We are finally at a point where even a budget laptop can give you a good enough computing experience. This means students don't have to splurge on high-end and premium laptops to find a decent one for school and everyday use.

There are plenty of good and cheap laptops that provide everything a student needs to learn, ranging from premium mid-rangers to versatile 2-in-1s and Chromebooks. These picks are also great for just about anyone on a budget.

Here are the best cheap laptops for students available right now.

The Acer Swift 3 has been the de facto budget student laptop for what seems like ages now, and that's because it offers the perfect combination of price, reliability, battery life, and keyboard. This model (SF314-43-R2YY) brings an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor and 8GB of RAM, enough to handle any schoolwork you need to get done and even light gaming without any issues.

The compact 14-inch form factor makes it easy to carry the laptop around campus. It weighs only 2.62 pounds, meaning it won't weigh you down when running late for class. You get an all-day battery life and fantastic build quality with a premium finish and aluminum construction that ensures excellent durability without being too heavy.

Also, a backlit keyboard lets you do your college assignments from anywhere. The 1080p display is plenty sharp and bright. You can use it outdoors or in bright-lit rooms without straining your eyes. It also has excellent color reproduction, covering up to 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut. This laptop can do it all, whether working with documents, browsing the web, or editing. Plus, you get all the ports you'll ever need to connect all of your desk accessories.

Key Features
  • Backlit keyboard
  • All-day battery life
  • Wi-Fi 6 for smooth video calls
Specifications
  • Brand: Acer
  • Storage: 512GB
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home
  • Battery: 12.50 Hours
  • Ports: 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Camera: 720p
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 14-inch, 1920x1080
  • Weight: 2.62lbs
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX Vega 8
Pros
  • Thin and lightweight laptop
  • Excellent battery life
  • Excellent performance for everyday use
  • Comfortable keyboard
Cons
  • No dedicated GPU
Buy This Product
Acer Swift 3 SF314-43-R2YY
Editors choice

2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gen 6

9.00 / 10
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The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gen 6 is the best cheap laptop for the vast majority of students. It doesn't have the metal build quality of the Acer Swift 3, but it gets everything else right. It's the most powerful laptop you can get in this price range, providing enough juice for typing documents, web browsing, 1080p gaming, and coding. It also runs cool and quiet, meaning you can use it in class or the library without annoying your fellow students.

Lenovo has a reputation for fantastic keyboards, and that's the case with the IdeaPad 3 Gen 6. It has a good amount of key travel, great key spacing, and LED backlighting that ensures you don't miss a stroke when typing long essays at night. At 3.31 pounds, it's a tad heavier than the Acer Swift 3, but it won't break your back either.

The battery can last through an entire school day, so you don't have to lug a heavy power brick. This laptop also gets some fine niceties like a privacy webcam shutter for increased security, a fingerprint scanner, Eye Care to reduce eye strain when staring at the screen for long, and a fresh copy of Windows 11. Better still, you get a noise-canceling mic to block background noise when attending online classes or making video calls.

Combined with the bright and colorful display, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gen 6 is hard to beat for a budget student laptop.

Key Features
  • Latest windows 11 installed
  • Backlit keyboard with good key travel
  • Webcam privacy shutter
Specifications
  • Brand: Lenovo
  • Storage: 256GB
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Operating System: Windows 11 Home
  • Battery: 11 hours
  • Ports: 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4b, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack, 1x SD Card Reader
  • Camera: 720p
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 14-inch, 1920x1080
  • Weight: 3.31lbs
  • GPU: AMD Radeon 7 Graphics
Pros
  • Incredible value
  • Speedy and powerful performance
  • Excellent battery life
  • Excellent 1080p gaming performance
  • Sharp and bright 14-inch display
Cons
  • Plastic build
Buy This Product
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gen 6

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3UB balances budget and performance like no other laptop, positioning itself as the best laptop for students on a tight budget. Powered by a Ryzen 3 3350U CPU, it's powerful enough for college and school work. Most people spring for high-end processors when buying a laptop, but you don't need all that power if you want to browse the web, attend online classes, work with documents, or watch movies.

This laptop is incredibly fast and responsive. It boots up in seconds and opens and runs most programs like Microsoft Word faster than other laptops in the same price range. In addition, it has a surprisingly sharp and immersive 15-inch display, which offers plenty of screen real estate than 13-inch laptops. However, it's not the lightest laptop, but that's a reasonable sacrifice considering the price.

The build quality is excellent for a cheap laptop. It has an aluminum top finish, instead of the usual plastic, and a backlit keyboard. The only downside is that this laptop runs a stripped-down version of Windows 11, which only accepts apps from the Windows store. Fortunately, you can disable it for a full Windows 10 experience and install any apps and programs you need for school.

Key Features
  • Full-size backlit keyboard
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support
Specifications
  • Operating System: Windows 11 Home in S mode
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3350U
  • GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 6
  • Storage: 128GB
  • Battery: 10 hours
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 15.6-inch, 1920x1080
  • Camera: 720p
  • Speakers: Dual stereo
  • Memory: 4GB
  • Ports: 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
  • Dimensions: 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches
  • Weight: 3.99lbs
  • Brand: Acer
  • Model: A515-46-R3UB
Pros
  • Incredible value
  • Powerful enough for everyday use
  • Impressive selection of ports
  • Great finish and build quality
Cons
  • Runs a stripped-down version of Windows 11
Buy This Product
Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3UB

The ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 is a solid choice for those looking for a cheap 2-in-1 laptop for college. It has a 14-inch touchscreen display with a 360-degree hinge that easily moves between a traditional laptop mode for regular work, a tablet mode for taking notes or drawing, and a tent mode for watching videos. It also supports stylus pen input, a welcome addition for creative students.

This model TP470EA-AS34T runs an 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, which is excellent for basic everyday use like working with documents, browsing the internet, watching movies, and light photo editing and drawing. As long as your coursework doesn't demand heavy video editing, 3D CAD modeling, or modern AAA gaming, you're good to go with this laptop.

The laptop is lightweight enough for everyday use, and its battery lasts an entire school day. You get support for Wi-Fi 6 for smooth video calling and streaming and a Thunderbolt 4 port to easily connect external monitors and storage drives or power the laptop using a USB-C power bank. Unfortunately, the RAM isn't upgradable, but it should be enough for productivity apps and keeping a couple of Chrome tabs running.

Key Features
  • 360 degrees metal hinge
  • Ergonomic backlit keyboard with fingerprint reader
  • 14-inch touchscreen display with stylus support
Specifications
  • Brand: ASUS
  • Storage: 128GB
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4
  • Memory: 4GB
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home in S Mode
  • Battery: 11 hours
  • Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x Micro SD Card Reader, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Camera: 720p
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 14-inch, 1920x1080
  • Weight: 3.31lbs
  • GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
Pros
  • Versatile
  • Fast and snappy performance
  • Great connectivity, including Thunderbolt 4 and SD card
  • Gorgeous touch display
Cons
  • RAM isn't upgradable
Buy This Product
ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (TP470EA-AS34T)

If you're a student who wants to dabble in gaming, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is the best cheap gaming laptop you can find today. It has an AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor, which is faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U found on most budget laptops. It can play most lower-spec games without any issues and even some modern games at lower settings.

This laptop stands out from the rest of the entry-level laptops with its high refresh rate 120Hz display, which offers a competitive edge when playing competitive games like first-person shooters. You can see and react quicker to in-game actions and the overall gameplay feels smoother and more responsive than gaming on a standard 60Hz laptop.

The only downside is that the keyboard lacks backlighting, but the rest of the laptop is well built and durable. You get more than average battery life and an ergonomic design that makes typing and gaming much more comfortable. In addition, it's a 15-6-inch laptop, so your games, documents, and web browsers won't be as cramped as a 13-inch ultrabook.

Key Features
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 support
  • Latest Windows 11 installed
Specifications
  • Brand: Dell
  • Storage: 256GB
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5625U
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Operating System: Windows 11 Home
  • Battery: 9 hours
  • Ports: 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x SD Card Reader, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Camera: 720p
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 15.6-inch, 1920x1080
  • Weight: 3.71lbs
  • GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
Pros
  • Responsive high refresh rate display
  • Fast processor
  • Ergonomic keyboard
  • Good range of ports
Cons
  • Keyboard is not backlit
Buy This Product
Dell Inspiron 15 3525

Chromebooks are so popular among students because they are inexpensive and easy to use. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook offers a premium Chrome OS experience and good-enough battery life without being too expensive. Since Chrome OS runs smoothly on low-end hardware, the Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor and 8GB RAM on this Chromebook can handle anything you throw at it.

Sure, you can get a Windows laptop at this price, but most of them come with below-par features and slower processors, which is a serious downside considering the demanding nature of Windows OS. The Flex 5i Chromebook can handle a heavy load of tabs with no problem and provides extra niceties such as a convertible design to use as a tablet, pen-enabled display, and privacy features.

You get a massive selection of apps for learning and everyday use, including Zoom, Google Classroom, Microsoft Office, Canvas, and more. However, you won't be able to install Windows-based applications and programs, so if your coursework demands specific Windows apps like the Adobe creative suite, you'll be better off with a budget Windows laptop. Overall, the Flex 5i Chromebook is a great pick for students on a budget and underfunded school districts.

Key Features
  • 360-degree convertible design
  • privacy
  • Wi-Fi 6 for smooth video calling, streaming, and browsing
Specifications
  • Operating System: Chrome OS
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4
  • GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
  • Storage: 64GB
  • Battery: 10 hours
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 13.3-inch, 1920x1080
  • Camera: 720p
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x MicroSD Card Reader, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Weight: 2.98lbs
  • Brand: Lenovo
Pros
  • Flexible 2-in-1 design
  • Excellent performance for its price
  • Outstanding battery life
  • Attractive blue finish
Cons
  • Display is too dim for outdoor use
Buy This Product
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook

The ASUS VivoBook 15 (F515EA-AH34) is a good cheap laptop with a backlit keyboard and the latest Windows 11. This model brings an 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, which is great for school and home use. It's perfect for everyday tasks like checking emails, working with documents, browsing the internet, and Zoom calls.

However, like most budget laptops, the VivoBook 15 (F515EA-AH34) isn't suited for heavy workloads like gaming and video editing. If those things don't matter, you're going to get an excellent laptop without blowing a hole in your wallet. You can even do some light photo editing work, although slower than high-end laptops.

The build quality is much better than expected. The keyboard deck and lid are reinforced with metal for solid drop protection and great stability when typing. You also get a full-layout keyboard with a number pad, LED backlighting, and a fingerprint reader. Add the excellent ports offering, and you get one of the most complete budget laptops on the market.

Key Features
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with number pad
  • Windows Hello fingerprint reader
  • Windows 11 OS
Specifications
  • Operating System: Windows 11 Home in S Mode
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4
  • GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
  • Storage: 128GB
  • Battery: 8 hours
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 15.6-inch, 1920x1080
  • Camera: 720p
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Ports: 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x MicroSD Card Reader, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Weight: 3.97lbs
  • Brand: ASUS
Pros
  • Powerful enough for everyday use
  • Durable and lightweight build
  • Great keyboard
  • Lots of ports
Cons
  • Restrictive 128GB storage
  • Average battery life
Buy This Product
ASUS VivoBook 15 (F515EA-AH34)

The Lenovo Chromebook 3 11 is one of the most affordable Chromebooks on the market, and its thin and lightweight build makes it a great option for students. At only 0.71 inches thick and 2.46 pounds, you can easily slip it into a bag and carry it around campus. In addition, the battery lasts all day, so you don't have to carry a power brick to class.

It's not the most powerful Chromebook, but it can handle basic tasks and school work with ease. It's incredibly fast for a cheap Chromebook and offers plenty of ports, including a microSD card reader to extend the storage capacity.

The only thing lacking is a 360-degree hinge, but even that is not a deal-breaker since it's lightweight and doesn't emit heat, making it great for use on the couch.

Key Features
  • June 2026 Auto Update Expiration (AUE)
  • Thin and lightweight design
  • Battery lasts all day
Specifications
  • Brand: Lenovo
  • Storage: 64GB
  • CPU: Intel Celeron N4020
  • Memory: 4GB
  • Operating System: Chrome OS
  • Battery: 10 hours
  • Ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x MicroSD Card Reader, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Camera: 720p
  • Display (Size, Resolution): 11.6-inch, 1366x768
  • Weight: 2.47lbs
  • GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 600
Pros
  • Affordable
  • Incredibly lightweight
  • Plenty of ports, including USB-C and microSD
Cons
  • Not touchscreen
Buy This Product
Lenovo Chromebook 3 11

FAQ

Q: Which Laptop Brand Is Best for Students?

ASUS, Acer, and Lenovo are the best laptop brands if you're looking for affordable laptops for students. You can also find great laptops from Apple, Dell, and Microsoft ideal for students if money is no object.

Q: Which Is the Best Budget Laptop for Students?

While most people spring for the latest and high-end processors when buying a laptop. The reality is that you don't need that much power for browsing the web, typing documents, checking email, and other basic tasks.

Unless your coursework demands heavy video editing, engineering software, and or CAD modeling, any budget laptop with a Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i3 processor is excellent for school and college.

Q: Are Cheap Laptops Repairable?

Most cheap laptops in the market are easily repairable. Whether you want to fix problems or upgrade the RAM or storage, you can easily access the internals of most laptops.

However, makes sure to check the warranty status of the laptop as opening it may void its warranty. Also, some laptops come with soldered RAM and storage that doesn't support upgrades.