In our tests it achieved well over a full day of use on a single charge so you can power through your day without anxiously making sure you're sitting near a power outlet, and it has enough ports to support most of the peripherals you'd need at college or school, such as a mouse and webcam. The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is currently the most affordable laptop in the Apple family, and while its likely to be overtaken in performance by the recently-released M2-powered MacBook Air, the older MacBook Air is a much better buy for many students, as it's cheaper than the latest model by quite a bit, while still being an excellent performer.
We've also got you covered if you want ideas on the best iMac alternatives for a desktop computer rather than a portable laptop, and we've picked out the best laptops for teachers.ĭon't forget that if you're going to be studying a creative subject, you'll probably need the right software, so see our guide to getting an Adobe Creative Cloud discount or download Photoshop for a free trial. If you don't find anything that suits your needs in the list below, then luckily we have more dedicated guides if you had something in mind, such as products that can be purchased with the Apple student discount. For more information on how we evaluate laptops, see our how we test laptops page. Most of the picks below are based on our own reviews and time spent with these laptops, as well as our own expertise.
Similarly, students studying video editing or photography may need to prioritise a display with fantastic colour accuracy and high levels of brightness which are difficult - though not impossible - to find on a tight budget. That said, university and college students may need something more powerful, particularly if they're studying a creative field such as visual effects and 3D modelling so we've made every effort to include a decent selection of laptops equipped with seriously powerful graphics cards and plenty of RAM in their systems.