Looking for the best laptop for university? You’re in the right place. Laptops are literally your key to uni success.
Before I started uni, I had to search the internet for hours to compare laptops and finally decide on one.
For me, I wanted something that had a good aesthetic, was easy to use, was compatible with my other tech, and something lightweight. I landed on the Apple Macbook Pro (cliche, right?).
Anyway, not everyone will be like me. You may want something cheaper, something more suited for gaming, something windows because “Apple is too mainstream”, whatever it is, this post will give you options to think about.
So, strap in, put your feet up and dive into the 8 best uni laptops of 2021.
Table of Contents
The Best Expensive (but, Amazing) Laptops
Dell XPS 13 (Windows)
Price
Upwards of $2,000 for a new one.
Around $1,700 for a previous model.
Features
Certainly a premium option, the XPS is easily the most advanced laptop money can buy for a student. I won’t get into the specifics, because I know you don’t care, but here’s what you need to know:
- Intel Core i3 / Core i5 / Core i7 (11th gen) – High-quality, super reliable operating system
- Intel Iris Xe – High-quality graphics
- 8GB / 16GB RAM – Heaps of short-term data memory
- Option for touchscreen or non-touchscreen
Pros
- Won’t die on you before the end of your degree
- Great for gaming
- Super powerful
- High price = great laptop
Cons
- Very expensive for any student
Macbook Pro (Apple)
Price
From $1,849 for students.
Features
At around $2k, the MacBook Pro is definitely gonna hurt the bank account. This one is ideal for someone who wants the best but needs Apple. Features:
- Apple’s M1 Chip – High-quality, reliable operating system and graphics
- 8GB / 16GB RAM – plenty of short-term memory
- Option for 13-inch or 16-inch screen
- Optional touch bar
- Thunderbolt / USB4 ports
Pros
- User friendly
- Compatible with your iPhone/iPad
- Great battery life – 20 hours (13-inch) & 11 hours (16-inch)
- Great overall performance
Cons
- Expensive
- Not enough ports
- Loud fan compared to Macbook Air
The Best Mid-Price (but, Great Quality) Laptops
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Windows)
Price
Starting from $1,330.
Features
The Surface Pro is future-built and extremely nice looking. It’s a great option if you’ve got cash to throw but you’re not a millionaire. Features:
- Intel Core i5 / Core i7 – High-quality, super reliable operating system
- Intel Iris Plus – Good-quality graphics
- 8GB / 16GB RAM – Plenty of short-term memory
- Option for 13.5-inch or 15-inch
- Touchscreen display
Pros
- Thin and lightweight
- Very nice aesthetic
- Decent battery life – 11.5 hours
Cons
- Starts to get very expensive if you require upwards of 512GB storage
- Only 1 USB-C and 1 USB-A port
Macbook Air (Apple)
Price
From $1,440 with student pricing.
Features
The Macbook Air is the cheaper, lighter version of a Macbook Pro. It doesn’t have an internal fan, so it runs quietly but isn’t as optimised for gaming. Features:
- Apple’s M1 Chip – High-quality, reliable operating system and graphics
- 8GB RAM – Plenty of short-term memory
- 13-inch screen
- Thunderbolt / USB4 ports
Pros
- Ultra-thin, lightweight design
- Decent battery life – 11 hours
- Apple system (macOS)
Cons
- Not enough ports
- No fan for cooling
The Best Cheap (but, Reliable) Laptops
Acer Aspire 3 (Windows)
Price
Around $700.
Features
The Acer Aspire 3 is the best bang-for-your-buck laptop out there, with great quality features for the super attractive price. Features:
- Intel Core i3 (10th generation) – Decent operating system (enough for a student)
- Intel UHD – Decent graphics, nothing great, nothing bad
- 4GB RAM – enough short-term memory
- 15.6-inch non-touchscreen
Pros
- Cheap price
- Reliable laptop with ease of use
- Lightweight
- Lots of ports
Cons
- No super special features, but enough for a student who just wants to take notes
- Restricted to Chrome OS
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (Windows)
Price
Starting from $699.
Features
Another good value-for-money option. Features:
- Intel Core i3 (10th generation) – Decent operating system (enough for a student)
- Intel UHD – Decent graphics, nothing great, nothing bad
- 4GB / 8GB RAM – good short-term memory
- 15-inch non-touchscreen
Pros
- Good value
- Good battery life
- Lots of USB ports
Cons
- Bulky and a little heavy
The Best Two-in-One Laptops
Microsoft Surface Go (Windows)
Price
Starting from $999.
Features
The Surface Go is the perfect laptop/tablet with a beautiful design, ultra-thin display and great functionality. Features:
- Intel Core i5 (10th Gen) – Good operating system
- Intel UHD – Decent graphics, nothing amazing, nothing bad
- 4GB / 8GB RAM – Good short-term memory
- 10-inch screen
- Laptop/tablet versatility (comes apart)
Pros
- Good battery life – up to 13 hours
- Super portable – perfect for uni
- Tablet or laptop mode
Cons
- Not enough ports
- Slightly higher price considering features
HP Envy X360 (Windows)
Price
Around $1,500.
Features
The ultimate two-in-one laptop for uni life and everything beyond. Features:
- AMD Ryzen 5 2500U quad-core 2-3.6GHz – Great operating system
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 – Great graphics
- 8GB RAM – Plenty of short-term memory
- 13-inch screen
- Laptop/tablet versatility (stays connected)
Pros
- Super high-quality build, fast and reliable
- Nice aesthetic
- Good price for features
- Ultra-portable – perfect for uni life
- Lightweight, yet sturdy
Cons
- Not many ports
Which Uni Laptop is Right For You?
Picking a laptop is hard! There are so many options, so many weird words that you don’t understand, a large amount of money at stake, and of course you want to look the part at uni.
The most important thing is to remember that higher cost doesn’t always mean better laptop.
When you’re searching for a laptop, think about these things:
- What degree am I doing?
- Creative degrees usually require more powerful laptops
- Science degrees may require a specific operating system
- Business and law degrees will usually be sweet with anything that turns on
- Am I using this laptop just for uni, or for other things as well?
- Gaming, investing, reading, Netflix, etc.
- What am I comfortable with?
- Windows or macOS, or something else?
- What type of keyboard do I like most?
- How much money can I afford to throw at this?
- Am I clumsy or good with expensive things?
There’s plenty to think about so take your time, do your research, and don’t jump into buying anything that you don’t love! Treat this as an investment, you want something that’ll last and something you won’t want to update in 12 months.
Final Word
Hopefully, you found this list helpful. The point of it is to take the ones you like and research them further!
Don’t be a stranger to the comments section either! If you have any questions, drop them below and I’ll get to them ASAP.
Jump into some of my other School and Uni posts here:
If you want more list posts like this one, please please please let me know in the comments, or by sharing this post on your socials.
Happy shopping,
Uncle N.
This post may contain sponsored links from which I may earn a commission. This is at no extra cost to you (the reader) and will not add to the cost of any item should you wish to purchase through these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.