The best laptops for college students 2018: all the best options for school work

There are still plenty of great laptops for college students to decorate their dorm rooms with, even if we’re still waiting for the Surface Laptop 2. The best laptops for college students are going to be elegantly designed and powerful enough to handle anything the semester throws at you, while still being affordable enough for even the most frugal students to justify. 

Because money can be hard to come by when you’re a college student, the best laptops for students won’t have the latest Coffee Lake or AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation processors and Nvidia graphics – they’ll feature the hardware they actually need to perform, no frills. And, even though Windows 10 is still the most popular operating system among the education sector, you should keep your eye on the best Chromebooks as well – you’d be surprised how much you can do with them.

And, now that Windows 10 allows you to toggle off Windows 10 S, and a new Windows 10 Lean mode is on the way . The best laptops for students will be flexible enough to do whatever you need them to do.

The next few years are going to be stressful, but the right tool is worth the expense if it’ll help you earn that degree. To alleviate some of the frustration, we’ve listed the best laptops for college students below so that you can buy one for yourself or a loved one. You won’t have to limit to yourself to an old clunker any more.

What’s the XPS 13 if not the best? For three years in the running, we’ve been unable to answer this question due to Dell’s stunning flagship Ultrabook, well, being the best. Thin, light and ready to rumble once again, the Dell XPS 13 is more powerful than ever, albeit at a higher starting cost than before. Then again, the slight bump in cost means you can expect an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor at the very least, paired with a gorgeous (and bezel-less) InfinityEdge anti-glare display as well as an Alpine White-woven-into-Rose Gold color option. It’s a bit more expensive than the traditional Platinum Silver version, but it’s worth it for the cred.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13

The Samsung Notebook 9 is what other 2-in-1 laptops have aspired to be since their conception. It hones in on the S-Pen, Samsung’s own proprietary stylus with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity (the same as Microsoft’s new Surface Pen), a nifty little accessory that conveniently doesn’t require charging. Although the touchscreen display is only 1080p, at between 350 and 450 nits of brightness, you won’t be paying any mind to the pixels, or lack thereof. Plus, the lengthy battery life more than makes up for this hybrids few setbacks.

Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9 Pro

• This product is only available in the US and UK as of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the HP Spectre x360 15. 

In a lot of ways, the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is a sort of apology for the Google Chromebook Pixel that came before. And, even while the Google Pixelbook looms in the background with its thousand dollar price tag, the Asus Chromebook is the best Chromebook for the money. The Asus Chromebook Flip cuts the Pixelbook’s price in half while retaining the 360-degree hinge that basically makes it a 2-in-1 laptop, but with Android apps. And, when it comes to build quality, you can experience style that rivals the MacBook Pro, without spending the cash for a MacBook Pro.   

Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip

It should come as no surprise that the Samsung Notebook 9 has a gorgeous display, considering who made it. But, even beyond the screen, this laptop just breathes quality, from its useful fingerprint scanner, insane portability to its bleeding-edge, 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor. Sure, its keyboard is a bit lackluster, and you’ll fill up the storage quickly but even those flaws are serviceable. Finally, thanks to its insane battery life, this is hands down one of the best laptops students can buy in 2018.

Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9 (2018) 

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Dell XPS 13 

As we wait for the Surface Pro 5, the 2017 Surface pro is still the most advanced Windows tablet on the market. Everything from its rounded edges to its refined accessories all but screams that it’s the next generation of the Redmond hardware lineage. There’s also the fact that the Surface Pro draws inspiration from all-in-one PCs in the way it can bend back 165 degrees. The only real compromise here is that only the i7 version of the Surface Pro can give Apple’s cheaper, entry-level iPad Pro a run for its money. 

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro

While it might not win any beauty contests, the Acer Aspire e15 does one thing, and it does it well: work. If you need a laptop that you can carry with you between classes and get some work done, without needing to break open the piggy bank, this laptop will go a long way. Rocking one of the new 8th-generation Coffee Lake U-series CPUs, you’ll never have to worry about your laptop holding back your studying. Just don’t expect a chassis you can proudly display in the coffee shop.

Read the full review: Acer Aspire e15 

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming  

While we still adore the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin, we have to admit that it’s not quite the same device it used to be. Instead, it’s a 13-inch convertible laptop that literally bends over backwards to suit your creative needs. And, while you won’t find an included stylus in sight, nor are discrete graphics present in this year’s model, the lengthy battery life and punchy processor nearly makes up for any concessions.

Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360. 

It’s not every day that you see a 15.6-inch Chromebook decked out with a full HD, 1080p touchscreen. However, it’s even less frequent that we get on our hands with a laptop that lasts this long under pressure. Surviving 16 hours and 47 minutes in our signature battery test, the Acer Chromebook 15 prioritizes having an excellent battery life over everything else. Although it’s performance is still satisfactory given its low-power Intel Pentium processor and flexible operating system, its long battery life and outstanding looks separate it from the pack.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15

• This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Asus Chromebook Flip 

Last year, Dell impressed us with its Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming, and the 2018 version is even better. Sure, it still packs the same 7th-generation CPU, but thanks to Nvidia Max-Q technology it features a more powerful GPU while being much thinner and lighter than the previous offering – plus it still maintains the budget price. This makes the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming the cheapest way to play great games, be productive at school and look good while doing it.

Read the full review: Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming

The 2017 MacBook Pro doesn’t distinguish itself much from its predecessor, but it is a testament to just how much you can improve something by simply refreshing the internal components and calling it a day. It may still be equipped with 7th-generation Intel Kaby Lake processors, but the 2017 MacBook Pro is still the fastest Mac around. And, if you were waiting until WWDC 2018 to make the plunge, don’t worry, it looks like the 2017 MacBook Pro is here to stay for just a bit longer. 

Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2017)

Watch the video below for the top 7 things to consider when buying a laptop. 

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

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