The best laptops for college students

The best laptop for college doesn’t have to push the envelope with the latest graphics card and processor, nor does it have to cost an arm and a leg.

It’s important to consider your major and what you need your laptop to do before deciding on the best laptop.

Budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks can be affordable alternatives, with many going for just $500 to $700 .

Dell ’s XPS 13 is a reliable workhorse that will get you through classes and late-night writing sessions without breaking a sweat.

Its excellent battery life means you can attend classes untethered and still have more juice left in the tank when you get home.

For gamers, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is one of the best laptops we’ve reviewed this year .

Acer ’s Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is one of the few models on the market that supports a speedier Intel Core Ultra 5 chip with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of base storage.

HP Pavilion Aero 13 provides relatively powerful components compared to others in this price range.

It has a generous array of ports and enough hours of battery life to last you a full day and then some.