Best Laptops for College Students in 2026: From MacBooks to Budget Options
Wired has published an updated list of the most suitable laptops for college students, highlighting models from Apple, Dell, Asus, HP, and others that combine long battery life, portability, and performance for everyday coursework.
Wired has updated its recommended laptop list for college students as of July 2026, adding several new models and removing some that have become too expensive due to price increases.
Best Overall Model
The Apple MacBook Neo is chosen as the best overall college laptop. It weighs only 2.7 pounds and starts at $699. Available in multiple colors, it features a high-quality trackpad and Touch ID fingerprint reader. However, it has only 8 GB of RAM and can only connect to one external display.
Best Windows Alternative
The Dell 14 Plus is noted as the best Windows option, priced under $1,000. It offers a sharp, bright display, good keyboard and trackpad, and plenty of ports. The newer Dell 14S costs $1,350 but has a lower-resolution screen.
Lightest Model
The Asus Zenbook A14 is the lightest laptop available at just 2.4 pounds. It comes with 16 GB of RAM and ranges from $600 to $1,000. The 2026 model with a Snapdragon X2 chip costs $1,600, which the reviewer does not recommend for students.
Budget Class
Among cheaper models, the HP OmniBook 5 14 frequently sells for around $600 or less. It has an OLED screen, more memory and storage than the MacBook Neo, but a clumsy trackpad. Even cheaper is the HP OmniBook 3, with good battery life and an OLED display, though the 16-inch version has lower resolution.
Under $500
For those on a tight budget, the Asus Chromebook CX15 at $200 is the best option for basic internet needs. It has a poor screen and trackpad but is portable and modern-looking.
For STEM Students
For engineering and science majors, the Lenovo LOQ 15 with RTX 5060 graphics is recommended, often costing over $1,000. A more expensive but powerful choice is the Razer Blade 16 with RTX 5090, though battery life is limited. The MacBook Pro with M5 chip offers excellent battery life and up to 128 GB of unified memory.
Other Noteworthy Models
The list also includes the Dell 14S ($1,350), MacBook Air ($1,260), iPad Air ($899) with Magic Keyboard, Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x ($1,075), Microsoft Surface Pro 12 ($750), and Framework Laptop 12 ($549).
