And, of course, Apple's least expensive 13.3-inch model is the most portable, coming in at only 0.6 inches thick and 2.8 pounds. Why buy the MacBook Air instead of the Pro? While the Pro has better sustained performance, the MacBook Air is cheaper and is pin-drop silent because it doesn't have a fan. That affordable pricing mixed with its outstanding performance along with 14 hours and 41 minutes of battery life make it hard to beat for college students that are looking to get the most bang for their buck. While the MacBook Air M2 is now available, many users will still be perfectly happy with the MacBook Air M1, which comes in under $1,000 and can is available for $899 to students even when it's not on sale. If you prefer macOS to Windows 11, then go with the Apple MacBook Air.

Without further ado, here are the best college laptops, including some budget picks to make sure you can still make your tuition payments.

Need higher-end performance or a larger display? Consider the MacBook Pro or a Dell XPS 15. We feel strongly about the HP Envy 13 and MacBook Air (M1, 2020) as the best laptops for college students due to the price to performance, and excellent support. And if you prefer to take notes by hand, buy one of the best 2-in-1 laptops for a blended laptop and tablet experience. We've also ranked the best gaming laptops for those who like to unwind after the coursework is wrapped up. You will find a lot of these units in our main best laptops page too, which gives you a wide selection of the top notebooks to choose from.

What should you look for when buying a laptop for school? Make sure it has long battery life and fast CPU performance.

If you are in the market for a great deal on your next college laptop then make sure to check out our Black Friday laptop deals page where we will covering the best laptop deals all month and our Black Friday deals page for the best deals on laptops, tablets, phones, headphones and more. The school year is underway, but if you find yourself in need of a mid-semester upgrade we've got you covered with a continuously updated list of the best college laptops.

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