The Best Laptops for College [Updated for 2018]

College students know a computer is not just a tool to keep up with email or surf through social media. College life is demanding and academic reliance on computer technology is only growing.

Having a fast computer is not a luxury anymore, it is a necessity.

For all the things that phones and tablets can do, the need for a computer is still a must.

Students know their computer is where the bulk of coursework is created and completed and where tons of research happens. There is no clear replacement of the computer for serious word processing, required for essays and term papers.

Having a solid computer is necessary for the ever-growing trend of online courses, and for interacting with professors and classmates.

Data storage on the hard drive or a cloud gets saved through the computer. Security features protect data and even the student’s identity and personal information. This is all before even mentioning the things that college students use their computer for in their free time: from gaming to streaming movies, surfing the web, or just keeping up with social media.

Luckily, college students have a plethora of computer options, more today than ever before. From small, lightweight little notebooks to fully-loaded laptops, options abound.

But sometimes more options makes things harder for the consumer.

Whether you are looking for a convertible laptop that can also become a tablet, a low-budget powerhouse, or a brand that you trust and are familiar with, this list can help you narrow down your options and find what is best for your specific usage, based on your school and major.

Some students care more about memory, storage, and tech specs like the processor or display. Others value what sort of programs come preloaded on the machine or the kind of battery life it offers. Another thing not to be overlooked is the overall value of the machine and keeping within a student’s tight budget.

This list was created to help make the decision a bit less stressful. Plain-spoken descriptions help narrow down the pros and cons in easy to understand language.

What Are the Best Laptops for College?

The methodology for our ranking is based on a weighted score from aggregated ratings from high-quality consumer site and rankings such as Laptop Mag, CNET, Macworld UK, PC Mag, Laptop Mag, Tech Radar, WIRED, PC World, Laptop Ninja, Digital Trends, and more.

We went through multiple computer review sites and took an aggregate of the scores by standardizing them to a scale from 0-100. We then took an aggregate of those scores to come up with our rankings.