10 Best Laptops for College Students Under 600 (2023)

College involves many activities including online classes, on-campus classes, writing papers, web browsing, casual gaming, and sometimes working with special software.

If you are one of those college students, a college freshman, or someone who wants to buy a gift for a student, I’ll get you covered.

In this post, I’ll discuss all the major factors you need to consider to find the best laptop for college students under 600. You’ll find key specifications, pros, cons, ratings, and recommendations to help you find the perfect budget laptop for college.

At the end of this post, I listed all the major specifications of my picks for easy reference.

While I did my best to fine-select the best laptops under 600, keep in mind that prices and sales may change over time and location.

Here are my top picks for the best laptops for college students under 600…

What is the best laptop for college students under 600?

• Best overall laptop for college students under 600: Lenovo IdeaPad 3
• Best classic budget laptop for college students: HP Pavilion 15
• Best performance convertible laptop for college students: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
• Best portable budget laptop for college students: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
• Best large-screen laptop for college students under 600: ASUS VivoBook 17
• Best convertible laptop for college students under 600: HP Pavilion x360
• Best Chromebook for college students under 600: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
• Best creative laptop for college students under 600: ASUS VivoBook Flip
• Best budget laptop for college students: Acer Aspire 5
• Best cheap rugged laptop for college students: Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e

1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (14”)

Best overall laptop for college students under 600

It’s hard to get a grip on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. It’s currently under 600 and you get an Intel Core i7 series processor together with 20 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. Not only that, but it has a massive setup and great keyboards, and the battery doesn’t disappoint, either.

The IdeaPad is highly portable measuring only 3.08 lbs and offers a wide range of ports including USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI, which makes this laptop the perfect choice for mobile college students. As for the appearance, it has a stylish outlook with Lenovo branding and slightly rounded edges.

I could criticize this laptop for the 720 p camera and the standard FHD screen, but more expensive laptops tend to come with those specs too. A major drawback, I see, is the lack of a keyboard backlight. Lenovo is known for manufacturing great keyboards, so this one disappoints.

Otherwise, Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is probably the best option for college students at this price range.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the Lenovo IdeaPad 3:

2. HP Pavilion 15 (15.6″)

Best classic budget laptop for college students

The HP Pavilion 15 will provide you with great performance, ample storage space for course materials and creative work, and great connectivity for college classes. This is handled by a quad-core Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor coupled with Intel Iris graphics, 16 GB of memory, and 1 TB SSD.

This laptop has an HP-ish metal design with a full-sized keyboard and an instantly recognizable HP logo on the front.

The 720 p camera and the standard FHD display shouldn’t be surprising at this price tag. The 41 Wh battery can last for up to 8.5 hours for video playback, which means you shouldn’t put your wires far away if you’re doing serious work on this laptop. At least you get ample connectivity with all types of ports and a 15-inch FHD screen.

Overall, HP Pavilion is a great deal for college students who want a reliable laptop with solid performance under 600.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the HP Pavilion:

3. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 (14″)

Best performance convertible laptop for college students

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 student laptop offers great performance thanks to the hexa-core AMD Ryzen 5 5500U CPU, which is a good processor. Not only that, but this laptop is packed with 16 GB of memory, 256 GB of storage, and integrated AMD Radeon Graphics.

Speaking of the weaknesses, the IdeaPad Flex comes with a standard FHD screen with 250 nits and 45% NTSC, which isn’t so impressive. In turn, it features a touchscreen with 360-degree hinge, which makes this laptop a perfect choice for college classes. The battery life is promising with up to 12 hours of video playback, and the laptop measures only 3.31 pounds while offering numerous ports for connectivity.

Apart from the average screen and the 720 p camera, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex offers great performance and ample flexibility on a budget. And don’t forget about the Abyss Blue color, which looks cool.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5:

4. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 (12.4″)

Best portable budget laptop for college students

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is a compact student laptop with a touchscreen, decent configuration, and long battery life.

It’s available in different colors. I picked the Ice Blue, which looks cool. The laptop has a tapered design with rounded corners. The trackpad and the keys are relatively large, and with the Microsoft logo, this device looks elegant.

Although Surface doesn’t feature the sharpest and largest screen with a 1536 x 1024 resolution, at least it’s a touchscreen. We get the standard (although improved) HD camera, which is not surprising given it’s a budget laptop.

What makes the Surface Go 2 a great deal for college students is the decent battery life, great portability (it only weighs 2.48 pounds and it’s a 12-inch laptop), and solid setup for everyday use.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go2:

5. ASUS VivoBook 17 (17.3″)

Best large-screen laptop for college students under 600

The ASUS VivoBook 17 is a great pick for college if you prioritize performance and screen real estate over flexibility. With the quad-core Intel i5 series processor, 20 GB of memory, and 512 GB of storage, you can rest assured that this laptop will support your college years.

The 17-inch screen coupled with the comfortable keyboard supported with the ASUS ErgoLift hinge and the fingerprint sensor makes this laptop a great choice for taking notes, writing papers, and browsing the web.

The 720 camera isn’t too surprising at a base model, but this machine could have deserved better batteries. This laptop comes with a 32 Wh battery, which lasts around 7 hours, but multitasking and resource-intensive tasks may deplete it more quickly.

All things considered, the VivoBook is a great and affordable laptop for college students with some compromises.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the ASUS VivoBook:

6. HP Pavilion x360 (14″)

Best convertible laptop for college students under 600

The HP Pavilion x360 is one of the best laptops for college students under 600 with a solid configuration, convertible design, and touchscreen. It’s powered by an Intel Core i5 series processor, an Intel Iris integrated graphics card, 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB RAM.

It comes with a classic HP design, a 360-degree hinge for maximum flexibility, and a full-sized backlit keyboard. The multitouch-enabled FHD screen is not the brightest and sharpest one with 250 nits and 45% NTSC, but it does the job for a budget laptop. The battery life isn’t impressive, yet acceptable: you get 8 hours of streaming, which should be enough for a light college day.

As for connectivity, you get lots of ports from USB-C to USB-A to HDMI, and more. This is a strong point. Overall, if you’re looking for a new laptop for college on a tight budget, the HP Pavilion x360 is a great option with a solid processor, fast and ample storage, and great portability.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the HP Pavilion x360:

7. Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (14″)

Best Chromebook for college students under 600

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a great laptop for college students. Under 600, you get a convertible, touchscreen laptop with a metal chassis supporting military-grade durability.

When we look inside, we find an AMD Ryzen 3 processor with 2 cores and 6 threads along with an integrated AMD Radeon Graphics card. Although it’s not a powerhouse, this configuration coupled with 128 GB SSD and 8 GB of memory serves this Chromebook well.

The keyboards are surprisingly great with backlight and concave keys designed for an improved typing experience. As for connectivity, we get more than enough USB ports, but I lack the HDMI port strongly.

Overall, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a great budget laptop for college students under 600 with great flexibility, portability, and a reliable configuration.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the Acer Chromebook Spin 514:

8. ASUS VivoBook Flip (14″)

Best creative laptop for college students under 600

ASUS VivoBook Flip is a versatile 2-in-1 budget laptop for college students with a touchscreen, stylus support, and a powerful processor.

ASUS manufactures great keyboards and the VivoBook Flip is no exception. This laptop comes with a backlit keyboard with 1.4 mm key travel, a highlighted Enter key, and a fingerprint reader. We have no reason to complain about the design, either. The VivoBook looks stylish and it’s available in two colors and different configurations. This is the base model, but you can upgrade the configuration for a slight price increase.

This laptop features a 14-inch FHD touchscreen with moderate specs: it supports a 60 Hz refresh rate, 45% NTSC color gamut, and 250 nits. As for the battery life, the VivoBook Flip comes with a 42 Wh battery, which isn’t a powerhouse and is predicted to last around 8 hours, but it was really hard to find reliable information on battery life.

Overall, what I liked most was the solid performance thanks to the AMD Ryzen 5 CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads, the design, and flexibility.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about the ASUS VivoBook Flip:

9. Acer Aspire 5 (15.6″)

Best budget laptop for college students

The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the best laptops for not only college students but for many folks. This model has a low price (below 500), yet it features a solid configuration including 1 TB of space, 20 GB of memory, and an AMD 3 processor with AMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics.

This laptop is a perfect all-rounder; that’s why it’s often on my list as one of the best budget laptops. Despite the affordable price, it comes with a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader, and even an Ethernet port, which is rare among non-gaming laptops.

Speaking of the processor, we get a quad-core AMD 3 CPU with 4 threads and a 4 MB cache. Although it’s not the strongest point of this machine, it will handle the basic-to-medium tasks you’re facing in college. The battery life is above average yet not uber-impressive.

If you’re looking for a cheap laptop for your college years, Acer Aspire should be on your list.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about Acer Aspire 5:

10. Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e rugged laptop (11.6″)

Best cheap rugged laptop for college students

I wanted to put a rugged laptop on my list for the uber-mobile college students. You know, for those who don’t want to treat their laptops gently…

The Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga is a good choice with strengthened corners, rubber bumpers, reinforced ports, a spill-resistant keyboard, a scratch-resistant display, and a military-tested construction. This laptop can withstand drops from up to 90 cm and is tested against dust, vibration, high pressure, humidity, and more.

Despite its ruggedness, Lenovo Yoga measures only 3.51 pounds, which is slightly above the average weight of the best laptops, although it’s an 11-inch model. It features a 360-degree hinge to support incredible flexibility in college classes and in between.

We should, however, pay a price for this ruggedness: this laptop has modest performance and a small HD display with 250 nits. The flexibility, ruggedness, and the stylus pen (which is included in the box) will compensate for that.

Csaba’s Rating:

• Performance: ⭐⭐
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐
• Portability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Battery life: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I like and dislike about Lenovo Yoga:

What is the best laptop for college students under 600, anyway?

My top pick is the Lenovo IdeaPad 3, which is not only the best performance laptop under 600 on my list, but it offers great portability, acceptable battery life, and ample storage space, too. If you want to use your Lenovo laptop for gaming, you could pick its sibling, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which features a GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card.

Best budget laptops for college students: FAQ

1. What are the key specs of a good budget laptop for college students?

Speaking of budget laptops, you probably have to make sacrifices. This doesn’t mean, however, that you couldn’t find a powerful laptop under 600. As a college student, you may want to ensure that your laptop has a long battery life that could last for a typical college day, say 8 hours. Probably weight and size are less important for a young adult who is in good shape. If you’ll participate in online classes, you should watch out for a good webcam: budget laptops usually come with a 720 p camera, but there’re some great deals with full HD (1080 p) webcams and facial recognition. If your studies require special software, make sure that your operating system can deal with those (Chromebooks usually can’t). Touchscreens and convertible laptops are also appealing to college students. Hardware-wise, 16 GB of memory, fast SSD storage, and an Intel Core i5 series processor or an AMD Ryzen alternative is a safe bet but aim at least for 8 GB of RAM and an Intel Core i3 processor.

2. How much RAM do I need as a student?

Upgrading to 16 GB of RAM is probably a good thing and will make a difference for your laptop computer if you’re multitasking or running demanding applications. 16 GB memory is also a great way, in the long run, to prepare your college laptop for the future. 8 GB, however, is enough for typical college tasks. You may upgrade your memory later but don’t forget to check whether your laptop model is upgradable.

3. What are the benefits of using Chromebooks in college?

While Chromebooks are not as powerful as Windows laptops or MacBooks, they can be perfect for college classes, writing assignments, research, and web browsing. Here’re the benefits:

• Part of Google Workspace: Google Workspace already dominates the online education industry, and Chromebooks are built to work within Google’s ecosystem. You can use Google Meet, Google Docs, Google Drive, and other Google tools with ease.
• Native screen recording: Screen recording is at the heart of online classes and Google introduced a native screen-recording tool into the Chrome OS.
• Security and ease of use: Chromebooks are easy to use and secure. The Chrome OS was designed to work easily and fast.
• Google Classroom support: Chromebooks work directly with Google Classroom.

4. Which is the best operating system for a college laptop?

It depends on your computer confidence and attitudes, your studies, and your preferences. Windows laptops are versatile and easy to upgrade. MacBooks usually require less effort to maintain, support more apps, and are easy to work with. Chromebooks run on ChromeOS, and provide a fast, easy, and secure browsing experience, but don’t support special software that doesn’t work in a web browser.

5. Should I prioritize battery life or performance?

If you want to use your laptop all day long in the college and you don’t want to be plugged all day (or sockets aren’t readily available), you better prioritize battery life. Keep in mind that while most manufacturers claim that battery life is 8+ hours, battery tests are usually shown in the footer with 6 pt fonts. Most of them are carried out with simple video playback. If you’re running multiple applications, your batteries may deplete more quickly. If you want to use your student laptop for gaming or other demanding activities, you may want to give more serious attention to the configuration.

6. Is it worth investing in a 2-in-1 laptop with touchscreen functionality?

A wide range of convertible, touchscreen laptops are now available under 600. Some of them offer enough power and battery life for college life. Again, it depends on your preferences and studies, whether you want to take notes with a stylus, or you want to replace your tablet.

To read more about the best laptops for increasing your academic performance, check out my other guides:

• 10 Best Laptops for Taking Notes (with Note-taking Tips)
• 10 Best Laptops for Zoom and Google Classroom in 2023
• 10 Best Budget Laptops for Coding & Programming (2023)

Best laptops for college students under 600 compared

Cover photo by Roel Dierckens on Unsplash