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You're wondering what the best computer for students is, and that comes with a lot of questions: Is a desktop or a laptop better? Should I get Mac or Windows? How much should I pay? Well, being a student once (it's been a few years), I know the queries, and I now have over a decade of expertise to point you in the right direction.
After testing a wide selection of Windows PCs, Macs, all-in-one computers and more over the years, my team of PC experts and I know the territory and are here to help find the right computer for you. Better yet, you'll be happy to know that the PCs you'll find today can easily breeze through research, study, write-ups and deadlines at school and college. Oh, and some gaming in your downtime, of course.
Expert picks
The Apple iMac M4 is the student computer we recommend most, and that's because it's more than capable enough to handle schoolwork, offers a great display, speakers and webcam. Better yet, it looks great on any desk (and in a range of appealing colors).
Prefer Windows? The Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 should be at the top of your list. It goes toe-to-toe in performance with the impressive M4 chip, meaning it's capable of blazing through tasks and even light gaming. Plus, expect a vivid 27-inch QHD panel and a built-in Qi phone charger!
The MacBook Air m4 is the easiest recommendation I can make for any student, thanks to its stylish, lightweight design, incredible performance and, most importantly, price. The M4 chip offers fast performance, while its vivid display is bright and as sharp as ever. Whether it's 13-inch or 15-inch, this MacBook Air will impress.
Dell has come back swinging with the Dell XPS 14 (2026), rocking a blazing-fast Intel processor, gorgeous OLED display and long battery life that will take you through those long study sessions. It's pricey, but well worth it for the long run.
If you want a powerful mid-range gaming PC that won't draw much attention in your dorm, look no further than the Alienware Aurora R16. It's got power where it counts and said power won't cause the Aurora R16 to melt thanks to its advanced cooling tech that keeps the PC running cool and quiet.
The Mac mini M4 is a pint-sized powerhouse that’s cheaper and faster than its predecessor thanks to the speedy M4 chip. The option to upgrade it with an M4 Pro sweetens the deal, turning this into a decent Mac for gaming or light photo/video editing. It’s a great mini PC for Mac fans.
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The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has a powerful processor, 4K video output and an improved part selection. It offers enormous value for projects ranging from simple to complex, from its enhanced processing and graphics to offering broad compatibility with older accessories.
I'm Darragh, Computing Editor here at Tom's Guide, and in my day of being a student, I wish all of these PCs were around to get me through the pain of scrolling through websites for research and writing up papers. Students can now make the most of speedy, high-end performance in the latest computers without emptying their wallets, and after years of testing PCs, my team and I have a good gauge of the best ones to pick.
The best student computers right now
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The best student computer overall
Apple's iMac recently received a shot in the arm known as the M4 chip, and the boost in performance helps cinch its place at the top of our charts as the best student computer you can buy today.
I recommend this Mac to students and families because it offers a beautiful 24-inch 4,5K display, an excellent 12MP webcam with support for Center Stage and Desk View (which means it can follow you as you move around in front of it, or send a separate video feed of what's on your desk in front of you when FaceTiming) and a great six-speaker sound system built in. Plus, this is the first model that comes with an optional nano-texture coating on the glass, which makes it more glare-resistant for an extra fee.
Of course, it's not a perfect computer. There's no option to adjust the height of the display or order it with a VESA mount, so extraordinarily tall or short folks may need to awkwardly rearrange their desk to get it seated in a comfortable position. And there's no HDR support and no option to get it with a touchscreen or an OLED/mini-LED screen, which handicaps that luscious 24-inch 4.5K display.
But none of those flaws keep it from being the best student computer for most folks on the market.
Read our full Apple iMac M4 review.
The best Windows student computer
For students who prefer (or require) Windows but are fans of the iMac setup, look no further than the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27. Truly, this is the "iMac killer," and when it comes with a built-in Qi phone charger in its base, you know it has the best interest for students in mind.
The all-in-one PC comes with everything you need right out of the box, and that includes an impressive wireless keyboard with satisfying clicks (number pad included, by the way). Its mouse could use a little work, since it's a battery-powered peripheral that relies on a USB dongle plugged into the Yoga’s base, but at least it lasts 12 months and is highly responsive.
With its 27-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS display, you can expect crisp, colorful visuals no matter what you view, and that includes gaming. Yes, the Yoga AIO 27 can play titles, albeit more less-demanding PC games. It shows the power of the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU it comes packed with (at its higher configurations), and that punchy performance will blaze through workloads when studying or working on a project.
Impressively, the Yoga AIO 27's display can also be adjusted 90 degrees to transform into a vertical powerhouse, which makes it versatile for different areas of study. The icing on the cake is that it's a stunner in any desk setup.
It's not perfect, as the screen's brightness is slightly dimmer than its competition, the 5MP webcam won't do you justice when on video calls and you can't adjust the height as much as you'd want. Regardless, when it comes to delivering Windows at its finest, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better all-in-one PC at this price, and that's an important factor for students.
Read our full Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 review.
The best MacBook for students
This one isn't just the best laptop for most, as the latest M4 MacBook Air solidifies its position as the top recommendation for college students by offering enhanced performance at a more accessible price point—$100/£100 cheaper than its predecessor.
It retains the premium, durable aluminum unibody design (now available in a striking new blue), and its slim 0.44-inch profile and light 2.7-pound weight make it exceptionally portable for tasking around to classes.
Under the hood, the M4 chip builds upon the impressive capabilities of the M3, delivering dramatically improved app loading speeds, smoother multitasking, and enhanced graphical power.
Whether you're juggling assignments in Pages and Chrome or tackling intensive creative work like 4K editing in Premiere Pro, the M4 MacBook Air handles it all with ease, beautifully rendered on its bright and color-accurate Liquid Retina display.
Read our full Apple MacBook Air M4 review.
The best Windows laptop for students
The Dell XPS 14 (2026) is a magnificent return to form for the iconic laptop line. The new design is sleek and reminiscent of a MacBook, featuring a lighter, CNC-machined aluminum chassis with softer, rounded corners. Dell brought back physical function keys and implemented a haptic trackpad with tactile etching to define its boundaries.
Beyond the aesthetic and functional improvements, the laptop packs a stunning (2880 x 1800) InfinityEdge tandem OLED touch display, which provides incredible contrast, vivid colors, and vibrant HDR performance.
Performance is equally impressive, powered by Intel’s Panther Lake architecture. This chip delivers strong performance for both daily work and, surprisingly for a laptop with integrated graphics, even gaming. You get the best of both worlds here.
However, the XPS 14 does come with a couple of trade-offs: the screen size has slightly shrunk from 14.5 inches to a standard 14.0-inch panel, making it feel less spacious. Additionally, professional users will note the absence of a microSD card slot, meaning expandable storage is entirely dependent on the three Thunderbolt 4 ports. The laptop is also admittedly pricey.
Despite some drawbacks, the positives far outweigh the negatives. By scrapping the controversial "Premium" branding and concentrating on functional excellence and a premium build, Dell has successfully created one of the best Windows laptops currently available on the market. It’s also an excellent student laptop for those who want a machine that can do it all.
Read our full Dell XPS 14 (2026) review.
The best gaming computer for students
The Alienware Aurora R16 ($1,749 to start) is still a very competent computer in the company's line of Aurora gaming PCs, though you could be forgiven for not initially recognizing this rig as a gaming machine.
Unlike its predecessor, the Alienware Aurora R15, which sports an ultra-futuristic design that screams "gaming PC," the Aurora R16's Legend 3.0 design is decidedly subdued. Minor flourishes aside, this Alienware desktop wouldn't look out of place in an office.
While it may not look flashy, it's got power where it counts since you can configure this rig with the latest Intel processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs (not everyone needs a very pricey RTX 50-series GPU). And all that power won't cause the Aurora R16 to melt thanks to its advanced cooling tech that keeps the PC running cool and quiet.
Read our full Alienware Aurora R16 review.
The best mini PC for students
Mini PCs are on trend, and I can see why with the Mac mini M4. Not only is this small powerhouse the cheapest of Apple's Mac lineup, but for students who just want a neat, compact and lightweight computer on their desk, especially if they already have a monitor and other PC peripherals, it offers just the solution.
It's everything we loved about the Mac mini with M2, but now it's faster thanks to the addition of Apple's custom M4 chip. You'll even be playing games, multitasking while studying and editing photos and videos with this small beast.
For most schoolwork, the Mac mini M4 should be more than capable enough. Of course, you'll need to hook it up to your own monitor, keyboard and mouse, but that's par for the course when purchasing PCs. Plus, it gives you freedom of selection to choose your add-ons of choice, thanks to its many ports. Just be aware this mini PC isn't upgradeable, so the configuration you get is the one that stays.
Read our full Mac mini M4 review.
The best computer for DIYers
The Raspberry Pi ushered in a new era of DIY tech, and the $35-$55 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B pushes that to new heights with a more powerful processor, 4K video output and an improved part selection. While this incredibly affordable DIY PC is powerful enough to work as a standalone PC in a pinch if you want to install Windows on it, that's not really the ideal way to use this computer.
Instead, the Raspberry Pi 4's real value for students lies in how many projects you can build with it. While it's nothing more than a fancy circuit board out of the box, once you kit it out with a power supply, monitor(s), and whatever input devices you prefer, you can turn it into everything from a tiny PC to a web server to a home media center or a retro gaming machine.
If you want a ready-made PC for homework and papers you'd be better off with another PC on this list, but if you want a cute little DIY PC board you can use for all sorts of cool student projects, you can't go wrong with the Raspberry Pi.
Read our full Raspberry Pi 4 Model B review.
How we test the best student computers
As we test and review all sorts of computers — such as best all-in-one computers, best gaming PC and best mini PCs — we run a series of standardized tests to measure how each machine performs, what it's best suited to and what sort of capability you get for the price.
These standard tests include generalized performance benchmark tests, like Geekbench 6 (for processor performance), 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (for graphics) and a custom file transfer test to measure hard drive performance.
Gaming-oriented benchmarks test the performance of systems using current games, measuring the frame rates each desktop will produce in games like Tomb Raider, Doom: The Dark Ages, Red Dead Redemption 2 and more. We'll also run individual game tests and the SteamVR performance test to evaluate how well-suited they are to the unique demands of virtual reality.
Most importantly, we spend a ton of time simply using each desktop computer for everyday activities. We watch movies, do work, play games and blast music on the speakers, all to get a better sense of which ones are worth your money.
