5 Best Laptops For Online College – 2021

TOP PICK
Dell XPS Thin and Light Laptop - 15 15.6" 4K Touch Display, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, GTX 1050, Aluminum Chassis, Silver - XPS9560-7369SLV-PUS - Gaming
ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 Thin & Light Ultrabook Laptop, 15.6” Full HD NanoEdge Touch, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 Ti, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit KB, Fingerprint, Windows 10 - UX550VE-DB71T, Black
Microsoft DAG-00001 Surface Laptop (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Platinum
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250, 12GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe Nvme SSD, Windows 10 Home, A515-54G-73WC
Dell Inspiron 5000 15.6" Convertible 2-in-1 FHD Touchscreen Laptop, 7th Intel Core i5-7200U Processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD, Bluetooth, HDMI, 802.11AC, Win 10
BLW's Score
89
87
86
84
82
MSRP
$999.00
Price not available
$999.00
$998.99
$999.77
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 3.8 GHz
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8 GHz
Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz
Intel Core i7-8565U (up to 4.6 GHz)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8 - 3.8 GhZ
RAM
16GB DDR4
16GB DDR4
8GB DDR3L
12GB DDR4
8GB DDR4
Hard Disk
1TB SDD
512GB SSD
256GB eMMC
512GB SSD
1TB HDD
Display
15.6" 4K UHD Touch (3840 x 2160)
15.6'' FHD Touch (1920 x 1080)
13.5'' PixelSense (2256 x 1504)
15.6'' FHD (1920 x 1080)
15.6''FHD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Intel HD Graphics 620
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
Intel HD Graphics 620
OS
Windows 10
Windows 10
Windows 10 S
Windows 10
Windows 10
Weight
3.9 pounds
4 pounds
2.76 pounds
4 pounds
4.54 pounds
Battery Life
6 hours
14 hours
14 hours
8 hours
7 hours
TOP PICK
Dell XPS Thin and Light Laptop - 15 15.6" 4K Touch Display, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, GTX 1050, Aluminum Chassis, Silver - XPS9560-7369SLV-PUS - Gaming
BLW's Score
89
MSRP
$999.00
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 3.8 GHz
RAM
16GB DDR4
Hard Disk
1TB SDD
Display
15.6" 4K UHD Touch (3840 x 2160)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
OS
Windows 10
Weight
3.9 pounds
Battery Life
6 hours
ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 Thin & Light Ultrabook Laptop, 15.6” Full HD NanoEdge Touch, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 Ti, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit KB, Fingerprint, Windows 10 - UX550VE-DB71T, Black
BLW's Score
87
MSRP
Price not available
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8 GHz
RAM
16GB DDR4
Hard Disk
512GB SSD
Display
15.6'' FHD Touch (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 10
Weight
4 pounds
Battery Life
14 hours
Microsoft DAG-00001 Surface Laptop (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Platinum
BLW's Score
86
MSRP
$999.00
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz
RAM
8GB DDR3L
Hard Disk
256GB eMMC
Display
13.5'' PixelSense (2256 x 1504)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 620
OS
Windows 10 S
Weight
2.76 pounds
Battery Life
14 hours
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250, 12GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe Nvme SSD, Windows 10 Home, A515-54G-73WC
BLW's Score
84
MSRP
$998.99
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U (up to 4.6 GHz)
RAM
12GB DDR4
Hard Disk
512GB SSD
Display
15.6'' FHD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
OS
Windows 10
Weight
4 pounds
Battery Life
8 hours
Dell Inspiron 5000 15.6" Convertible 2-in-1 FHD Touchscreen Laptop, 7th Intel Core i5-7200U Processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD, Bluetooth, HDMI, 802.11AC, Win 10
BLW's Score
82
MSRP
$999.77
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8 - 3.8 GhZ
RAM
8GB DDR4
Hard Disk
1TB HDD
Display
15.6''FHD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 620
OS
Windows 10
Weight
4.54 pounds
Battery Life
7 hours

As the world is turning digital nowadays, the learning environment has started seeing significant changes in the way education is being taught. Classrooms are no longer confined to the walls of a school.

Many of the courses are now digitally available on the internet so that people can access them all around the world. Many websites have also started offering certification courses and online education has become a business now.

Almost all major universities have put up their set of courses on such online portals. Since these courses can be completed at one’s own pace and don’t have stringent deadlines, the working section of people has started updating their skill set by doing online courses.

Moreover, certain courses that cannot be a part of a college or school curriculum are being taught online. The digital world is changing the way people are learning and is helping them to learn from the best teachers across the world.

Read Related Article: 5 Best Laptops For Medical Students

Student Working On Laptop

For working on online courses and assignments the laptop requirements are slightly different. If you are taking lessons from a faculty from across the world then you need a good video calling option with a microphone support in the laptop.

But if you are doing some research along with the course then the laptop should be capable enough to handle multiple tasks in one go. All this can only be possible if the laptop that you use has good connectivity and a long battery life.

Moreover, in some of the courses you might also have to work with images and videos, hence the display of the laptop should be impeccable. Having a 2-in-1 laptop would be an added benefit to your requirement.

These are just a few criteria’s that you should consider while buying laptops. In this article, we have tried to bring to you the best laptops for online college. It lists the top 5 laptops for that are selling in the market currently.

Our Top Picks for Best Laptops for Online College

1. Dell XPS Thin and Light Laptop

Dell XPS9560-7001SLV-PUS

Specs:

  • Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor
  • 1TB SSD
  • 16GB DDR4 RAM

Dell has upgraded it’s 15.6-inch laptop and made it better. The laptop runs on a powerhouse supported by the 7th generation Intel Quad Core i7 3.8 GHz processor with 16 GB RAM.

A GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card with a dedicated 4GB RAM provides good support for gaming. This ensures great performance and smooth execution while multi-tasking and the laptop boots within seconds.

This laptop is available in two variants of storage space, 1 TB or 512 GB SSD drive. Plenty of storage, high-performance, and good responsiveness make this laptop one of a kind in this category.

The Dell XPS flaunts a stunning display with crisp and clear images. The borderless 15.6-inch screen makes for a great screen and has the InfinityEdge display technology embedded in it.

Moreover, the 4k Ultra HD display with 6 million pixels more than the Full HD display makes working with images and videos a child’s play. The wide viewing angle of 170 degrees is a great add-on.

This laptop is also Touch friendly and you can swipe, tap, and directly interact with technology. Even though this laptop has great technologies packed within, it has great battery life and can last for an entire day on a single charge.

All these features are packed in a slim and sleek design. The laptop weighs about 4 pounds, is just 11-17 mm thin and is the lightest in this category. This beast is the best buy for college students.

2. ASUS ZenBook UX550VE-DB71T

ASUS ZenBook UX550VE-DB71T

Specs:

  • Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor
  • 512GB SSD
  • 16GB DDR4 RAM

Zenbook Pro is one of the best laptops that ASUS has in its catalog. It is a very powerful laptop that runs on i7 2.8 GHz Intel Quad Core processor with 16GB DDR4 RAM and a dedicated 4GB memory for NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Ti graphics card.

Along with this performance core and the fast 512GB SSD storage. The laptop is lightning fast and can smoothly perform multiple tasks at one instant. This laptop has a 15.6-inch screen built with NanoEdge multi-touch technology.

The addition of FHD resolution and 178 degrees wide viewing angle has made the display more amazing. The image and video displays are crisp, clear and retain the true colors. With multi-touch support, the navigation becomes very simple.

When it comes to connectivity, the Zenbook Pro stands out from other laptops. The Thunderbolt 3 connector ensures super-fast connectivity with devices like external displays and provides until 40 Gbps data transfer speed.

The latest Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi ensures seamless connectivity to other devices and broadband. Even though the Zenbook Pro is a power packed laptop, it’s battery life is amazing.

It runs up to 14 hours on normal usage on a single charge and it takes only 49 minutes for the battery to reach a 60% charging level. The heat is also kept in control with the incorporation of the dual-fan cooling system. The backlit keyboard and the Harman Kardon quad-speaker are other add-ons that make this laptop perfect for college use.

3. Microsoft Surface Laptop

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Specs:

  • Intel Core i5 Processor
  • 256GB SSD
  • 8GB DDR4 RAM

Microsoft has been improving its Surface lineup year by year. The laptop houses a 7th generation Intel i5 processor with an 8GB RAM and 256 GB of memory storage. The design of the laptop is beautiful, clean, and elegant and comes in amazing color choices.

The screen is 13.5-inch in size and displays bright and vibrant colors. Moreover, the PixelSense Display with a touchscreen, the thin bezel are great add-ons to this laptop and make online browsing a fun task.

The screen is an edge-to-edge design and looks bigger. With a 3:2 resolution the images look beautiful and are true to their color. The laptop comes pre-loaded with Windows 10 S, which is known for its superior performance and security.

Also, a lot of Microsoft-verified apps are pre-installed on the laptop that gives you an edge over other laptops. The ports are a bit less in number. The laptop comes with one Mini DisplayPort, one USB 3 port, and a Surface Connect port.

A Surface Dock that comes with the laptop can be used for better connectivity. The sound quality is also good on the laptop, however, some disturbance was noticed when you type and music plays in the background.

With a limited number of ports the laptop has a thin design and is just 14.5 mm thin. The laptop weighs about 1.25 Kg which is lighter than other laptops in this category.

If you use more of Microsoft’s tools then you will love this laptop. Even though connectivity is an issue with this laptop, you can still consider the Surface as other features are great.

4. Acer Aspire 5

Acer Aspire 5

Specs:

  • Intel Core i5-8565U Processor
  • 512GB SSD
  • 12GB DDR4 RAM

The Aspire 5 is designed for your daily needs. This laptop houses a 8th generation Intel Core i7 process and 12 GB DDR4 RAM. The storage is supplied by a fast 512GB SSD (solid-state drive) which is sufficient for most college students.

The performance of this laptop is impeccable and multi-tasking is smoothly handled by the processor. The screen size is 15.6-inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The display is amazing and produce crystal-clear images. The only con would be that this laptop doesn’t have a Touchscreen.

The Aspire has an HD webcam High Definition Range (HDR) video that is good for supporting video calls in challenging lighting conditions. The stereo speakers are built-in and have a good sound quality.

Connectivity will not be an issue with this laptop as it has the best-in-class Intel Dual-Band Wireless, Bluetooth, one HDMI, two USB 3 ports, one USB 2 port, and an Ethernet port. You can easily connect the laptop anywhere as per your requirement.

The battery life of the laptop is above average when compared to other laptops in the 15-inch category. It runs for about 8 hours of continuous use. If you need connectivity on the go and have normal daily usage requirements then this is the best buy.

5. Dell Inspiron i5578-2451GRY

Dell Inspiron i5578-2550GRY

Specs:

  • Intel Core i5-7200U Processor
  • 1TB HDD
  • 8GB DDR4 RAM

The Dell Inspiron is an awesome laptop to buy. The most amazing feature that it has is that the touchscreen can be flipped at any angle that you would like to. The screen size is 15.6-inches with a full HD resolution of 1920 X 1080 pixels with wide viewing angles. 

The screen also supports Touch, hence making the browsing fun with the laptop. The images are sharp and are true to their color. The 720p HD webcam is great for video calls and recording.

The microphone and the sound quality is also good. All these features are supported by the powerhouse of a 7th generation Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz processor, an 8GB DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB SSD hard drive. Having such enormous space can help you store and access important files as and when required.

The battery runs for eight hours of continuous usage on a single charge. In terms of connectivity, the Inspiron comes with an Ethernet port, one USB 2 slot, two USB 3 port, Bluetooth, and an HDMI port.

Connectivity will never be a hassle with this laptop. If you are looking for a high-performance laptop with amazing features at an affordable price then the Dell Inspiron is your right choice.

Conclusion

There are many laptops that are best suited for college use. The above list just mentions a few of the best laptops for online college that are currently selling in the market.

Today these are the better of the lot, but tomorrow there will be many improved versions of the same. So instead of getting confused which laptop you should buy, just pick one that ticks all your requirements for online college.

Read Another Related Article: 5 Best Laptops For QuickBooks

About the Author Marcus

Marcus has a graduate degree in computer engineering and has many years of experience in cutting-edge technology research and development in both startups and Fortune 500 corporations. In his free time, he enjoys RTS gaming.

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