Laptops for Students

Affordable. Durable. Ready for the Classroom.

Find the right laptops for students at Island Electrical Supply. We carry budget-friendly, classroom-ready options from Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Dell built for K-12 classrooms, college students, and education IT deployments. From Chromebooks with Google Admin management to Windows-based entry-level notebooks, every laptop for students in this collection delivers reliable performance for research, writing, and classroom applications. Same-day shipping and business pricing available on every order.

Best for: K-12 schools, college students, and education IT teams deploying durable, budget-friendly laptops for classroom and coursework use.

Related Collections

Explore more laptops by brand and category:

• All Laptops: Browse our full catalog of over 800 laptops
• Chromebooks: Fast-booting, cloud-first laptops with all-day battery life
• Touchscreen Laptops: 2-in-1 convertibles for note-taking and interactive learning
• Business Laptops: Secure, manageable systems for faculty and IT departments
• Acer Laptops: Aspire and Chromebook for budget-friendly education
• Lenovo Laptops: IdeaPad and Chromebook for students and schools

How to Choose a Laptop for Students

The right laptop for students balances performance, durability, and cost. Here are the key factors to consider for education deployments and individual student use.

ChromeOS vs Windows

For K-12 classrooms that rely on Google Workspace, a Chromebook is the most practical choice: fast boot times, automatic updates, centralized management through Google Admin Console, and lower per-unit cost. For students who need desktop applications like Microsoft Office, coding environments, or specialized software, a Windows laptop provides broader application compatibility.

Durability for Classroom Use

Laptops for students take more physical abuse than any other category. Look for rubberized edges, reinforced hinges, spill-resistant keyboards, and MIL-STD-810 durability testing. Acer and Lenovo both offer education-specific models with ruggedized chassis designed to survive drops, bumps, and daily transport in backpacks.

Budget and Total Cost of Ownership

Entry-level laptops for students start under $300 for Chromebooks and under $400 for Windows models. When buying for a school or district, factor in total cost of ownership: Chromebooks typically have lower IT management costs due to Google Admin Console, while Windows laptops may require more hands-on IT support but offer broader software compatibility.

Screen Size and Battery Life

An 11-inch or 14-inch display is the most common size for student use: compact enough for small desks and backpacks, large enough for comfortable reading and writing. Battery life matters for full school days without charging. Look for models rated at 10+ hours of battery life to avoid mid-day power issues.

Processor and Memory

For web-based learning and Google Workspace, an Intel Celeron or MediaTek with 4 GB of RAM is adequate. For students running multiple applications, video editing, or coding, an Intel Core i3 with 8 GB of RAM provides noticeably smoother performance and better longevity.

Browse our full selection of laptops for students and find the right system for your classroom or campus. Same-day shipping is available on every order, and qualifying orders ship free. Need help choosing? Our team offers expert guidance and business pricing for education deployments of any size.