On a budget? Here’s the best college laptops under $1,000, according to a laptop expert

The best college laptops under $1,000 deliver a lot more value for your money than you think. Yes, laptop market is flooded with cheap machines, but trust me, most of them will disappoint you — except for three sub-$1,000 laptops we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing this year.

Don’t make the mistake of blindly purchasing a laptop without gathering knowledge and information from a laptop expert (like myself). I have the performance numbers, battery life figures, and other useful benchmarks that helped me curate a list of the best college laptops under $1,000.

Without further ado, here are the best cheap laptops I’d recommend for college students.

3 reasons why MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M is the best college laptop under $1K

I understand that MSI isn’t as well known of a brand as Dell, Lenovo or Apple, but for the love of all things holy, don’t let brand loyalty yank you away from one of the best sub-$1,000 Laptop Mag has ever tested: the Prestige 13 Evo A13M.

This 13-inch laptop earned four stars (out of five) in our review for three of the following reasons:

1. It has excellent battery life

MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M review

MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M (Image credit: Future)

For context, the average laptop lasts between 9 and 10 hours on a single charge. The MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M, on the other hand, lasted 12 hours and three minutes on the Laptop Mag battery life test. That’s over two hours compared to a typical mainstream laptop. As such, the MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M should last while you’re hopping from one class to another, and you won’t even need to take out your charging cable the entire day.

2. It’s impressively lightweight

You don’t have to worry about the MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M adding much weight to your bag. This 13-inch laptop weighs only 2.2 pounds, so you’ll barely feel a thing after dropping it into your favorite laptop bag. Lugging around a heavy laptop can be a pain in the rear, but MSI engineered a powerful laptop that still manages to have a featherweight heft and a compact chassis.

3. It has a comfortable, clicky keyboard

MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M review

MSI Prestige 13 Evo A13M (Image credit: Future)

When it comes to sub-$1,000 laptops, manufacturers typically don’t give the keyboard enough love. They usually feel cheap, plasticky, mushy, and don’t deliver much tactile feedback. However, the Prestige 13 Evo A13M is surprisingly clicky and offered just enough travel. The touchpad is decent, too.


Where to buy? The MSI Prestige Evo A13M has a starting price of $949 at Best Buy


3 reasons why Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is the best college laptop under $1K

I’m typically not a fan of Chromebooks for no reason other than the fact that I’m accustomed to Windows and macOS. However, one particular Chromebook changed my mind about Chrome OS machines: the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. (Seriously, I wrote a whole op-ed called, “I’m a laptop reviewer who hates Chromebooks, but this one changed my mind.

This Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is not only one of the best Chromebooks I’ve ever tested, but it’s also one of the best 2-in-1s I’ve ever reviewed. For the uninitiated, a 2-in-1 laptop can transform from the traditional clamshell posture to several other modes, including tent and tablet.

Of course, that’s not the only thing that impressed me about the Chromebook Spin 714.

1. It has a 1440p webcam

Laptop webcams are typically terrible. As a laptop reviewer, I’ve been seeing laptops with 720p and 1080p shooters, and, unfortunately, they make you look like a noise-filled blob during video calls. To my surprise, despite being a sub-$700 laptop, the Chromebook Spin 714 sports a 1440p webcam that’s quite decent at rendering colors and illuminating your appearance.

2. Almost 13 hours of battery life

Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (Image credit: Future)

I wrote a whole article about how Chromebooks have a reputation of having long battery life, but in my experience, their runtimes are typically middle-of-the-road, which is disappointing, However, this Chromebook Spin 714 has bucked the trend. It lasted 12 hour and 43 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, which is impressive for a sub-$700 laptop.

3. Decent keyboard

Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (Image credit: Future)

The keyboard on the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 doesn’t match my favorite keyboards of all time (e.g. HP Envy 13), but it’s actually really good for a budget-friendly laptop. It’s clicky and it doesn’t feel as mushy as I expected it to be, so your fingers will be flying as you try to dive into a note-taking flow during your classes.


Where to buy? The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is $569.99 at Best Buy


3 reasons why Asus Zenbook 14 is the best college laptop under $1K

The Asus Zenbook 14 is so impressive, I was shocked to find out that it has an MSRP of less than $800. It has a stylish, sturdy chassis, decent battery life, a portable and compact form factor, and a cool touchpad that doubles as a numpad. What’s not to love?

1. It’s packed with high-value specs for a low price.

Asus Zenbook 14

Asus Zenbook 14 (Image credit: Future)

Laptops in this price range typically have a 60Hz display, lack biometric authentication, and deliver poor performance. However, the Zenbook 14 defies the odds. It has a 90Hz display, which means you’ll get smoother scrolling, a faster response time and less eye strain. (You’re a college student, so you’ll be spending a lot of time staring at your display, and the last thing you want is eye strain.) It also has a fingerprint scanner and sufficient performance for a student.

2. The touchpad is also a digital numeric keypad. 

The touchpad is a touchpad — until you tap on a button to turn on the digital numpad. This feature is ideal for math or accounting majors who need access to a numpad to make calculations. You can also quick-launch the Calculator app from the touchpad, too.

Asus Zenbook 14

Asus Zenbook 14 (Image credit: Future)

3. It has a sick design.

The Asus ZenBook 14 has the most attractive design I’ve ever seen on a laptop this year. According to Asus, the design is inspired by a Japanese art style called Kintsugi, which is all about capturing the beauty of mending broken objects back together. It also emanates a gorgeous Ponder Blue color that will turn heads in the classroom.


Where to buy: The Asus Zenbook 14 is $749.99 at Best Buy.


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