Top-Rated Student Laptops for 2023: Find Your Perfect School Companion

Without further ado, here are our top picks for the best student laptops of 2023:

Apple MacBook Air M2

The Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) boasts fantastic performance, an updated sleek design, an excellent keyboard and trackpad, and long battery life. However, its starting price and upgrades are expensive, and it lacks more color options. While the M1 version remains an excellent buy for less, the MacBook Air M2 (2022) is a great pick for those who can afford it and want a reliable machine that can handle tasks more challenging than simple browsing and word processing.

The M2 chipset powering this machine is fast enough for photo and 4K video editing, and even some gaming. During testing, the reviewer spent a considerable amount of time playing Football Manager 2022, and the M2 MacBook Air handled it with ease.

For users who type a lot, the MacBook Air M2 (2022) offers one of the best keyboards on the market. The keyboard has just enough travel and big function keys, making it a joy to use. The trackpad is also huge and very responsive. Although this particular MacBook doesn’t feature a Touch Bar, it offers simple function keys in its place, similar to pre-2016 MacBooks.

The battery life is impressive, lasting for up to 14 hours in a video loop test, two hours longer than the previous model. The 13.6-inch IPS LCD panel is great for work and play, making it an ideal device for students who enjoy watching Netflix after class.

While the latest Air offers extra graphics firepower, the more affordable MacBook Air M1 laptop is still an excellent option for those who don’t need it. Although it is a couple of years older, it still provides exceptional productivity performance.

Overall, students shouldn’t feel pressured into spending this much on a laptop. However, for those who can afford it, the MacBook Air M2 (2022) is an outstanding device that offers excellent performance, a sleek design, and long battery life.

MacBook Air M2

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go

Looking for a budget-friendly laptop for your school or university needs? Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 is a great option to consider. With its affordable price tag, it offers excellent build quality and a highly portable design, making it easy to carry to the library or around campus.

Although the laptop’s processor may not be as advanced as more expensive options, it still delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks like web browsing, email, and writing essays. Unless you require a laptop for gaming or content creation, there’s no need to opt for a more powerful option.

The only major downside to this laptop is its low screen resolution. With a resolution of just 1536×1024, video playback doesn’t look as sharp as it would on a conventional 1080p display, and the 12-inch screen may not be ideal for multitasking. However, if you don’t need high-quality video playback or multiple windows open simultaneously, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is still a solid choice for students on a budget. Note that it lacks a keyboard backlight and a fingerprint scanner on the base configuration.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go

Acer Chromebook Spin 513

The Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is a highly recommended option for anyone in the market for a Chromebook. It’s priced affordably at under £300, making it an ideal choice for students on a budget.

The standout feature of the Spin 513 is its lightweight design, weighing only 1.2kg, which makes it easy to take on the go. However, it’s important to note that it runs on ChromeOS, so it’s not suitable for running software like Adobe Photoshop. Nonetheless, for basic use, it’s perfectly capable.

The keyboard of the Spin 513 is responsive with a solid keypress, and it’s also backlit, making it easy to use in low-light conditions. Additionally, the 13.3-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen display is sharp and boasts decent colors, making it suitable for watching videos on YouTube or Amazon Prime Video. The only downside is that the standard 16:9 aspect ratio does detract from its aesthetics.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c processor performs well for web browsing and word processing, and it can handle multiple Chrome tabs without any issues. It also doesn’t require a cooling system, making it a whisper-quiet performer during late-night study sessions.

One of the Spin 513’s best features is its foldable design, which comes with a bundled stylus. This makes it a great option for using as a tablet, whether you want to relax and watch TV or take notes during a class. While it’s not recommended for creative work, it’s perfectly capable for essay-based tasks. Overall, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is a solid choice for anyone in need of a reliable and affordable Chromebook.

Acer Chromebook Spin 513

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) is an excellent choice for students looking for a high-performance laptop for content creation. Its stunning display and exceptional performance make it the best laptop for creative duties. The 14/16-inch Mini LED screen boasts a resolution of 3456 x 2234, delivering a wonderfully crisp and detailed picture. Additionally, the screen comes with a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother output.

The MacBook Pro is available with either an M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, both of which offer blistering speeds that can handle everything from basic productivity tasks to complex 3D animation and 4K video renders. Our benchmark results demonstrate that few laptops can deliver performance as good as this for content creation. The MacBook Pro came out as our top performer in each test.

Incorporating User Feedback: Apple has equipped this laptop with multiple ports such as MagSafe charging, HDMI, Thunderbolt, and SD card reader. The redesigned boxier chassis retains the industrial charm of previous MacBook models, delighting loyal users.

However, RAM upgrades can be expensive, and the MacBook Pro is the most expensive laptop on this list. As a result, we recommend it only to those who require high-end performance. Creative students will undoubtedly notice a significant difference between this laptop and many others when it comes to demanding media tasks, but essay writers do not need to spend this much to find their perfect laptop.

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is an excellent choice for students who are designers. Its versatile hinge and sharp, vibrant display make it the best laptop on this list for digital artists. Additionally, its top-class design and keyboard and surprisingly good battery life make it an excellent overall choice for any student.

One of the standout features of the Surface Laptop Studio is its versatile hinge, which allows it to be used both as a clamshell laptop and a tablet. This makes it ideal for both typing up essays and drawing directly onto the screen. During testing, we found it easy to pull the screen forward and magnetically clip it to the deck just above the trackpad. However, the Microsoft Slim Pen is not bundled with this device and will need to be purchased separately.

The Surface Laptop Studio features an 11th-gen H-Series Intel processor, with i5 and i7 options available. Our unit performed well during basic tasks like web browsing and watching Netflix. While this is not the most powerful laptop on this list, its touch screen and versatile hinge set it apart from the rest. It will work great for students who do not need the most powerful specs.

However, compared to rivals, the graphics power of the Surface Laptop Studio is weaker, and the screen lacks pro-grade color accuracy. These are important considerations for students who require high-end performance for their work. Nonetheless, any student who creates digital art should still seriously consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, as it offers a unique blend of versatility and performance.