Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
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What is the best laptop for high school students overall?
When it comes to choosing the best laptop for high school students, the Apple MacBook Air M1 is our pick. It's an excellent laptop with everything high schoolers need to do schoolwork and then some. It has fantastic everyday performance and long battery life, and it's lightweight. The HP Pavilion Aero 13 is our best-value pick with a starting price of $800, but it's regularly on sale for far less. Like the M1 Air, the Aero has strong everyday performance and long battery life with a compact, backpack-friendly weight and design.
At CNET, we test all kinds of laptops, from budget models for everyday tasks to high-performance laptops for gaming and content creation, and everything in between. Each member of our team has decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops. We conduct performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs, and each model gets extensive hands-on use. This helps us find not only the best laptop overall, but the best laptop for your needs in your price range.
Best laptops for high school students
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Despite the availability of a bigger, better M2 MacBook Air (and a soon-to-launch M3 option), the M1 MacBook Air remains in the lineup, and that's a good thing. Apple's entry-level laptop, one of the first to switch from Intel to Apple silicon, is still our go-to recommendation for a MacOS laptop for basic everyday use. It has great performance and long battery life -- up to 18 hours -- and is a solid choice for school and entertainment anywhere. Read our MacBook Air M1 review.
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HP packed a lot of value into the Aero 13: It has an eye-pleasing magnesium-aluminum chassis, strong processing performance, long battery life, a bright, colorful display and a weight of just 2 pounds (0.94 kilograms). Amazingly, considering all that it offers, it has a regular starting price of less than $800, but it's regularly on sale for less than $600.
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This premium two-in-one doesn't stray far from its predecessor in terms of its sturdy design, nice-looking display, strong performance and long battery life. The main changes are an updated 13th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, but Acer removed the garaged pen for use on the touchscreen display. It still works with USI pens, though. There are less expensive options, but if you want a Chromebook that will last for years, this is it. Keep an eye out for sales on this one, too: It normally lists for around $700, but can often be found for less than $600.
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For STEM classes, you'll need some extra graphics power. The Acer Swift X 14 is our top pick among Windows laptops for its strong overall performance, beautiful OLED display and sensible price. The $1,500 model we tested features a 13th-gen Core i7 H-series processor and Nvidia Geforce RTX 4050 graphics. The combo is plenty for those starting in STEM as well as content creators. The display is large enough to work on for long stretches without feeling cramped, but it's also lightweight enough to be easily portable. If you don't need that graphics jolt, you can get the same awesome OLED display with integrated graphics for less in the Swift Go 14. And if you like the idea of the Swift X 14 but want a larger display, there's the Swift X 16.
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Regardless of which student laptop you choose, I recommend buying directly from the manufacturer or a familiar, trusted retailer for the best prices and exchange or return policies. If you're shopping on sites such as Amazon or Walmart with third-party sellers, check to see whether the laptop is being sold and shipped by the site. For more specific shopping help, check out our buying advice on getting the best cheap laptops.
It's worth noting, too, that if your school uses Google Classroom, it doesn't mean you need a Chromebook. (Here are the differences between a laptop and a Chromebook.) And to make long homework sessions more comfortable, you may want to add on some peripherals such as a keyboard or wireless mouse. Most people get annoyed using only the laptop's trackpad pretty quickly. You can also add an inexpensive external monitor, so your student is more comfortable and has a bigger display to see their work.
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The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.
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