Gear

The Best Laptops for High School Students

From Samsung to Apple to Dell to Acer, we found student laptops for every need and every budget.

by Carlos Mejia
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
4 laptops for high school students pictured on a multi colored backdrop

It wasn’t that long ago that buying a teenager his or her own laptop might’ve felt like a wildly extravagant and unnecessary investment. Even if you found an affordable option, that same high schooler who leaves food on counter, the front door wide open, and the toilet seat up will likely forget that pricey piece of tech in a public location. But then 2020 happened, and the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools nationwide, making remote learning a necessity rather than a fanciful option. For the foreseeable future (likely into late 2021), the best laptops for high school students as essential as the teachers themselves. The good news for those new at remote schooling is that while computing power has climbed to incredible heights, computing price itself has dropped dramatically. What’s the best laptop for students? While we’ve tailored our list to every interest your child may have, there are still a number of overarching principles.

What to Look for in Laptops for High Schoolers:

  • Price: Student laptops will most likely take a beating, because kids aren’t the most responsible of humans; there’s no reason to buy the splashiest laptop you see.
  • Tech: Make sure it can smoothly run HD video lectures, and has a solid set of speakers. A great laptop should also have an integrated webcam because students aren’t tied down to physical classrooms or in-person study groups anymore.
  • Performance: Battery life matters. A fully charged laptop should last an entire school day. And pay attention to the weight. Kids will be lugging these laptops around, and backpacks get heavy. Fast.

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The Best Laptops for High School Students

IdeaPad 1 AMD 11-Inch Laptop by Lenovo

If your kid is already back to in-person learning and doesn't need a massive screen, you can save some money on this affordably priced option by Lenovo. It only has an 11-inch screen (most laptops are 13 inches or more), but it does have a camera, a trackpad, and Bluetooth for accessories. In short, it's got everything your son or daughter will need to learn, and little to incentivize them getting into trouble.

$251
Chromebook 11a-nb0047nr by HP
$145.99
Macbook Air 13.3-Inch Laptop by Apple

It's not cheap, but for our money, the MacBook Air is the leanest, meanest laptop you can buy. It has a 13-inch display, 256GB of storage, four USB-C ports, and two thunderbolt 3 ports. It weighs less than 3 pounds and has up to 18 hours of battery life. Because this is the latest model, you get the high-res retina display and touch ID.

$949
100E Chromebook Laptop by Lenovo
$144.71
Surface Go 2 Laptop by Microsoft
$469.99
Chromebook Spin 11 Convertible Laptop by Acer
$225
Pavilion x360 Laptop by HP
$1
Spin 11 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop by Acer
$269.99
Aspire 5 Laptop by Acer
$569.99
XPS 9300 Laptop by Dell
$1
16.2

Look, we wince at the price, too. But if your late high school kid is a creator -- and is serious about creating -- this is the machine he or she can use now and later in college. Equipped with the all-new M1 chip, he or she essentially has the computing power of a desktop in his or her backpack. Lightning fast, it renders photo, video, and music faster than ever before, and it works with all the industry-standard programs he or she will need to produce professional-quality products. Pony up.

$2
Toughbook CF-53 Laptop by Panasonic
$653.97

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