The 10 Best Laptops for Students in Australia Compared for 2024

The best laptops for students are light and portable, offer solid performance, and have a decent battery life while still being budget-friendly. That said, with hundreds of great laptops to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of models available.

That’s why we’ve reviewed the best and most popular models on the market, comparing their specs and features of the best laptops for students in Australia, so you can make an informed decision and find a laptop that’s perfect for you.

Top 10 Best Student Laptops Ranked

Here’s our full list of the best laptops for students in 2024:

1. Acer Aspire 5 — Overall, the best laptop for most students, with a stunning 15.6″ FHD display, a backlit keyboard, and simultaneous ethernet and WiFi connections.
2. Lenovo Chromebook C330 — Lightweight 2-in-1 laptop with an 11.6″ HD display, built-in microSD card reader, and a 10-hour battery life.
3. ASUS VivoBook E203MA — Super light and durable Windows laptop with a one-year Microsoft Office 365 license and a full-size keyboard – perfect for typing.
4. Acer Chromebook 314 — Gorgeous, modern model with a 14″ FHD touchscreen and an impressive 12.5 hours of battery life.
5. Lenovo Flex 5 — Premium 2-in-1 laptop with a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 CPU. Perfect for creative students working in resource-intensive apps.
6. HP Stream — Affordable option with a one-year Microsoft Office license and 1 Tb of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage.
7. Dell Inspiron — Powerful and durable, with built-in dual microphones, an FHD camera, and a stunning 14″ display with a 16:10 aspect ratio.
8. HP Chromebook — Best budget laptop for everyday use, with an 11″ anti-glare display and up to 15 hours of battery life.
9. Samsung Chromebook 4 — Decent performance and a 15.6″ display. Perfect for students who love Chromebooks but need a larger screen.
10. Acer Swift 3 — High-end laptop with an octa-core AMD Ryzen 7 processor, perfect for running resource-intensive apps and programs and gaming during your free time.

Reviews of the Best Student Laptops

Here are our in-depth reviews of the best laptops for college students, so you can see exactly what kind of performance you can expect for the money from the different models:

1. Acer Aspire 5 — Overall, the Best Laptop for Most Students

The Acer Aspire 5 is a sleek, modern 15.6″ laptop with a stunning Full HD IPS display, so it’s perfect for both taking notes and studying online, as well as unwinding with your favourite TV shows and movies.

The Acer Aspire 5 comes with a dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 processor and 4 Gb of DDR4 RAM, so it’s reasonably fast for the price. You can have a dozen Chrome tabs open without worrying about the laptop slowing down or freezing.

What’s great about this model is that you can also easily upgrade it if you need more RAM or storage for more resource-intensive applications or games. Once you open the cover, it’s easy to replace the existing RAM with a new 16 Gb stick, as well as add a 256 Gb or 512 Gb SSD for more storage.

Both the display and the keyboard are LED backlit, so you’ll still be able to see everything clearly during those long nights when preparing for an exam.

With an average battery life of 7.5 hours, you can easily take the Acer Aspire 5 with you to take notes during lectures without having to worry about charging.

One of the most unique features of this model is that it supports simultaneous ethernet and WiFi internet connections. This gives you full control over the internet traffic and lets you use a faster and more stable ethernet connection for downloading college materials or watching movies and TV shows while simultaneously browsing, studying, researching, or watching YouTube on your WiFi router connection.

2. Lenovo Chromebook C330 — Lightweight 2-in-1 Laptop With an 11.6″ HD Display

The Lenovo Chromebook C330 is a light, convertible 2-in-1 laptop that doubles as a tablet.

This mini laptop features an 11.6″ HD touchscreen, which might not be the best option for streaming online content but will more than suffice for everyday use. It also weighs as little as a hardback book, so you can easily pack it into your backpack and carry it with you.

This model features a flexible 360° hinge, allowing you to switch between a laptop and a tablet in seconds. The keyboard can act as the laptop’s stand at the right angle, making it perfect for casual reading and studying.

The Lenovo Chromebook C330 features a MediaTek MT8173C processor with an integrated graphics processor, so you shouldn’t expect it to run resource-hungry apps and programs.

That said, it’s running on ChromeOS, so you’ll have no trouble having multiple Chrome tabs open, writing essays or taking notes in Google Docs, or running apps from the Play Store.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the Lenovo Chromebook C330 has an average battery life of 10 hours, so you won’t have to worry about charging it in between classes.

3. ASUS VivoBook E203MA — Super-Light and Durable Windows Laptop

The ASUS VivoBook E203MA is a great option if you type a lot, thanks to its sizable, ergonomic keyboard. The laptop comes with Windows 10 and a one-year license for Microsoft Office 365, so you’ll have Word, Excel, and PowerPoint pre-installed.

Another benefit of the ASUS VivoBook is that it’s very light and super compact while still being super durable. There are no cheap parts or plastic weighting to crack, so you can expect it to work perfectly for the duration of your college education.

The laptop is equipped with an Intel Celeron N4000 processor, with integrated Intel UHD (Ultra High Definition) graphics, and 4 Gb of DDR4 RAM, so it’s reasonably fast when it comes to browsing the web, typing in Word and Google Docs, and doing other everyday activities.

It features a 64 Gb hybrid drive, but if you need more storage, you can easily upgrade it with a 256 Gb micro SD card, so you can have more room for all your college materials and personal files, like photos and videos.

Another reason to opt for the ASUS VivoBook is its built-in HD camera, which allows you to Skype or Zoom with your friends and family without having to invest in a webcam.

4. Acer Chromebook 314 — Gorgeous, Modern Model With a 14″ FHD Touchscreen

The Acer Chromebook 314 is a sleek, modern laptop with a gorgeous 14″ Full HD touchscreen, perfect for both college work and watching movies, TV shows, and YouTube in your spare time.

Since it’s running on ChromeOS, you’ll be able to log into your existing Google account and gain quick and easy access to all the files on your Google Drive. You’ll also be able to download apps and games straight from the Play Store.

The laptop features an Intel Celeron N4000 and 4 Gb of LPDDR4 RAM, so you can expect content-rich web pages to load almost instantly. You’ll also be able to multitask effortlessly without the laptop slowing down.

The Acer Chromebook 314 also supports Gigabit WiFi, so you’ll have a fast and stable internet connection and will be able to download files with lightning speed.

Another advantage of the Acer Chromebook 314 over other models in the same price range is its 12.5 hours battery life, so you’ll be able to use it throughout the day without having to constantly worry about charging.

5. Lenovo Flex 5 — Premium 2-in-1 Laptop With a Powerful AMD Ryzen 5 CPU

The Lenovo Flex 5 is a premium 2-in-1 laptop with a powerful CPU, ideal for students who are working with resource-intensive applications like AutoCAD, 3D modelling software, or image/video processing programs.

This powerhouse of a laptop features an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U and 16 Gb of DDR4 RAM, delivering a performance that’s on par with desktop PCs. You can use it for college work, working in demanding programs, and pretty much anything else you might need a laptop for – up to the level of dedicated gaming machines.

With a 14″ Full HD screen and Lenovo Active Pen support, the Lenovo Flex 5 is ideal for creative individuals. The keyboard is also very responsive, with the ability to turn the backlight on or off based on your needs.

The Lenovo Flex 5 has an average battery life of 10 hours and supports quick-charge, so you can go from 0% to 80% battery in just one hour.

Another strong suit of this model is the fact that it has great cooling, so it won’t overheat even if the CPU is under heavy load. At the same time, the fans are relatively quiet, which is a big plus.

6. HP Stream — Affordable Option With Microsoft Office and 1 Tb of OneDrive Cloud Storage

The HP Stream is a decent, affordable option if you’re looking for a laptop for light everyday use like sending emails, browsing the web, and streaming online content.

If you opt for this model, you get a standard Intel core, which can handle everyday tasks with ease, and 4 Gb of RAM. The one drawback of this model is that RAM isn’t upgradeable, so you can’t really run any resource-intensive apps or modern games on it.

While the laptop only comes with 64 Gb of storage, you also get a whopping 1 Tb of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage, which is a considerable upside. You’ll be able to comfortably save all your college material, files, photos, and videos online without worrying about storage space or having to spend money on a new SSD.

The HP Stream also comes with a one-year license for Microsoft Office 365, so it’s ideal for students working in Word or Excel.

7. Dell Inspiron — Powerful and Durable, With Built-in Dual Microphones and an FHD Camera

The Dell Inspiron is one of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops on the market, boasting an AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor, 8 Gb of RAM, and a 512 Gb SSD.

This model is both light and extremely durable, so it’s easy to carry around, and you won’t have to worry about the hinges or the keyboard breaking.

Apart from excellent performance, what sets this laptop apart from the rest on our list is a Full HD 14″ display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, so you’ll be able to enjoy crisp visuals in 1920 x 1200p resolution. This makes the Dell Inspiron an excellent laptop for typing, image and video editing, video conferencing, and streaming online content.

The laptop also comes with built-in dual microphones and a Full HD camera, which is key if you’re attending classes online or working as a freelancer while studying and need to occasionally join online meetings.

Another strong suit of the Dell Inspiron is its connectivity. You get multiple USB ports, an SD card reader, an HDMI port, a DisplayPort, and an audio jack, so you can easily plug in all your peripherals (mouse, gaming headphones, USB flash drive), as well as stream content from the laptop to your TV.

8. HP Chromebook — Best Budget Laptop for Everyday Use

The HP Chromebook is another affordable laptop, great for everyday use, like browsing the web, studying from online materials, and watching movies and TV shows.

This model has undergone 230 HP tests to ensure performance and durability, so you can rest assured that it will easily last you through your entire college education. It’s super light and compact, with up to 15 hours of battery life, so you can take it with you wherever you go.

The 11″ anti-glare HD display provides excellent visuals and eliminates glare, even when sitting next to a window or in direct sunlight. It also reduces the strain on your eyes, letting you use the laptop for longer periods of time without experiencing eye fatigue.

Despite being a mini laptop, HP Chromebook features a full-size keyboard, which is perfect if you do a lot of typing. It also features custom-tuned dual speakers, so you can blast music or watch TV shows without having to invest in a pair of headphones.

9. Samsung Chromebook 4 — Perfect for Students Who Love Chromebooks But Need a Larger Screen

The Samsung Chromebook 4 is a good option if you want the convenience of a Chromebook and easy access to everything on your Google account but want a larger screen.

The 15.6″ display gives you more area to work with, making it easier to both read online college materials and type in Google Docs.

Regarding performance, the Samsung Chromebook 4 features an Intel Celeron N400 processor and 4 Gb of LPDDR4 RAM, so you can comfortably have multiple Chrome tabs open without the machine slowing down or heating up.

What’s interesting about this model is that it comes with Google Assistant-enabled, which leverages the power of AI to enable voice commands. This lets you search for stuff on Google or control the device using your voice, which is convenient and saves valuable time when studying.

Another advantage of this model is the fact that it supports Gigabit WiFi for super-fast connectivity, so you can torrent movies and TV shows or stream online content without buffering or delay.

10. Acer Swift 3 — High-End Laptop With an Octa-Core AMD Ryzen 7 Processor

The Acer Swift 3 is a high-end laptop, ideal for students who need a machine with a ton of computing power.

With an octa-core Ryzen 7 processor and 8 Gb of LPDDR4 RAM, Acer Swift 3 can easily handle even the most demanding apps and programs. You can also use it for gaming when you want to take a break from studying since it can comfortably run most modern games on medium-to-high settings.

In addition to desktop-level performance, the Acer Swift 3 offers a 14″ full HD IPS display, so it’s ideal for tasks like image/video processing, 3D modelling, and other resource-intensive work.

It’s built from high-quality materials, making it super-durable while also giving it that premium look and feel.

This model also offers plenty of ports for excellent connectivity, an HD webcam, and a fingerprint reader for quick and easy login and an added level of security.

The Best Student Laptops Compared

Here’s a quick comparison of the best laptops for uni students, so you can have a better overview of the specs and the level of performance that different models offer:

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Laptop for School or Uni

There are quite a few factors you should consider before buying a laptop. Depending on what you plan on using the laptop for and how big your budget is, certain models will be a much better fit than others.

Here’s a breakdown of all the key factors you should pay attention to when comparing the best student laptops to ensure that you choose the one that’s right for you:

Portability

A laptop for students needs to be light and compact, so you can easily carry it around with you to classes. Unless you want to invest in a laptop bag, you should carefully consider the model’s dimensions to ensure it will fit into a backpack or the bag you use to carry your books.

Additionally, pay close attention to the weight. While 1.5kg might not seem like much, it’s certainly not comfortable to carry it on your shoulder or back for longer periods of time, so you might want to consider a lighter option.

Build Quality

While build quality is rather difficult to discern from the image and description of a laptop, it’s immensely important. Poor-quality laptops easily break, so you might end up with broken hinges, a non-functional keyboard, or a dead screen.

That’s why we strongly advise you to read through a couple of reviews left by other users and see what they have to say about their experience and the durability of specific models. You don’t necessarily expect a top-end gaming monitor, but you need something that does the job for you.

Ideally, a laptop should last you between three and five years, so it pays off to invest in a slightly more expensive model that will work perfectly for the entirety of your college education.

Some of the best laptop brands that make the most durable laptops are Acer, HP, and Lenovo, but keep in mind that the build quality can vary drastically between two laptop models.

Specifications

Another thing to pay attention to is the amount of storage. The operating system alone can take up more than 18 Gb, so a 32 Gb and even a 64 Gb SSD might not be enough for all your files, photos, and videos. In that case, you’ll either need cloud storage or a model with an SD card slot.

Battery Life

When you have limited time between classes, the last thing you want to do is have to frantically look for a power outlet to charge your laptop. That’s why you should opt for a model with decent battery life.

The best student laptops should last for at least 10 hours on a single charge, so you can go through an entire day at the uni without worrying about the laptop dying on you.

Additional features 

Aside from the build quality and specifications, you should pay attention to the other features the laptop comes with, such as a webcam, an anti-glare screen, a backlit keyboard, and a fingerprint reader.

Most of these are nice-to-haves rather than essentials, with the expectation of the keyboard backlight, which is crucial if you’re planning on using the laptop to study or type at night – and is a common feature of high-quality gaming keyboards.

Value for Money

As a student, you’re probably on a tight budget, so you want to buy an affordable laptop that offers solid performance. However, apart from looking at the price tag alone, you should consider how much value you’re getting for your money in terms of performance and durability.

The best cheap laptop for college students isn’t necessarily the one that costs the least, but rather the one that runs fast, has great battery life, and will work perfectly for at least four years.

Student Laptop FAQs