Over the years, the best Chromebooks have been getting faster and more powerful. Manufacturers, such as Asus, Samsung, Lenovo, Acer, and others are making Chromebooks so good they’ve become the primary laptop of choice for many people.
Because of their simplicity and low price point, Chromebooks are some of the best laptops for students – especially high schoolers and college students. They’re the ideal machines for education because they are completely web-based, speedy to boot up, and lightweight and ultra-portable to just slip into a backpack.
TL;DR – These are the best Chromebooks for students to buy in 2023
- Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 (Best Overall)
- Samsung Chromebook 4 (Best Budget)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook (Best 2-in-1)
- Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (Best Premium)
- Acer Chromebook 317 (Best Large Display)
- HP Chromebook x360 (Best For Dorm Life)
- Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (Best For Online Video Classes)
- Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Best For Gaming)
We rounded up the best Chromebooks at various price ranges for all sorts of students. If you’re going back to school in the fall, then we’ve found a laptop for you.
1. Asus Chromebook Flip CX5
Best overall Chromebook for students
The Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 is our pick for the best Chromebook for students – thanks to its durable aluminum build quality, long battery life of up to 10 hours, and high-speed performance. It features a 14-inch Full HD touchscreen display with a hinge that makes it possible to flip its backlit keyboard a full 360 degrees for a tablet-like experience. It even comes with a handy stylus for quick note taking, which is ideal for students.
2. Samsung Chromebook 4
Best budget Chromebook for students
On a budget for school? The Samsung Chromebook 4 is a wallet-friendly Chromebook that gets the job done at an affordable price. But don’t let that price fool you into thinking that it’s a cheap and low quality Chromebook. It features an 11.6-inch HD display, Android app support, and an impressive battery life of up to nearly 13 hours per charge.
If you want an inexpensive Chromebook for school work, web browsing, and consuming entertainment, or a secondary laptop that you can throw around from time-to-time, then the Samsung Chromebook 4 is it.
3. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
Best 2-in1 Chromebook for students
The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is not an ordinary 2-in-1 Chromebook. Instead of having an attached keyboard that flips around, it’s a fully-fledged tablet with an included detachable keyboard – think of it like the Microsoft Surface Pro.
The tablet features a 13.3-inch Full HD OLED touchscreen with a kickstand that has been optimized for ChromeOS touch and Android support, while the full-sized fabric folio keyboard has a wide trackpad and attaches magnetically. So, you can use the tablet for entertainment in your downtime, then whip out the keyboard when you need to get some work done.
4. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
Best premium Chromebook for students
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 has the speed and the power to make short work out of any classroom lesson plan. Armed with an Intel Core i5 processor, it’s a high-performance beast of a machine.
It also features a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED touchscreen display with a pristine and colorful picture quality, while its clever hinge rotates its keyboard 360-degrees for tablet mode. It even comes with a built-in push out stylus pen for quick note taking and sketching. However, it doesn’t come cheap, it retails for $1,000.
5. Acer Chromebook 317
Best large display Chromebook for students
Sometimes you need a gigantic display to keep all of your windows, tabs, thoughts, and ideas organized – especially when writing a lengthy term paper. While most Chromebook displays cap out at 13 inches or so, Acer designed the world’s first 17-inch Chromebook (17.3 inches to be exact) with the massive Acer Chromebook 317.
The Chromebook features a Full HD anti-glare widescreen display for maximum screen real estate, while its narrow bezels make both work and play as immersive as possible.
6. HP Chromebook x360
Best Chromebook for dorm life
Dorm life means watching a lot of movies and TV shows by yourself or with a group of friends, so you’ll want a Chromebook that can handle high performance video streaming on a sharp and clear display.
Enter the HP Chromebook x360, a Chromebook under $600 that features a 14-inch Full HD touchscreen display and a swift hinge system that makes going from doing school work in laptop mode to consuming all sorts of entertainment in tablet or tent mode a breeze. Its display also has a 16:9 aspect ratio for an immersive cinema-like experience.
7. Acer Chromebook Spin 714
Best Chromebook for students who take online video classes
Let’s face it. Most of your time at school is going to be attending online classes. An excellent webcam can go a long way to make a good impression on your teacher. But, most webcams, especially on Chromebooks, are subpar with video resolutions capping out at just 720p standard definition.
However, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is different. Not only is this a speedy and powerful Chromebook with a 2-in-1 touchscreen design, but it also features a high quality Full HD 1080p webcam for crisp and clear video quality – which is a rarity. Say goodbye to blurry and pixelated video classes.
8. Acer Chromebook 516 GE
Best Chromebook for students who like cloud gaming
Screen size: 16 inches | Touchscreen: No | Processor: Intel Core i5-1240P | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Android app support: No | Ports: 2 USB-C, 1 USB, 1 HDMI, 1 Ethernet, and headphone jack | Starting price: $650
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE (the “GE” stands for Gaming Edition) is an Intel-based machine specially designed for cloud gaming platforms, like Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and others.
It features a large 16-inch 16:10-aspect ratio QHD display for a clear, sharp, and colorful picture quality, while its refresh rate caps out at 120Hz for smooth motion. It also has high performance networking for fast internet speeds and wireless controllers when gaming. Although this Chromebook can’t compete with heavy-hitting gaming laptops, it will get you online and ready to play for casual gaming – when you’re not studying or hitting the books.
What to look for in a Chromebook for students in 2023
Chromebooks are quickly becoming a fantastic alternative to traditional Windows and Apple laptops – especially with its low price. It has just about everything for productivity and entertainment use, but without needing to download applications and large file sizes that slow other laptops down. There is a downside, though – Chromebooks need a reliable Wi-Fi connection to get the job done.
However, with a wide range of Chromebook models with all sorts of bells and whistles from various manufacturers, it may be tough to find the one for students. That’s where we come in. We put together this handy buyer’s guide to help find the perfect Chromebook for classwork and dorm life.
Check out how to choose the best Chromebook for students in 2023, below:
Productivity and Entertainment
Since you’re a student, then school work is your number one priority, so finding a Chromebook that can handle all things productivity-based is key. Luckily, most, if not all, Chromebooks excel at productivity, so you’ll have most of your bases covered there.
Chromebooks are primarily internet machines from Google, they can take on all Google Workspace apps, such as Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Classroom, and much more. If you have a Gmail account, then you can access all of these productivity tools. In addition, most Google Workspace apps work offline too, so you can keep working without an internet connection. And once you’re back online, all of your work is saved in the cloud.
When it comes to entertainment, not all Chromebooks are created equal. While all Chromebooks have access to the same internet, how media is viewed can vary from machine-to-machine. For example, wallet-friendly Chromebooks might not have the best displays for watching Netflix and YouTube. You can access those websites, but colors might be washed out and the picture quality may be soft. More expensive Chromebooks with 2K or 4K resolutions will produce color-popping and sharper images.
If you’re a gamer, you might want a Chromebook that can handle cloud gaming. There are machines like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE that are built for cloud gaming, so you can access web-based portals, including Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, Steam, and more. But be warned, you won’t get the same experience gaming as a dedicated gaming laptop would provide.
The simple rule of thumb is: If it’s on the internet, then you can access it with a Chromebook.
Would you like a 2-in-1 Chromebook?
One of the best things about Chromebooks is that some of them are actually two devices. These machines are made with touchscreen displays and clever hinges that quickly flip the keyboard behind the display, effectively turning a Chromebook laptop into a Chromebook tablet. ChromeOS is even designed for tablet mode with large icons.
In fact, some Chromebooks like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 are made with a detachable keyboard, which makes the transition into tablet mode more seamless. So you’re really getting the best of both worlds, which comes in handy when you want to separate your school and dorm life.
Android
In May 2016, Google added Android app support to some Chromebook models. This means you can download supported-apps from the Google Play Store to use on a Chromebook, which makes it more useful. It doesn’t mean these Chromebooks also run full Android, but rather they support the use of the mobile operating system’s apps
Check out a list of all of the Chromebooks that support Android apps here.
Price
Another reason why Chromebooks are so popular is their affordable price. You can get a new one for as little as $167 at Amazon. It might not be the best, but it’s certainly the cheapest. While there are some that are priced upwards of $2,000, Chrombooks are generally inexpensive – typically ranging from $300-$700.
