The Best Laptops for College Students in 2025

If you’re a student, or a parent of one, navigating the laptop market in 2025 can feel like trying to pick a toothbrush at a tech convention. Every brand promises performance, portability, and battery life. But which of these claims hold up in real-world use, and more importantly, which laptop will *actually* last through four years of late-night writing, spreadsheet crunching, Zoom lectures, and the occasional Netflix binge?

As a former Google engineer and a father of three, I’ve bought, tested, fixed, and even replaced more laptops than I’d like to admit. Some died too young. Others aged like fine wine. The list below captures what I believe are the best college laptops you can buy right now—each one vetted not just for specs, but for real-world durability, value, and student-friendly usability.