Best Chromebooks for Students in 2025

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus offers an perfect equilibrium of show and affordability, making it a apical prime for students. For little than $600, you get a versatile 2-in-1 design, a vibrant IPS display, a 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, and each the ports you request for connecting accessories and outer drives. You tin expect astir 8 to 10 hours of artillery beingness per charge, which is capable for a emblematic schoolhouse time oregon a afloat day of studying.

The Flex 5i's 2-in-1 plan astatine specified an affordable terms is peculiarly noteworthy. Tablet mode allows you to usage manus notetaking apps similar Goodnotes oregon Nebo to instrumentality notes with a stylus alternatively than typing. If you privation the convenience of integer notes with the consciousness of insubstantial notes, a 2-in-1 similar the Flex 5i could beryllium perfect.

There's a batch to emotion astir this Chromebook, but I urge looking for 1 with astatine slightest 256GB of storage. The basal exemplary lone includes 128GB of storage, which tin capable up faster than you mightiness think. Of course, utilizing unreality retention for things similar photos and Google Docs tin assistance you prevention space, but if you privation plentifulness of country for apps, it's worthy spending a small much for other storage.

If you're connected a choky fund oregon conscionable request a barebones instrumentality for getting basal tasks done, instrumentality a look astatine the Asus Chromebook CM14. It’s not fancy, but it tin decidedly get the occupation done, particularly with amazingly agelong artillery beingness and military-grade durability. At good nether $300, this is simply a Chromebook astir anyone tin afford.

The Chromebook CM14 sports a no-frills, all-black plan that has nary occupation blending successful in the classroom. It meets the US MIL-STD 810H military-grade durability standard, meaning this small laptop tin instrumentality a hit. That's a large perk for students since drops and accidents are much apt erstwhile taking retired your laptop betwixt classes oregon betwixt location and school. The precocious durability standing connected the Chromebook CM14, combined with the debased price, besides makes it a large Chromebook for younger students getting their archetypal laptop.

Unfortunately, Asus made a mates of large sacrifices to bring the terms down. The Chromebook CM14 lone has 64GB of storage, little than galore phones these days, and a measly 4GB of RAM. So, it's truly lone suited for the astir basal of tasks, similar web browsing. If you conscionable request a instrumentality for typing up essays and turning successful homework, it should enactment conscionable good for you. However, if you request to bash thing much demanding than that, you whitethorn privation to walk a small much for a much susceptible Chromebook.

A 2-in-1 Chromebook tin beryllium a bully enactment for students who chiefly similar to usage a laptop but mightiness occasionally privation a tablet. But what if you similar things the different mode around? If you chiefly usage a tablet for schoolwork but privation the enactment to easy link a keyboard erstwhile you request it, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 is the cleanable choice.

This is efficaciously the ChromeOS alternate to an iPad. You get a roomy yet portable 11-inch show with azygous bezels each the mode astir and a landscape-mode webcam. Unlike an iPad, though, the Duet 11 includes a folio lawsuit with a detachable keyboard (while besides costing little than astir iPads). Unfortunately, it doesn't travel with a stylus, but you tin brace it with a Bluetooth oregon USI stylus for taking notes by manus oregon drawing.

The Duet 11 has a batch going for it for definite types of students. If you're utilized to a tablet and privation thing flexible and lightweight with decent artillery life, it's a large pick. However, the kickstand plan tin beryllium awkward, particularly if you privation to usage the Duet 11 successful laptop mode connected your lap. The basal retention successful the Duet 11 is besides rather low, truthful I suggest getting the 128GB exemplary if you can.

If you privation to bash much than conscionable schoolwork connected your Chromebook, cheque retired the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE. It's a large Chromebook successful its ain right, but it boasts immoderate gaming-specific features that marque it the cleanable acceptable for students who besides privation to bash a small gaming betwixt homework sessions.

The Chromebook Plus 516 GE truly shines arsenic a unreality gaming instrumentality for services similar Nvidia GeForce Now. It sports a fantastic show with vibrant colors and an awesome 120Hz refresh rate, overmuch higher than you usually spot connected Chromebooks. The keyboard is snappy and responsive similar a mechanical gaming keyboard and features RGB backlighting.

The Intel Core 5 120U processor is besides much almighty than astir different Chromebooks. With the Proton compatibility furniture connected Steam, you tin adjacent play immoderate lightweight Windows games locally, arsenic ChromeOS is fundamentally conscionable Google's mentation of Linux.

Unfortunately, portion the Chromebook Plus 516 GE isn't technically a full-fledged gaming laptop, it shares 1 of their astir communal weaknesses: mediocre artillery life. You tin expect to get a maximum of astir 8 hours of artillery beingness per charge, and little if you're gaming. That's not atrocious for a Chromebook, but it's conscionable hardly capable to get done a afloat time of class.

Chromebooks are often known for being basic, budget-friendly laptops, but that doesn't mean you can't find 1 that's a measurement above. If you privation a Chromebook with a small much processing powerfulness and a sharper show for getting each your schoolhouse enactment done, cheque retired the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14.

This slim, sleek laptop boasts an outstanding artillery beingness of up to 17 hours. That's unthinkable considering the Chromebook Plus 14 costs little than $800. It pairs stellar artillery beingness with an unthinkable OLED display, which you don't spot often connected Chromebooks. The show isn't the lone premium spec, either. The Chromebook Plus 14 besides features a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 with 16GB of RAM. Together, they connection importantly much processing powerfulness than astir different Chromebooks.

If you person a small much wealth to spend, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is good worthy it. The high-end specs and features volition let you to usage much resource-intensive apps for tasks similar video editing oregon drawing. In fact, the Chromebook Plus 14 is the archetypal Chromebook that includes Google Gemini AI features moving locally (rather than done the Cloud). For instance, you tin edit photos with AI straight connected your instrumentality connected this Chromebook. That other processing powerfulness tin truly travel successful useful if you usage AI to assistance you study.

How to Choose a Chromebook for School

The astir important factors to see erstwhile choosing a Chromebook for schoolhouse are budget, plan and portability, artillery life, and app compatibility. If you're a genitor buying for a younger student, you should astir apt instrumentality durability into account, too.

Budget is the main interest for galore students, which is portion of wherefore Chromebooks marque specified a bully prime for school, acknowledgment to their affordable price. You shouldn't request to walk much than $800 connected a bully Chromebook. Most students tin adjacent get a large instrumentality for astir $500 oregon $600, similar the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. If you privation premium features similar a high-end display, program to walk astir $600 to $800. Basic Chromebooks tin easy beryllium recovered for $400 oregon less.

After deciding connected your budget, consider however you similar to survey and tackle schoolhouse work. Some students similar taking notes by hand, which mightiness mean a tablet oregon 2-in-1 Chromebook is the mode to go. Regardless of whether oregon not you opt for a 2-in-1, portability is besides an important origin to wage attraction to. Most Chromebooks are connected the smaller side, but determination are a few, similar the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, that are a spot much bulky. If you request to bash a batch of moving astir connected campus, a smaller, lighter Chromebook volition astir apt beryllium the champion choice.

Before buying a Chromebook, you should besides marque definite determination aren't immoderate Windows oregon MacOS apps you request for class. Chromebooks usage Google's ChromeOS operating system, meaning they aren't compatible with Windows oregon MacOS apps (although immoderate apps person a ChromeOS oregon Android version).

Chromebook for Students FAQs

Are Chromebooks bully for college?

Chromebooks tin beryllium large laptops for college, but it depends connected what you're studying (and where). If each you request to bash is web browsing, research, homework, and penning essays, a Chromebook is simply a great, affordable option.

However, immoderate majors trust connected bundle that's lone disposable connected MacOS oregon Windows, similar CAD bundle for engineering majors oregon video editing apps for movie majors. If that’s the case, you whitethorn privation to see a gaming laptop instead. If you're not definite if your large volition necessitate immoderate circumstantial apps that mightiness not beryllium disposable connected ChromeOS, it's a bully thought to cheque with your professors, world advisor, predisposition board, oregon caller pupil committee.

Can you usage Microsoft Word connected a Chromebook?

If Microsoft Office apps are a must-have for your schoolwork, you're successful luck. There are a mates of ways to usage Microsoft Word connected Chromebooks. You tin usage the web mentation of Word successful Chrome oregon different browser, oregon you tin download the Android mentation of Microsoft Word connected the Google Play Store. The aforesaid goes for the different Microsoft Office apps, arsenic well.

What is the quality betwixt a Chromebook and a mean laptop?

The main quality betwixt Chromebooks and different laptops is the operating system. Chromebooks tally connected ChromeOS, alternatively than MacOS oregon Windows. That tin beryllium a affirmative and a antagonistic depending connected what you're looking for.

Chromebooks are often much affordable than Windows laptops and astir ever outgo little than MacBooks. However, ChromeOS isn't compatible with galore of the aforesaid apps you tin entree connected a Mac oregon Windows laptop. If you person immoderate circumstantial must-have apps, you should astir apt cheque that they're disposable connected ChromeOS earlier investing successful a Chromebook.

Stevie Bonifield is simply a freelance tech writer who has written for IGN, PC Gamer, Tom's Guide, and Laptop Mag, covering everything from customized keyboards to gaming connected Linux.

Originally posted:

Aug 7, 2025 9:37 pm