Compare the Best Laptops for Students (2026)
Side-by-side specs, ratings and value so you can pick the right laptop in minutes.
| Product |
Dell XPS 13
|
MacBook Air (2020)
|
Apple MacBook Air M2
|
MacBook Pro 14-inch
|
Apple MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)
|
MacBook Air (M1)
|
MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
|
Dell XPS 15
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ | 4.3 ★ |
| Price tier | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium |
| Best for | General academic use and portability | Students needing a reliable and portable laptop | Students who need a reliable and efficient laptop for academic tasks | Creative students and professionals | Creative work and multitasking | Students who need a reliable and portable laptop for various tasks | Students needing a versatile and reliable laptop for study and creativity | Creative work and heavy multitasking |
| Display | 13.4 inches, FHD+ (1920 x 1200) | 13.3-inch Retina | 13.6-inch Retina display | 14-inch Retina display with True Tone | 13.3-inch Retina | 13.3-inch Retina display | 13.6-inch Retina display | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 or i7 (11th Gen) | Apple M1 Chip | Apple M2 chip | Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max chip | Apple M1 chip | Apple M1 chip | Apple M2 chip | Intel Core i7 (11th Gen) |
| RAM | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB | 8GB (configurable to 16GB) | Up to 64GB | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB (configurable up to 24GB) | 16 GB |
| Storage | 256GB to 1TB SSD | 256GB SSD (upgradable to 2TB) | 256GB SSD (configurable to 2TB) | Up to 8TB SSD | 256GB SSD | 256GB SSD (upgradable to 512GB) | 256GB SSD (configurable up to 2TB) | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 17 hours | Up to 20 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | — |
| Weight | 2.8 pounds | 2.8 pounds | 2.7 pounds | 3.5 pounds | 3.0 lbs | 2.8 pounds | 2.7 pounds | 4.5 lbs |
| Ports | — | — | — | Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC card slot | — | — | — | — |
| Operating System | — | — | — | — | macOS | — | — | — |
| Battery | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Up to 12 hours |
| Graphics | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti |
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