Best Laptops for Students in 2024

MacBook Air

1. Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2, 2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The MacBook Air 15 with the M2 chip offers the perfect balance of performance, portability, and battery life. It’s a lightweight laptop with enough power to handle everything from writing essays to editing videos, making it ideal for students in all fields of study.

Key Features:

  • Processor: Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU
  • Display: 15.3-inch Retina Display (2560 x 1664)
  • Memory & Storage: 8GB to 24GB RAM, up to 2TB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up to 18 hours

The MacBook Air’s fanless design makes it whisper-quiet, and the battery can easily last through a full day of classes and study sessions. With a premium build and sleek design, it’s an excellent choice for students who want a high-performance, long-lasting laptop.

Best For:

Students who want a lightweight, reliable laptop with great battery life and excellent performance, especially those studying in creative fields like design or media.


2. Dell XPS 13 Plus (2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a powerful yet highly portable laptop with a stunning display and solid build quality. It’s perfect for students who need a lightweight laptop without compromising on performance.

Key Features:

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
  • Display: 13.4-inch Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) or 4K UHD (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge display
  • Memory & Storage: Up to 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up to 12 hours

The XPS 13 Plus is slim and light, making it easy to carry around campus. Its high-resolution display is perfect for students who need crisp visuals for research, presentations, or design work. Plus, it offers excellent performance for multitasking.

Best For:

Students who need a powerful, portable laptop with a premium display for visual clarity, especially those in demanding programs like engineering, design, or computer science.


3. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is known for its versatility, with a touchscreen display that’s perfect for taking notes, sketching, and collaborating. It’s a great choice for students who want the flexibility of a 2-in-1 device.

Key Features:

  • Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7 (13th Gen)
  • Display: 13.5-inch or 15-inch PixelSense touchscreen (2256 x 1504)
  • Memory & Storage: Up to 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up to 17 hours

With its high-quality PixelSense touchscreen, the Surface Laptop 5 is ideal for students who like to handwrite notes or create digital artwork. Its lightweight design and excellent battery life make it perfect for students who need portability and flexibility.

Best For:

Students who need a versatile laptop for both traditional and creative tasks, such as notetaking, sketching, and presentations.


4. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i (2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is a budget-friendly 2-in-1 laptop that offers excellent value for money. Its flexible design allows it to function as both a laptop and a tablet, giving students more ways to interact with their work.

Key Features:

  • Processor: Intel Core i5-13400U
  • Display: 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) touchscreen
  • Memory & Storage: 8GB to 16GB RAM, up to 512GB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up to 10 hours

The IdeaPad Flex 5i’s 2-in-1 design makes it perfect for students who need a budget-friendly device for note-taking, streaming, and basic tasks. The touchscreen feature adds versatility for students who prefer handwriting notes or sketching ideas.

Best For:

Students on a budget who want a reliable, versatile laptop with 2-in-1 functionality for note-taking, research, and general productivity.


5. Acer Swift X (2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The Acer Swift X is an excellent option for students who need a bit more power, such as those studying graphic design, video editing, or engineering. It features a discrete GPU, making it capable of handling creative software and light gaming.

Key Features:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
  • Display: 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display
  • Memory & Storage: Up to 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up to 12 hours

The Swift X offers great performance for students who need more processing power, especially for creative tasks. Its compact design and decent battery life make it ideal for students who need portability and power.

Best For:

Students in creative fields or those who need a more powerful laptop for tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, or light gaming.


6. HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The HP Pavilion Aero 13 is a lightweight, affordable laptop that offers impressive performance for its price. With a beautiful design and solid specs, it’s perfect for students who need a reliable machine without breaking the bank.

Key Features:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840U
  • Display: 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1200)
  • Memory & Storage: 8GB to 16GB RAM, up to 1TB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up to 13 hours

The Pavilion Aero 13 is highly portable, weighing less than 1kg, making it perfect for students who are constantly on the go. Its AMD processor ensures that it can handle multitasking and basic productivity tasks with ease.

Best For:

Students who need an ultra-portable, budget-friendly laptop for basic tasks like note-taking, browsing, and essay writing.


7. Google Pixelbook Go (2024)

Why It’s Great for Students:

The Google Pixelbook Go is one of the best Chromebooks available for students. It’s affordable, lightweight, and runs Chrome OS, making it perfect for students who primarily use cloud-based applications like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Key Features:

  • Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7 (8th Gen)
  • Display: 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080)
  • Memory & Storage: Up to 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
  • Battery Life: Up

pcdoeswhat.com Author

The guy behind PCDoesWhat—let’s call him a tech drifter with a taste for clean keyboards and dirty deals—spends his time chasing down the best laptops like a wolf hunts a meal. He’s not here to sell you dreams, just the cold, raw truth about processors, frames, and dollar signs. Between late-night coffee sips and screen flickers, he digs through the digital jungle, pulling out the gold for students, gamers, or just anyone lost in the silicon wasteland. Deals matter. Performance? Even more. But never forget: value is king.

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