The Best College Laptops of 2018

Whether typing up a 100-page thesis or just taking notes in class, having a comfortable, responsive keyboard allows you to get more work done faster. Starting at under $900 ($1049 as tested), HP’s Envy 13t has one of the best keyboards in the industry, along with a lightweight aluminum chassis and nearly 10 hours of Hp envy 13t-1000 laptop battery life. The 13.3-inch laptop is powered by a speedy 8th Gen Core i5 or Core i7 CPU and a PCIe SSD, giving it really powerful performance.

Pros: Best-in-class keyboard; Powerful performance;  Long battery life
Cons: Tinny audio: Accurate, but bland colors

Key Specs: Up to Intel Core i7-8550U CPU; Up to 4K touch screen (1080p standard); Up to 1TB SSD; 2.93 pounds

Asus’s 2.7-pound ZenBook UX330UA is light enough to carry to class, powerful enough to do almost any homework you can imagine and affordable enough not to break the bank. For under $750, you get a sharp 1080p screen, a generous 256GB SSD and a speedy 8th Generation Intel Core i5 CPU. Best of all, the UX330UA lasts 9  hours on a charge so you can leave your power brick back in the dorm room. There’s also a $699-version that uses the older, 7th Gen Core i5 CPU and has over 10 hours of Asus a32-f3 battery life.

Pros: Long-lasting, affordable for students, Great screen
Cons: Too much bloatware; Stiff touchpad

Key Specs: Core i5-8250U CPU, 13-inch, 1080p display, 256GB SSD; 2.7 pounds

Regardless of whether you’re devoted to organic chemistry, anthropology or atmospheric science, you need a solid machine like the Dell XPS 13. This system packs up to powerful 8th-generation quad-core processor with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. And you have to love the new redesign, which is thinner and comes in white. The virtually borderless, 13-inch display with full HD resolution will make sure your notes and graphs pop, giving the illusion of a much bigger screen. Most people will love the USB Type-C version, but last year’s update that lasted for a wild 16 hours on our Dell xps m1530 notebook battery test is still available.

Pros: Long battery life; Speedy performance; Light and attractive design;
Cons: Poorly placed webcam that looks up your nose;

Key Specs: Up to 8th-Gen Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, Up to 3200 x 1800, 13-inchtouch screen display;

If you want a laptop that’s portable enough to take to class or the library but powerful enough to play your favorite games, the PowerSpec 1510 is right for you. For just $1,300, you get an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, a 1080p G-Sync display and a ton of ports. Its Core i7 CPU will be great for multitasking while doing homework, for when class takes priority over your Steam account.

Pros: Great price for a laptop with a GTX 1070 GPU; Vibrant G-Sync display; A lot of ports;
Cons: Quiet audio; No gaming utility software;

Key Specs: Core i7 CPU; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU; 15.6-inch display;

The latest 13-inch MacBook Pro has upgraded to a 7th-generation Core i5 CPU for even more performance than ever before. You’ll get through all of your classes with 8 hours of battery life, and at just 3 pounds it’s easy to pack into a bag. Between its Core i5 CPU, Intel Iris graphics and lightning-fast PCIe SSD, it’ll handle anything you throw at it. Want more battery life? Try a model without the Touch Bar.

Pros: Awesome display; Strong speakers for dorm dance parties; Fast transfer speeds;
Cons: Pricey; No USB Type-A ports;

Key Specs: Up to Core i7 CPU; Up to 1TB storage; Thunderbolt 3 ports; 13-inch display

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or aspiring CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the X1 Carbon will let you live in luxury. The 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon is ready for the boardroom with a vibrant 1080p or 2K display (with an optional HDR option), an incredibly slim body and one of the best keyboards you can get on any laptop. The 8th Gen Intel Core CPU is powerful and it lasts over 11hours on a charge,

Pros: Long-lasting battery; Light enough for a backpack; Vivid screen with optional HDR;
Cons: Pricey on a student budget; Tinny audio;

Key Specs: Core i5 or i7 CPU; 14-inch 1080p or 2K display; Up to 1TB SSD;

When you’re coding all night, you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of juice. The ThinkPad T470 provides more than 17 hours of battery life, along with a screen that’s sharp enough for multitasking, a comfortable keyboard and enough processing power to compile all your projects. A Thunderbolt 3 port also lets you connect to external graphics docks for extra processing power.

Pros: One of the best keyboard you’ll find; Thunderbolt 3; Long battery life
Cons: Dim screen; Less than stellar speakers

Key Specs: Up to 1080p. 14-inch display; Up to Core i7 CPU; Up to 512GB SSD

Tap your creative energy with the updated 15-inch MacBook Pro. Apple has upped the ante with a faster 6th Gen Intel CPU, AMD Radeon Pro 455 graphics and its new Touch Bar. Video editors and animators will love the Touch Bar, which replaces the function keys with a custom toolset that can be different in Photoshop than it is in Final Cut. Four Thunderbolt 3 ports make it easy to connect to multiple 4K displays or transfer uncompressed media files to external backup drives with ease.

Pros: Gorgeous display; Long battery life; Fast performance
Cons: No USB Type-A ports; Runs warm

Key Specs: Up to Core i7 CPU, Up to Radeon Pro 560 GPU; Up to 1TB SSD. 15-inch display

A detachable 2-in-1 with a screen that turns into a standalone tablet is idea for taking notes as you do your hospital rounds or work standing up in a lab. The Surface Book provides an excellent slate experience, with a gorgeous 15-inch display and a stylus that feels a lot like a real pen. When paired with its comfortable keyboard, Microsoft’s notebook lasts more than 12 hours on a charge and, unlike most detachables, balances easily on your lap. On your time off, the GTX 1060 GPU is great for gaming, video editing, or whatever hobby you’ll need to blow off steam.

Pros: Stunning display: Long battery life; Fast performance;
Cons: Difficult to open; Expensive;

Key Specs: Up to Core i7 CPU, Optional Nvidia GPU; 13.5 inch, 3000 x 2000 display

If you’re doing CAD work or 3D modeling, you need a high-end mobile workstation. However, the Dell Precision 5520 shows that you don’t need to settle for an ugly, bulky laptop in order to get premium processing power. This 4.4-pound system is just 0.44 inches thick and has a gorgeous edge-to-edge display, along with an Intel 7th Generation Xeon processor and Nvidia Quadro graphics. Best of all, the Precision 5520 lasts a full 11 hours and 57 minutes on a charge.

Pros: Durable; Long-lasting battery life; Strong performance;
Cons: Wecbam looks up your nose;

Key Specs: Up to Core i7 CPU, Nvidia Quadro GPU, 15-inch, 1080p display

Microsoft’s Surface Pro is a great pick for students who need a system that’s as good in the courtroom as it is in the classroom. Its folding kickstand and brilliant 12.3-inch display make the Surface Pro a great presentation device, while its best-in-class folding keyboard ensures you’ll get a full laptop experience when it’s time to get some writing done.

You’ll have to pay extra for the Surface Pen and Type Cover keyboard, but having both accessories makes it easy to take notes or write legal briefs whether you’re sitting down or standing in line to get into the lecture hall. The front and rear cameras take great pictures so you can easily capture the whiteboard at the front of your classroom or pages from a book at the law library.

Pros: Great performance; Brilliant display
Cons: Type cover and Surface Pen sold separately; Mediocre battery life

Key Specs: Up to Core i7 CPU, Up to 16GB of RAM, Up to 1TB SSD

If you’re on a shoestring budget and only need office and web apps for your major, the Acer Aspire E15 will do the job. It boasts a vivid, 1080p display, Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD. It has every port you’ll need, including USB Type-C. It will also survive a day of classes with more than 8 hours of battery life. If you have a bit more to spend, you can get a Core i5 CPU, 256GB SSD, 1080p display and 8GB of RAM with the ($580) E5-575G-57D4 configuration.

Pros: Affordable; FHD display; Lots of ports;
Cons: Screen has narrow viewing angle; Lousy webcam;

Key Specs: Core i5 CPU; 256GB SSD; 1080p display;