Best Laptops for Students

The best laptops for K-12 through college

When choosing a laptop, certain features and specs are helpful at each level of education.

What to look for in a laptop for elementary students
A touchscreen display with stylus options is ideal for younger students whose keyboard skills are still developing. 2-in-1s make it easy for elementary students to watch educational video content or use their device as an e-book. A lighter laptop is important – elementary school backpacks are plenty heavy already. And long battery life is essential as the device will need to go a full day without charging.

What high school students want in a laptop
High school students expect more from their laptops. They don't like to wait, so devices with the fastest connectivity options are a plus. High schoolers may prefer the intuitive feel of a touch screen laptop – as it makes the learning experience more tangible. Still, battery life is probably more important since charging options at school may be limited, and touchscreens can be a big drain on batteries. Because this age group lives in a multimedia world, high school students' laptops should offer advanced audio and video features. And for students who are into live streaming, editing video, or working with Photoshop, you'll want a computer with a faster processor and more RAM.

Laptops that meet the diverse needs of college students
A laptop is essential for every college academic experience - from researching topics and writing papers to collaborating with classmates and prepping presentations. Here are some top considerations for college laptops:

• When it comes to size, 13-inch screens can be considered a sweet spot. They offer enough screen space and a comfortable keyboard but can still fit easily between textbooks in a backpack.
• Flexibility is essential in college laptops, so look for devices with lots of ports and connectivity options. Students should be able to easily transfer files, photos, videos, music, and documents between the laptop and other devices.
• College laptops can also be an entertainment center, a gaming console, and a lifeline to home. Consider features like quality webcams, 4K displays, and high-end graphics cards.

School curriculum plays a large role in choosing the best laptops for students. While most students will be fine with mid-level processors, RAM, and graphics cards, students majoring in architecture, robotics, engineering, and other STEM disciplines will need powerful CPUs, lots of RAM, and the latest graphics cards. Picking a product with faster and recent-generation processors will give the laptop more longevity.

What are the best laptops for students?
There are a few features that every student's laptop requires. Highly durable devices are essential as most student laptops get knocked around a lot. Students appreciate a battery that can make it through the school day without a charge. Smaller, lighter devices are helpful because backpacks get heavy fast. When considering additional features, the right laptop depends on the student's age and area of study. For example, touchscreens are useful for younger students who don't yet know their way around a keyboard, while college students majoring in engineering will need more powerful devices that can run graphics-intensive applications.
At Dell, XPS and Inspiron laptops offer some of the best options for students.

What should students look for in a laptop?
The size of a laptop is important – thin laptops will add less weight to heavy backpacks. Anything larger than a 15.6-inch screen will be hard to fit in a backpack, while anything smaller than a 13.3-inch screen will be uncomfortable to work on. For college students, a laptop with more recent processors with help the device last a full four years of school. With the rise of online storage options, many students can consider a smaller storage drive to save money. And students who are gamers will want to look carefully at the laptop's graphics card and the monitor refresh rate to ensure that their gaming experience is satisfactory.

 
A student’s curriculum and interests will play a big role in choosing the right laptop. The best laptops for writers will have a comfortable keyboard that lets students type away all day long without strain. A laptop for architecture or engineering students running CAD will need devices with lots of RAM, faster processors, and the latest graphics cards. And students interested in editing video will need a display with a higher resolution and superior color performance.