The best laptops for high school students need to be powerful, offer great value, be rigid enough for daily use, and have a sound design that younger consumers would want to use. The Dell XPS 13 (9310) ticks all these boxes and is one of the best 13-inch laptops you can buy. In fact, it's one the best Windows laptop options available today. The latest model comes rocking 11th Gen Intel processors and plenty of storage and RAM for schoolwork.
Best laptops for high school students
The Dell XPS 13 is the entry product in the XPS line of premium laptops but is an ideal match for students looking to take advantage of capable hardware to help with their studies. Picking the best laptop before heading back to school in 2021 doesn't have to be yet another chore on the list of things to get done. The beauty of the XPS 13 is you're able to configure it exactly how you wish. Need more than 128GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage? Simply add a 256GB (up to 2TB) drive when ordering or install one after the laptop gets delivered.
Then you have a Full HD display with barely any bezel, which can be bumped to 4K. Speaking of specifications, the XPS 13 was refreshed by Dell to include Intel's 11th Gen processors. These components are matched with up to 16GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. The latter improvement with the XPS 13 is a significant benefit for students, thanks to its excellent wireless range and reliability.
The keyboard is likely what will be used the most, and this is probably the laptop's weak spot. It's not the worst keyboard by any means, but it's also not among the best. With only 1.3mm of key travel (how far the key can be pressed down), it can feel somewhat "mushy" to those who are used to desktop mechanical keyboards or other portable PCs with enhanced means of input. There's also an issue with oil stains after considerable amounts of use.
Overall, you'll get a super-portable laptop with a gorgeous display and excellent performance. Couple all that with improved battery life (thanks to expanded capacity and the newest processors), and you've got one fantastic device for any student.
HP worked some seriously dark magic with the Pavilion Aero 13 and it's all in the name, Aero. This thing is stupendously light. Even with a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor and integrated Radeon graphics, you've got a laptop that weighs in at less than 1kg. Throw in 8GB of RAM and 256GB for storing all your files and you're onto a student winner here.
If you have a little bit of spare cash, it's possible to configure the Aero 13 with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. Compared to the Dell XPS 13, this laptop is upwards of 200g lighter, making it ideal if you're on the move across campus or require something to use out in the field.
The 43Wh battery will ensure you're able to keep going through the day, and Wi-Fi 6 means you won't have any issues getting online. Ports-wise, HP went with a USB-C port capable of power delivery and video out (DisplayPort 1.4), USB-A, HDMI 2.0, AC power, and an audio jack for good measure.
Available in a choice of two screen sizes, Microsoft's latest Surface Laptop 5 has been updated to use the latest Intel 12th Gen processors that give this series 17 hours of battery life. As one of the sleekest Ultrabooks on the market with its Intel Evo platform branding, the Surface Laptop 5 got some subtle upgrades this generation, including a color-calibrated display, Dolby Vision IQ support, and Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning.
And even though it was built as a standard laptop, the screen of the Surface Laptop 5 can accept both touchscreen input as well as Microsoft's Surface Pen, the latter can be useful for drawing quick notes or signing documents.
Along with Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 support, you will find a selection of ports on this device, though the number of inputs may be limited. Thunderbolt 4 over USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Surface Connect ports are all present. If you need more than one type of port, you'll need to turn to a hub for expansion.
The Surface Laptop 5 is available starting with 8GB of LPDDR5x RAM, which can be upgraded to 16GB on the 13.5-inch model or 32GB on the larger variant at the time of purchase. The solid-state drive capacity starts at 256GB, though this is removable.
For the style-conscious student, depending on the build and configuration of the Surface Laptop 5 you choose, you can opt for either a standard all-aluminum palm-rest on the keyboard deck or one that uses a premium Alcantara fabric material that's typically found on luxury automobiles. The latter is definitely a unique take, but can wear out more quickly if you intend on holding on to your Surface Laptop 5 for some time.
As the successor to both the Surface Pro X and the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft's latest Surface Pro 9 combines both of its predecessors into a single family. With this generation, you won't have different branding for Arm or Intel chipsets, and the Surface Pro 9 is available with either Arm silicon or Intel's 12th Gen chips in the same, sleek design.
Here, you're getting a well-built, aluminum-clad tablet with a sleek built-in kickstand that makes the Surface tablet's design so iconic, along with an optional keyboard cover with a garage to charge and house the Surface Pen when you're not using it. The only thing "optional" about the keyboard cover is that it's not included, so you'll have to shell out extra money to acquire it. That said, if you're looking to get the Surface Pro 9 for educational use, you'll definitely want to invest in the keyboard cover, which is instrumental for typing out reports and assignments.
Microsoft claims up to 19 hours with the Arm version, which is powered by the Microsoft SQ3 chipset, though you may want to stick to the Intel variant if you want better performance and improved compatibility when using legacy software. The Intel version isn't too shabby, either, with its 15.5 hours of battery life.
The PixelSense Display gains Dolby Vision IQ support this year, but it retains the 3:2 aspect ratio found on the prior generation Surface Pro 8. The fast 120Hz refresh rate display seems a bit superfluous on this non-gaming slate, but it should make scrolling more smooth. If you opt for the Arm variant, you'll also have access to built-in 4G and 5G mobile broadband support, a feature that's missing on the Intel model.
When it comes to PC gaming on a laptop, the Razer Blade 15 (review is for Advanced model) is one of the best options out there. Not only can it be configured with an NVIDIA RTX 3070 discrete GPU, but also an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD for maximum performance. While you'll be able to play most modern PC games, you'll find the battery life depletes rapidly when all these power-hungry components are put under load.
The 15.6-inch display can have a Full HD, QHD or 4K resolution and up to a 165Hz refresh rate for smooth graphics.. No matter which display you choose, you'll fail to notice any bezel and instead appreciate outstanding color reproduction. The RGB keyboard can be fully customized, and you can use the large Precision touchpad for standard tasks when not gaming with an external gaming mouse — and we recommend you buy a mouse for gaming.
For ports, you're getting HDMI, Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, Gigabit LAN, and USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, which allow you to connect external monitors and other accessories for a gaming battle station when you're not on the move.
You may think the Inspiron 15 3000 is sorely underpowered due to the price, but it's really not. It all depends on how much you're willing to spend. Inside you'll find up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, but the most affordable model comes rocking a 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU.
The design isn't too bad for a sub-$500 laptop. In fact, it looks relatively premium when compared to more pricey alternatives. The CPU and GPU are joined by 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD (up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB SSD), both perfect for schoolwork, and the 15.6-inch display will make all your work pop. There's even a fingerprint reader with full support for Windows Hello.
The performance and design won't blow you away, but if you simply need a budget-friendly laptop to get the youngling off on the right track with school with a battery to last the day, the Inspiron 15 should be shortlisted.
For students who don't want to carry a larger or heavier laptop to class, the affordable Microsoft Surface Go 3 may be just the ticket. As a more budget-oriented model, this slate doesn't come with the most powerful internals, but it still boasts a fanastic all-metal build-quality, a useful built-in kickstand, and up to 11 hours of battery life.
Considered the little sibling to the Surface Pro lineup, the Surface Go 3 has a 10.5-inch display with a similar 3:2 aspect ratio display, and this little tablet can also be equipped with LTE connectivity for moments when you need to connect to the Internet while you're away from a Wi-Fi network.
To keep the price more affordable, you'll have to make due with the slightly slower 4GB or 8GB of LPDDR3 memory. For those who need a bit more performance, we'd recommend upgrading to the 128GB solid-state drive model over the 64GB eMMC drive.
Like other Surface tablets, the Surface Go keyboard cover is unfortunately an optional accessory, but one that we'd recommend you get if you intend to use this slate for school, work, or any sort of productivity.
Best high school student laptops
The XPS 13 by Dell is a stunning laptop and is one of our favorite Windows laptops. A gorgeous design, solid performance, and reliability make it fit for purpose at school. You've got Intel 11th Gen processors, speedy storage, plenty of RAM, and great wireless connectivity, making it ideal for schoolwork (and play).
Other notebooks in our collection are worthy considerations like the excellent HP Pavilion Aero 13. Should you need a little more, Microsoft's Surface lineup is where it's at, taking into account student discounts. Then you have some steep savings with Dell's own Inspiron range. It all boils down to your available budget and just what kind of work you need the laptop for.
