Best Laptops for College Students

A laptop is essential equipment for college students today. Student laptops are required for a wide range of activities – from taking notes in class and completing assignments to streaming movies late at night in the dorm. When looking for the best college laptops, the options can be overwhelming, and it’s important to know exactly how you plan to use the device and what features are indispensable. It is recommended to use a laptop that is easy to carry, can process an array of programs, and has enough storage to save all your work.

As a premier provider of laptop technology, Dell offers a wide variety of laptops and 2-in-1s that make it easy to find the best college laptop for any major and every user.

Answering several key questions can help you choose the best college laptop for your higher-ed experience.

School requirements
Does your college or university or your require specific features in a laptop? Many schools provide guidelines before the semester begins about purchasing the appropriate technology. What are the specific needs you may have in relation to your major? Business majors will use a lot of office applications, while engineering students may use their laptops for design, modeling, or even coding. It is important to get a laptop that is equipped to support applications that you will use most frequently in school.

Ideal size and weight
While a laptop for college with a 17-inch screen may be fun for watching movies, you may grow weary of constantly having to carry such a large device around campus. Many students find that a 13-inch or 15-inch screen is ideal.

Processing power
While having a superfast computer is nice, it’s also more expensive and unnecessary for many activities. The best laptops for writers, for example, tend to be devices with mid-range processors but with a comfortable keyboard that makes it easy to spend long hours typing away. However, if your classes require you to run processing-intensive applications like AutoCAD, Vectorworks or Adobe Premiere Pro, you’ll want to consider the latest generation processors with multiple cores and faster clock speeds.

Graphics card
Choosing the right graphics card will depend on what kind of coursework you have. If your curriculum requires you to create high-end multimedia, an 8GB discrete graphics card may be best. Students who frequently craft presentations, create graphs and images should consider a 4GB discrete graphics card. If you regularly use typical productivity applications, an integrated graphics card will suit you best.

Touch screen options
If you are used to working with a touch screen or using a digital pen to interact with your device, you’ll likely want to look for a touch screen laptop. Touch screens can also help promote collaboration in group exercises. Moreover, a 2-in-1 touch screen laptop allows students to take notes with a stylus, replicating the effective and traditional way of note-taking.

What are the best college laptops?
The best college laptops provide students with sufficient computing power for coursework while also offering options for entertainment after class. Dell strongly recommends XPS and Inspiron laptops for college students.

What’s important in a laptop for college?
College laptops need to have the appropriate features that will help students with their coursework.
• Compliant with school requirements
• Ideal size & weight
• Sufficient processing power
• Appropriate graphics card
• Touch screen options