
- No more Space Gray option
Best Prices Today:
$1,272.45
Who should buy the MacBook Air?
If you want a MacBook that’s quick and easy to take anywhere, the new MacBook Air M4 is tough to beat. It’s got a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, a beefed-up Neural Engine, and faster memory, so it can handle anything you throw at it. Plus, Apple finally fixed a big limitation from past Airs–you can now run two external 6K displays with the lid open, which is perfect if you like a multi-monitor setup. Add the upgraded 12MP Center Stage camera for sharper video calls, and you’ve got a laptop that’s ready for work, school, or whatever else. By the way, it lasted nearly 18 hours in our battery tests, so longevity is king here.
MacBook Air: Further considerations
A few more things to know. This MacBook Air is crazy light at 3.3 pounds and super thin at 0.45 inches, so tossing it in your bag is a breeze. The new Sky Blue color is a nice touch, and prices start at $999 for the 13-inch or $1,199 for the 15-inch. Even better, the base model now comes with 16GB of RAM, so you don’t have to worry about upgrading right away.
The only minor tradeoff? Battery life is about an hour shorter than the M3 in video loop tests, but honestly, it’s still more than enough for a full day without scrambling for an outlet.
Read our full
MacBook Air (M4) review
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 – Best Chromebook for students
Pros
- Zippy processor performance
- Nice keyboard
- A wide array of connectivity options
- Chic design
Cons
- Battery life isn’t competitive
- The display’s 16:9 aspect ratio feels a little cramped
Best Prices Today:
$139.99
Who should buy the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34?
If you’re heading to college and want a Chromebook that looks good and runs well (as long as you don’t mind Google’s ecosystem), this one’s it. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is fast enough to keep up with your daily activities — think Zoom, Google Docs, Spotify — and it won’t freeze up when you’ve got a bunch of tabs open. (I see you, serial tab opener.)
It’s got a 14-inch 1080p screen that looks clear. The webcam’s actually really solid too, so you won’t look like a blurry mess on video calls. And yeah, the whole laptop looks great. It’s got that clean, modern vibe that doesn’t scream budget.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Further considerations
The battery lasts around 13 hours, which is fine (no complaints on my end), but I’ve seen other laptops that go much longer. Also, no touchscreen — not a deal-breaker for most, but if you’re someone who loves tapping around, that might be a bummer. And if you’re trying to do anything like video editing or heavy design work? This probably isn’t the machine for you.
But for school notes, research, and lectures? It’s exactly what you need at a nice price.
Read our full
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 review
Microsoft Surface Pro (2025) – Best ultraportable for students
Pros
- Compact and well-built
- Good office performance
- All Copilot Plus features available
- Good battery life
Cons
- Narrow screen to work on
- No HDR support
- No charger included
Best Prices Today:
$599.99
Who should buy the Microsoft Surface Pro (2025)?
If you’re always on the move — rushing between classes or just hanging out at a coffee shop — the Surface Pro 2025 is the perfect pick. It’s crazy light, like just over a pound, so tossing it in your bag is no big deal. It’s got plenty of power for Zoom calls and writing notes, too. Honestly, the Snapdragon chip does a great job keeping things snappy on a day-to-day basis.
Microsoft Surface Pro (2025): Further considerations
There are a couple of things you should know. The 12-inch screen can feel cramped if a lot of tabs are open at once, especially given the 3:2 aspect ratio. There are also only two USB-C ports, so anyone relying on multiple peripherals or external storage might need a small dongle or dock.
Battery life’s kind of a mixed bag. If you’re just typing or watching stuff with the brightness turned down, it’ll last a good while. But if you’re cranking everything up and bouncing between heavy apps, it could drain faster than you might expect.
Still, if most of your school stuff is in the cloud and you just want something light that gets the job done, this laptop totally delivers.
Read our full
Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 review
Acer Nitro V 16 AI – Best gaming laptop for students
Pros
- Large touchpad compared to alternatives
- 16-inch 1200p display at a low price
- Lots of physical connectivity
- Good battery life for a budget gaming laptop
Cons
- Sub-par CPU performance
- Terrible audio quality from built-in speakers
- Wireless connectivity stuck on the Wi-Fi 6 standards
- Slightly more expensive laptops offer better value
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16 AI?
If you’re a student (or casual gamer!) looking for an affordable gaming laptop, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI is definitely worth your time and attention. It’s not the flashiest machine on the block, but it delivers decent gaming performance thanks to the RTX 5050 GPU inside. With an AMD Ryzen 5 240 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage, you’ve also got a laptop that can handle schoolwork and gaming without sounding like it’s about to blast off.
Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Further considerations
The Acer Nitro V 16 AI comes at a very attractive price point. It costs $799 at MSRP, but sometimes you can get it for as low as $629 when it’s on sale, making it one of the more affordable RTX-50 series laptops out there. You’re not getting a top-tier CPU or loads of storage, but this laptop somehow manages to sidestep the common pitfalls of cheaper gaming machines.
Battery life is very good for a gaming laptop, reaching up to 12 hours on a single charge. It’s also very comfortable to work on, with a roomy keyboard and large touchpad. It doesn’t feel cramped at all.
Read our full
Acer Nitro V 16 AI review
Other notable laptops we’ve tested
A few laptops didn’t make the above list, but they’re still cool and worth considering. The Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 is a nice cheap pick ($599.99) with a touchscreen and decent hardware. The Asus ZenBook A14, on the other hand, boasts a featherlight build (2.16 pounds) as well as incredible battery life (24 hours!). Finally, the Framework Laptop 2025 is all about being easy to fix and upgrade, which is awesome if you don’t want to buy a new laptop every couple years.
How we test laptops
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests.
For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.
Who curated this article?
Hi, I’m Ashley Biancuzzo, and I oversee all laptop and Chromebook coverage at PCWorld. While you’ll see me review Chromebooks on occasion, I’m also deeply immersed in the broader world of consumer tech. I spend a lot of time writing and thinking about where laptops are headed — from AI and sustainable designs to long-term trends. When I’m not deep in the world of tech, you’ll probably find me gaming, getting lost in a good book, or chilling with my rescue greyhound, Allen.
How to choose the best laptop for college
First off, think about your budget. What’s your actual limit here? If you don’t have much wiggle room, a Chromebook might be the way to go. They’re cheap and can handle everyday tasks like writing papers, working on a Google Sheet, casual browsing, that sort of thing. You can find them anywhere from $200 to about a grand, it just depends on what you’re going for.
If you’ve got a little more to spend, 2-in-1 touchscreen laptops are great because they’re so versatile. You can turn the screen all the way back and use it like a tablet or stand it up like a little movie screen. That’s great for Netflix or just zoning out with YouTube. The flexibility’s nice, especially if you’re cramped in a dorm or carrying it around all the time.
As far as performance goes, if you’re doing stuff like email, streaming, or having a bunch of tabs open, more RAM helps. 8GB is what I’d recommend. Your laptop will run smoother and it won’t feel like it’s constantly lagging. 4GB is fine if you’re just browsing or writing papers, but it can feel restrictive if you’re prone to multitasking and working with lots of open windows. Chrome and Spotify are memory hogs as well, and they’ll slow things down if you don’t have enough memory to work with.
Last thing, the keyboard. You’ll be typing a lot in college, so this actually matters. Some people like keys that are clickier and have a little more bounce to them. Well, that’s mechanical keyboards for you. They’re louder, but they help you avoid accidental keystrokes, and they feel kind of satisfying to type on. Totally up to you, but don’t ignore it. A bad keyboard gets old real fast.
FAQ
What’s the best laptop for college students?
If you just want something that’s fast enough for schoolwork, lasts all day, and has a screen that actually makes Netflix look good, the Acer Swift 16 AI is the best laptop you can buy right now.
What’s the best budget laptop for college students?
If you’re trying to keep it cheap and just want something that works, the Acer Aspire Go 15 is the perfect fit. It’s got a big screen and it handles all the basics like a champ.
What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop?
Chromebooks are simple and fast, perfect for stuff like browsing, writing papers, and streaming. The do everything within the Chrome OS. They usually don’t cost much, either. Windows laptops can do a lot more like gaming or editing videos. They also support locally installed programs as opposed to being internet-based. So if you just need a basic laptop for school stuff, a Chromebook is cool, but if you want something that can handle more, go with Windows.
