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The Best Notebooks for School-Aged Kids and College Students

July 2023 Update. When looking for a laptop for school the requirements can be numerous. The following list contains our Notebookcheck laptop recommendations for K12 and college students, whether you’re looking for a laptop that won’t break the bank, a high-performance all-rounder, or a high-end premium luxury device.
The Best Notebooks for School-Aged Kids and College Students
The Best Notebooks for School-Aged Kids and College Students

From our point of view, notebooks designed for educational purposes need to meet very specific requirements. These include things such as a certain degree of mobility, an ergonomic design and solid input devices.  It is unusual for these qualities to be adequately addressed by a pamphlet at a store or a manufacturer's website. To assist you in the decision-making process, we have looked back over our huge data collection compiled from the many notebooks we have reviewed, and we will make recommendations split into three different price ranges. The display should have an ergonomic, matte surface, and the notebook's performance should be on par with at least that of an Intel Core i3 platform - otherwise it may not have enough stamina to remain useful over the coming years. 

The following table contains notebooks and convertibles priced between 500 and 1,500 Euros ranked by weighted scores in the display, keyboard, and battery life categories. Many OEMs offer educational discounts for students and require proof of school or college enrollment. These prices are often noticeably lower than street prices and will thus allow you to save quite a bit of money. Keep in mind that our automatically updated price comparison cannot take educational discounts into account.

The Best Laptops for School-Aged Kids and College Students

Position
Weighted Rating
Total Rating
Date
Image
Model
Height
Weight
Size
Resolution
191.4 %92.3 %
07/2022
Apple MacBook Air M2 EntryApple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
Apple M2 8-Core GPU
8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD
11.3 mm1.2 kg13.60"2560x1664
290.9 %90.5 %
08/2022
New!
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 21D2CTO1WWLenovo ThinkPad Z13 21D2CTO1WW
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U
AMD Radeon 660M
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
13.99 mm1.2 kg13.30"1920x1200
389.6 %88.6 %
11/2022
New!
HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H9EAHP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H9EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U
AMD Radeon 660M
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
19 mm1.4 kg14.00"1920x1200
489.6 %90 %
09/2022
New!
Lenovo Yoga 7-14ARB G7Lenovo Yoga 7-14ARB G7
AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
AMD Radeon 680M
16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
17.4 mm1.4 kg14.00"2880x1800
588.8 %89.1 %
05/2023
New!
HP EliteBook 645 G9, Ryzen 7 5825UHP EliteBook 645 G9, Ryzen 7 5825U
AMD Ryzen 7 5825U
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
19.9 mm1.4 kg14.00"1920x1080
688.7 %89 %
04/2023
New!
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8
AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
AMD Radeon 680M
16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD
15.6 mm1.5 kg14.50"2560x1600
788.3 %88.2 %
08/2022
Dell XPS 13 9315, i5-1230UDell XPS 13 9315, i5-1230U
Intel Core i5-1230U
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD
14 mm1.2 kg13.40"1920x1200
888.1 %89.2 %
01/2023
New!
HP EliteBook 835 G9HP EliteBook 835 G9
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
AMD Radeon 680M
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
19.2 mm1.3 kg13.30"1920x1200
987.9 %85.7 %
09/2022
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7
AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS
AMD Radeon 660M
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
18.4 mm1.9 kg16.00"2560x1600
1087.9 %87.5 %
06/2023
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G4 21EB0041GELenovo ThinkPad E14 G4 21EB0041GE
AMD Ryzen 7 5825U
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD
17.9 mm1.6 kg14.00"1920x1080

The table above contains an overview over the best notebooks between 500 and 1,500 Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed

1st – Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry

Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry

The new MacBook Air M2 is definitely another very good and compact notebook. The new case is really extremely flat and therefore offers mobility above all. The return of MagSafe, the 1080p webcam and the display are the big changes. The latter now supports the DisplayP3 color space. The cut-out for the webcam takes some getting used to. Ultimately, however, this hardly restricts working. In everyday university life, the MacBook could score points with its long battery life and good display. However, you should find out beforehand whether all the programs you need here will also run on the MacBook.

As long as the MacBook Air M1 is available, it could be an interesting alternative to its successor.

The new M2 chip shows that the basic design of the M1 or now M2 is exhausted because, like Intel, Apple is merely increasing the maximum clock rate of the cores. This increases power consumption and reduces efficiency values. Under continuous load, the new Air M2 is not significantly faster than the old one.

Users can order MacBook Air M2 Entry from the Apple's online store.

Pricecompare

2nd – Lenovo ThinkPad Z13

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 G1 impresses in the test and is one of the best compact notebooks of 2022. ThinkPads have the reputation of being black boxes with lots of plastic and functionality. The ThinkPad Z13 can't quite break away from these roots. However, Lenovo has found many ways to spice up the old-fashioned design of the casing. The majority of the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 is made of aluminum and glass. In terms of performance, AMD beats Intel in terms of efficiency with the Ryzen 6000U. This means that the small 13-inch ThinkPad can also boast long battery runtimes.

High quality plus AMD - the result is the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.

There are only a few drawbacks to this strong overall package. These include the rather slow SSD as well as the moderate display brightness.
At the time of writing, several configurations of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are available in the manufacturer's online store.

Pricecompare

3rd – HP EliteBook 845 G9

HP EliteBook 845 G9
HP EliteBook 845 G9

Last year, we reviewed the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with both AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U. Both variants were convincing in the test, but there is a significant price difference between the notebooks. While the EliteBook 845 with Ryzen 5 is now available for well under €1,000, it still costs well over €1,300 with the more powerful processor. Both have a simple but sturdy aluminum casing and offer long battery life. The laptop with integrated LTE modem could be an alternative, especially if the WLAN at the university is overloaded. However, the laptop is also available with a 5G modem or without WWAN. So you should take a close look at which version you buy.

With plenty of performance, a 5-megapixel webcam and mobile internet, the HP Elitebook 845 G9 is right at the top of the business league.

In the US, a Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U-powered SKU of HP EliteBook 845 G9 is available from Amazon for $939.

Pricecompare

4th – Lenovo Yoga 7 14ARB

Lenovo Yoga 7 14ARB
Lenovo Yoga 7 14ARB

Ryzen, OLED & USB 4 With the Yoga 7, Lenovo has a very interesting 14-inch convertible in its range that is based on the latest AMD Ryzen 7 6800U. With its aluminum unibody casing, the Yoga 7 has nothing to hide, as the test device conveys a very classy character in terms of both stability and feel. With a weight of around 1.4 kg, the notebook is also very portable.

With the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, the Lenovo Yoga 7 14 is a very powerful convertible. The AMD processor impresses with its high efficiency and fast iGPU.

In North America, it is seemingly hard to search for Lenovo Yoga 7 14ARB. However, Amazon US lists some variants of Lenovo Yoga 7 14 with Intel's Core-i 13th generation.

Pricecompare

5th – HP EliteBook 645 G9

HP EliteBook 645 G9
HP EliteBook 645 G9

The HP EliteBook 645 G9 shows the robustness of a typical EliteBook in the test, but is priced at the lower end of comparable HP devices. The equipment is typical for the business class. It shines with a 400 cd/m² bright display, many connections and security features as well as a fairly powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5825U.

In terms of performance, however, the EliteBook leaves a lot of potential unused in this configuration and does not make full use of the available hardware resources.

However, the laptop is also very quiet in operation. With a maximum of 32 dB(A), the EliteBook 645 is a quiet companion for the library.

At the time of writing, the HP EliteBook 645 G9 with AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U is listed on Amazon US for $740.

Pricecompare

6th – Lenovo Yoga Pro 7

Lenovo Yoga Pro 7
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7

Contrary to what the name suggests, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 is not a convertible, but an ultrabook. It impresses with a high-quality aluminum casing with sufficient connections, a very comfortable keyboard, a matte IPS display, long battery life and high system performance. The display is remarkably good here, and a better panel with P3 coverage is also available as an option. If you need even more graphics performance, the new Yoga Pro 7 is also available with the optional GeForce RTX 4050.

The price-performance ratio of the Yoga Pro 7 is impressive and it is certainly one of the best ultrabooks on the market at the moment.

Another drawback for use at school or university is the high noise level that the laptop can generate. In return, the laptop is very light with only 1.4 kg, when compared to other notebooks of the same size and performance class.

The Yoga Pro 7 is also known as the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 in North America. Currently, Lenovo offers various configurations of the laptop at its webstore.

Pricecompare

7th – Dell XPS 13 9315

Dell XPS 13 9315
Dell XPS 13 9315

The small Dell XPS 13 9315 is a true minimalist among laptops. The keyboard takes up the entire width of the case on the small laptop, which can be hidden here on an A4 sheet of paper. However, the conclusion in our test report with "Half the performance, twice the runtime" is no coincidence. The small XPS delivers almost 15 hours of battery life, but the Intel Core i5-1230U is hardly convincing with its computing power in the test. In terms of system performance, you shouldn't expect too much from the test device. However, it is perfectly adequate for taking notes in lectures and using online applications. 

Long battery life, stable chassis, input devices suitable for everyday use and subwoofer sound - the XPS 13 is a pleasure to use, even in the entry-level version. 

However, the third place here is occupied twice, as the Dell XPS 13 9315 is available in two versions with a similar price. One with a weak i5-1230U, soldered Micron SSD and Windows. But also with Intel Core i7-1250U, M.2 SSD and Linux. 

At the time of writing, the 2022 XPS 13 9315 is available from Dell's webstore starting from $599.

Pricecompare

8th – HP EliteBook 835 G9

HP EliteBook 835 G9
HP EliteBook 835 G9

And yet another HP EliteBook with an AMD processor has made it into our best list due to the price drop of the series. At 13.3 inches, the HP EliteBook 835 G9 is one of the smallest models in the series, but it packs a punch. The small notebook is not inferior to its larger relatives in terms of performance, case quality, connectivity or battery life. 

We were particularly impressed by the extremely bright display. The small mobile companion invites you to study in the park. 

With the EliteBook 835 G9, HP presents a successful business notebook that also has its strengths in everyday university life.

The combination of Ryzen 7 PRO-6850U and 16 GB RAM easily masters office and internet applications as well as undemanding games.

Currently, a Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U-powered variant of EliteBook 835 G9, is listed on Amazon US for around $1,875.

Pricecompare

9th – Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7

With the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7 we could test the nine AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS for the first time. This has an integrated Radeon 660M. It offers comparatively much performance. Thanks to the RDNA-2 architecture and AMD's high driver compatibility, this graphics chip can also support many programs that are not 3D applications. The computing hardware is packaged here in a chic case with a high metal content. A bright screen with a matte surface, good input devices and a lush battery life can contribute to productivity.

The IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7 is a reliable generalist that always does well in applications that do not require 3D graphics.

However, due to the AMD processor, you have to make do without Thunderbolt on the IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7. This reduces the connectivity compared to many other notebooks in our top list.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ARH7 is available for example from Amazon for $799.99.

Pricecompare

10th – Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G4

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G4
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G4

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G4 is almost enough to describe this notebook, as the ThinkPads have almost achieved legendary status among notebooks. The typical black casing of the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 has hardly changed for years. The E14 can be seen as an entry-level model and therefore does not have a super-light magnesium or carbon chassis. Instead, a combination of robust aluminum and plastic is used. The connectivity corresponds to the size of the 14-inch model and only offers the bare essentials. What is unusual for such a small notebook, however, is that the RAM can be replaced and the notebook even offers space for a second NVMe SSD. 57 watt hours in the battery are enough for the economical notebook for 9 to 11 hours of light work. 

In our review configuration, the ThinkPad E14 G4 AMD can handle complex tasks. However, it doesn't have to be a Ryzen 7 for office tasks, which offers further savings potential. 

Nvidia Studio drivers ensure the smooth use of professional programs for 3D editing. Many current games run smoothly even in high resolutions thanks to the installed RTX 3050.
The powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5825U paired with 16 GB of RAM is used as the APU in the review device. If you only want to perform office tasks or web surfing on the notebook, it's worth taking a look at models with Ryzen 5 on Amazon US.

Pricecompare

Size Comparison

356 mm / 14 inch 251 mm / 9.88 inch 18.4 mm / 0.724 inch 1.9 kg4.29 lbs325 mm / 12.8 inch 232 mm / 9.13 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.6 kg3.5 lbs321.9 mm / 12.7 inch 213.9 mm / 8.42 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.4 kg2.99 lbs326 mm / 12.8 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 15.6 mm / 0.614 inch 1.5 kg3.26 lbs316 mm / 12.4 inch 224 mm / 8.82 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.4 kg3.14 lbs317 mm / 12.5 inch 220 mm / 8.66 inch 17.4 mm / 0.685 inch 1.4 kg3.15 lbs300.1 mm / 11.8 inch 214.8 mm / 8.46 inch 19.2 mm / 0.756 inch 1.3 kg2.93 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 215 mm / 8.46 inch 11.3 mm / 0.4449 inch 1.2 kg2.68 lbs295.4 mm / 11.6 inch 199.4 mm / 7.85 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 1.2 kg2.56 lbs294.4 mm / 11.6 inch 199.6 mm / 7.86 inch 13.99 mm / 0.551 inch 1.2 kg2.64 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Archive of our own reviews > The Best Notebooks for School-Aged Kids and College Students
Notebookcheck, 2023-07-25 (Update: 2023-11-25)