The best laptops for students in Australia (uni and high school)
The best laptops for university and high school students in Australia, from MacBook Air to Windows laptops and Chromebooks, with today's prices and what each course actually needs.
In this guide
A student laptop has a hard life: carried everywhere, used all day, expected to last a whole degree. That makes battery life, weight and durability more important than raw power for most students. Here's what to buy, with today's prices from Australian stores.
What students actually need
- 16GB of memory. The single most important spec for a laptop you'll keep for three or four years.
- All-day battery. Look for chips known for efficiency: Apple's M-series, Snapdragon X, and Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen AI "U" or low-power chips.
- Under about 1.5kg if you'll carry it every day.
- 512GB of storage, unless you live in the cloud.
- A good keyboard and screen. You'll type thousands of words on it. Try one in store if you can.
Check your course first: some engineering, architecture and design courses need Windows software or a dedicated graphics card, and some schools specify a device.
The best MacBook for students
The MacBook Air is the easiest recommendation for most students: silent, light, excellent battery life and a great screen. This configuration has the 16GB and 512GB we'd want for a whole degree.
- 1Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) 16GB RAM · 512GB5 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$1,747
- 2
Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5) 16GB RAM · 512GB6 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$2,047 - 3
Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) 16GB RAM · 1TB5 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$2,049 - 4
Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5) 16GB RAM · 1TB5 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$2,373.27 - 5
Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) 24GB RAM · 1TB5 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$2,497 - 6
Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5) 24GB RAM · 1TB5 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$2,797
Apple runs an education store with student pricing, and usually a back-to-school promotion early in the year. Compare that with the retailer prices above, which are often lower anyway.
The best Windows laptops for students
Thin-and-light Windows laptops with 16GB of memory, sold by several Australian stores:
- 1
ASUS ExpertBook B3 16in WUXGA Intel Ultra 7-255H 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P AI Laptop4 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,669 - 2
ASUS Vivobook 16 16in WUXGA Ryzen AI 5 330 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,099 - 3
ASUS Vivobook 16 16in FHD OLED Ryzen 7 170 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Cool Silver3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,279 - 4
Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 9 16in WUXGA Intel Core 5 210H 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,399 - 5
Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 9 16in WUXGA Intel Core 7 240H 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop3 stores · cheapest at PLE Computersfrom$1,599 - 6
ASUS Vivobook Go 15 15.6in FHD AMD Mendocino R5 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,299 - 7
ASUS Vivobook S14 14in WUXGA OLED Ryzen 7 260 1TB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Matte Grey3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,249 - 8
ASUS Vivobook S14 14in WUXGA OLED Ultra 7 255H 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,699 - 9
ASUS Zenbook 14 UM3406GA 14in WUXGA OLED Ryzen AI 7 445 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,699 - 10
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 14in WUXGA Touch Ultra 5-225U 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11P Laptop 1YOS3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,789
For engineering, design and gaming
If your course needs a dedicated graphics card (3D modelling, CAD, video editing), or you want to game, look for an RTX graphics card. These are heavier and the battery lasts less:
- 1
Acer Aspire 7 15.6-inch i7-13620H/16GB/512GB/RTX3050 6GB Gaming Laptop2 stores · cheapest at Harvey Normanfrom$1,198 - 2
Acer Nitro V 15.6-inch Intel Core 5-210H/16GB/512GB SSD/RTX4050 Gaming Laptop2 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$1,298 - 3
ASUS Vivobook 16X 16in WUXGA 144Hz i5-13420H RTX 3050 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Laptop - Indie Black2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,299 - 4
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 15.6in FHD Ryzen 7 8845H RTX 3050 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Gaming Laptop - Graphite Black2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,399 - 5
ASUS TUF Gaming F16 16in FHD+ IPS Intel Core 5 RTX 4050 512GB SSD 16GB RAM W11H Gaming Laptop2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,549 - 6
Lenovo LOQ 15.6" i5 16GB 512GB RTX 3050 6GB Gaming Laptop2 stores · cheapest at The Good Guysfrom$1,694
More in the best gaming laptops.
On a tight budget
If the budget is under $1,000, read the best laptops under $1,000. The short version: insist on 16GB, or choose a Chromebook if the school allows it.
When to buy
The back-to-school period (January and February) and the end of financial year (June) bring the best student laptop deals. See the best time to buy, and where to buy a laptop for which store is cheapest.
