With the best MacBook for students, you'll be ready for whatever challenges your studies have in store. Apple's MacBook range includes options for students of all stripes, whether you're typing out essays, rendering complex 3D design projects, or editing high-resolution video.
Currently, our top pick for students is the MacBook Air 15, which for us provides the optimal balance between portability, computing power and value for money. We've included several alternatives if it doesn't fit the bill for you, including cheaper options as well as even more powerful machines. We've tested and reviewed all the products on this list, and are only recommending products we feel are worth their price tags.
If you want to consider non-Apple alternatives, check out our general guide to the best student laptops. And if you do decide on a MacBook for your studies, make sure you don't miss out on your Apple student discount.
We think the latest MacBook Air 15 provides the perfect balance for most students. It's fairly light for a 15-inch laptop while still providing plenty of space to work on, and it also gets a boost in performance over previous models thanks to the M3 chip. Read more below
This is our top pick for the best balance between price, power and portability. The sleek and compact MacBook Air M2 is at great price following the release of the new M3 model, but it can handle most students' need with ease. Read more below
For students that need to run demanding creative software, the M3 Pro MacBook Pro is a deam. We found it to run smooth even for heavy video editing and motion work, and battery life is outstanding. Read more below
For a more portable Pro that's more comfortable to carry in a backpack, the 14-inch M3 Pro model is just as powerful as its larger sibling. Read more below
This isn't a MacBook, but this compact desktop computer is a great value alternative and ideal for those who want to pick a larger screen to work on. Read more below
The best MacBook for students in full
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The best MacBook for students overall
(Image credit: Ian Evenden)
01. MacBook Air 15 (M3, 2024)
The best MacBook for a balance of price, size and power
Our expert review:
Specifications
CPU: Apple M3, eight cores
Graphics: Integrated, 10 cores
RAM: 8-24GB
Screen: 15.3in 2880x1864 pixels Liquid Retina IPS
Storage: 256GB-2TB
Reasons to buy
+
Light for a 15in laptop
+
Faster performance with M3 chip
+
Silent fanless running
Reasons to avoid
-
MacBook Pros offer more power
Buy it if
✅ You want portability and flexibility: With a light build and long battery life, the MacBook Air 15 is brilliant for working on the go.
✅ You prefer a larger working area: A 15-inch laptop's extra room makes it so much more comfortable to use and type on.
✅ You want fast, silent, dependable performance: Apple's M3 chip uses passive cooling, meaning the Air runs totally silently.
Don't buy it if
❌ You need ultra-high performance: While the M3 chip in the Air 15 is powerful, it doesn't meet the MacBook Pro or Mac Studio series.
❌ You're on a strict budget: The MacBook Air 15 isn't the priciest MacBook, but you're looking at a four-figure price.
❌ You're into high-intensity gaming: The passively cooled M3 chip will throttle to avoid overheating if necessary.
The bottom line
🔎 MacBook Air 15 (M3, 2024): For most creative courses, especially those involving 2D design, we think the latest Air is the sensible buy for the price. Those with more specific demands: students working in video editing, motion design or 3D, for example, should consider a MacBook Pro if their budget reaches. ★★★★½
What you need to know
Our top pick for students who need a versatile laptop for general productivity and possibly light creative work is the latest MacBook Air 15 with Apple's M3 chip. It's cheaper than a MacBook Pro, but more powerful than previous Airs. With a 15in display, it also provides plenty of work space while still being relatively light thanks to the fanless design. It works via passive cooling, which means there's no whirring noise – though does mean that if it is in danger of overheating, it'll throttle performance instead.
Design: The larger size of the MacBook Air 15 meant our reviewer could actually use it on his lap without feeling his wrists were going to fall off the sides, and the trackpad is large enough to use comfortably. As for ports, there are two USB-C, which include Thunderbolt 3, plus a MagSafe charging port, so there are plenty of options for charging and attaching adapters and USB-C peripherals, including tablet chargers.
Performance: Our benchmark test results showed the chip performed on a par with CPUs like Intel i9s and AMD Ryzen 7 chips without needing the cooling fans of a PC, so while the integrated GPU can’t reach the highs of a separate Nvidia chip, it can handle demanding creative programs well, and you can take memory up as high as 24GB. We had no problem editing large batches of RAW photos on our review model, which came with 16GB.
Battery life: Apple claims a battery life of up to 18 hours for the MacBook Air M3, though that's naturally a best-case scenario. We put it through the rigamarole of daily usage, editing in Affinity Photo, drawing in Affinity Designer, browsing the web, working on Google Docs/Sheets and playing a bit of Stardew Valley. It performed brilliantly, effectively lasting for two working days.
Price: The MacBook Air M3 is relatively affordable in MacBook terms, which means it's still pretty pricey by regular standards. The ticket price of the basic 15-inch model we tested, with a 500GB SSD and 16GB of RAM, is £1,499. You may find it for a little less than that if you shop around.
New, so still fairly pricey, though offers a lot for it.
★★★★½
Design
Slim and sleek, with plenty of ports.
★★★★★
Performance
Did brilliantly in our tests, but throttles if too hot.
★★★★½
Battery life
Exceptional. It just goes and goes.
★★★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Ian Evenden
As long as you don’t mind paying £1,499 or more for a laptop without a separate GPU chip, the M3 Air remains an extremely good way to get excellent portability, battery life, and processing capabilities all in one package.
A great value balance of power, portability and price
Our expert review:
Specifications
CPU: Apple M2
Graphics: 8- to 10-core GPU
RAM: 8GB-16GB
Screen: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
Storage: Up to 2TB
Reasons to buy
+
M2 processor
+
Light and compact
+
1080p webcam
Reasons to avoid
-
GPU not as powerful as on MacBook Pros
Buy it if
✅ You want great performance on a budget: With its price dropping thanks to the release of the M3 series, the MacBook Air M2 is a better deal than ever.
✅ You're often on video: The MacBook Air M2 has an excellent webcam, meaning it's great for those whose courses involve a lot of video calls.
✅ You want plenty of battery life: It's not as long-lasting as the M3, but the MacBook Air M2 does well in battery terms.
Don't buy it if
❌ You want the latest standards of performance: The MacBook Air M2 uses an older generation of Apple-made chips.
❌ You want lots of ports: It has just two Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
❌ You want to play the latest games at high frame rates: While the MacBook Air M2 is solid for gaming, it gets warm and throttles under pressure.
The bottom line
🔎 MacBook Air (M2, 2022) was a brilliant laptop when it was released, and time has been kind to it thanks to some tempting price drops. In terms of the performance you get for your buck, it's arguably unbeaten right now, with a beautiful display and excellent webcam to boot. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
If you're on a tighter budget, our pick as the best value MacBook for students is the M2 MacBook Air. This laptop has recently been superseded by a new M3 model for 2024, and Apple's dropped the price of this 2022 model as a result. Considering that the M3 version is a relatively iterative upgrade with no major changes in design, we think this is the one to go for if you're on a budget. You can get it for a three-figure sum these days, which sets it apart from the other MacBooks on this list.
Design: It's light and compact, making it ideal for carrying to class or to the library in a bag. We found the screen to be accurate and bright enough to cope with working under bright lights that cause reflections. Some users may find it a bit light in terms of ports, however, with just a couple of Thunderbolt 3 (not Thunderbolt 4) ports on the side, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Performance: We found that it could handle many creative software programs with ease, including Photoshop, and light video editing, especially the 16GB configuration. Realistically, it's going to be more than adequate for all but the most intense workloads. We also found that the 1080p webcam gives a good picture for video calls, which can be handy for online classes.
Battery life: The battery life was also very good in our tests, giving us 16 hours of video playback on a charge. That's less that a MacBook Pro (see below) but still more than many Windows laptops.
Price: In our initial review, we were quite critical of the MacBook Air M2 on price, suggesting the M1 as a better choice for those on a budget. Well, time marches on, and now the Air M2 is looking like something of a bargain next to the newer, pricier M3. You can get one for $749 / £899, and at that price it's a steal.
The MacBook Air M2's design is thin, light and looks fantastic, and the larger, brighter, screen will be welcomed by anyone looking to use this laptop for creative work. The improved webcam is also great for people who need to make a lot of video calls.
A powerful MacBook for students on creative courses
Our expert review:
Specifications
CPU: Apple M3 Pro or M3 Max
Graphics: Integrated 16- to 32-core GPU
RAM: Up to 64GB
Screen: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
Storage: Up to 8TB
Reasons to buy
+
Solid, reliable build quality
+
Excellent performance
+
Great battery life
Reasons to avoid
-
The most expensive MacBook
Buy it if
✅ You demand the ultimate in performance: The MacBook Pro M3 achieved scores in our benchmark tests on par with desktop machines.
✅ You're working with video: Able to handle complex editing tasks, the MacBook Pro M3 also features an HDMI port.
✅ You want to customize: You can configure the RAM, CPU and GPU of the MacBook Pro M3 when you buy it.
Don't buy it if
❌ You're on a budget: Even in its most 'basic' configuration, this is not a cheap machine.
❌ You want something lightweight: While more portable than a desktop computer, the MacBook Pro M3 is still on the heavy side.
❌ You don't genuinely need what it's offering: If you aren't using all those cores, there's no sense in buying a computer that's this specced out.
The bottom line
🔎 MacBook Pro M3 is a genuine step up over previous MacBook Pro models, offering the best performance yet and a beautiful display in a relatively sleek package. For those who need what it's offering, it's quite something. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
If you need to use power-hungry software like After Effects, Premiere Pro or Davinci Resolve, you might find it worth investing in the more powerful MacBook Pro line. And there is no laptop more powerful or capable than the new MacBook Pro M3, with the latest-gen chipset stepping things up even further from the already-massive power of the M2 Pro. It can be configured with additional CPU cores, GPU cores, RAM and storage – though of course, the more you add, the more you're going to pay.
Design: The mini-LED true HDR display with 1,600-nit peak brightness is a joy for creative work. You can also configure it up to 96GB of memory, up to 8TB of storage. All this is overkill, of course, if you just want a MacBook for surfing the web and keeping up with your emails. And for that use, this is a large and weighty option.
Performance: We found that this laptop can make smooth work of even the most demanding graphic design, animation, video editing or 3D modelling tasks. In our tests, we edited 8K video in Final Cut Pro in a project with colour correction and up to five videos playing simultaneously at moments, and we didn't experience a single glitch or hold-up.
Battery life: The 16-inch MacBook Pro also boasts the best battery life of any MacBook. Apple says that you should get around 14 hours of web browsing from a charge, but we've seen more like 17 hours for basic online work.
Price: Yes, it's expensive, and if you configure it with the most powerful components, it only gets more so.Prices start at around $2,499 / £2,699. But, well, if you need this level of performance, that's what it costs. For those who need everything it offers, the MacBook Pro M3 does represent value for money.
The Macbook Pro M3 Max takes a significant step up over its older siblings, with a large leap in performance, and a beautiful display in a sleek package. With up to 128GB RAM, 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, there is an option for even the most performance-hungry user.
The best smaller MacBook for students on creative courses
Our expert review:
Specifications
CPU: Apple M2 Pro 10-core – M1 Max 12-core
Graphics: Integrated 14- to 32-core GPU
RAM: Up to 64GB
Screen: 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
Storage: Up to 8TB
Reasons to buy
+
Matches the performance of the larger 14in above
+
More portable and the 16-inch device
+
Fantastic compact build
Reasons to avoid
-
May be too small for some working with visuals
Buy it if
✅ You want high-level performance: Sure, this is a last-generation laptop, but its impressive speeds are more than sufficient.
✅ You don't have the budget for the M3: Since the newer MacBook Pro M3 series, the M2 laptops have seen price reductions.
✅ You like the Touch Bar: With the release of the MacBook Pro M3, Apple retired the divisive Touch Bar, which some users preferred.
Don't buy it if
❌ You don't need high performance: This is a MacBook for heavy-duty tasks like 8K video editing and 3D design.
❌ You want something that runs silently: Fan noise will kick in once you put the MacBook Pro M2 through its paces.
❌ You're on a budget: Even with price reductions, this is likely a four-figure commitment.
The bottom line
🔎 MacBook Pro M2 was great in 2023 and is great today. Unless you really need the extra performance offered by the M3 version, this is a perfectly viable option for students in a multitude of disciplines. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
If you require a powerful MacBook to run creative software, but also value portability, then the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2022) may be the best student MacBook for you. It's lighter and more compact than the 16-inch device but provides almost all of the same specs, with only battery life being slightly lower.
Design: You get the same choice of processors, same ports and same 1,600 nits of peak brightness as with the 16 incher but with a smaller screen. That makes the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2022) more comfortable for use out and about, for example in class or in a cafe. It's compact, but feels robust. It also still sports the Touch Bar, which Apple retired with the subsequent generation. A lot of users didn't like it, granted, but plenty also did. Your mileage may vary.
Performance: When we tested it, our reviewer found it performed brilliantly for everything from 3D modelling to image editing and video editing – we got instantaneous results when doing complex tasks in Cinema 4D. In our benchmark tests, it achieved the kinds. of results you'd expect from a desktop PC.
Battery life: We got an impressive 11 hours of web browsing from the battery, which isn't on par with the later models, but is still pretty good. Plus, the MagSafe connection can charge half the battery in just 30 minutes – so you won't have to hog the cafe's plug sockets for too long.
Price: It's not a cheap laptop, but the price has started to come down thanks to the release of the MacBook Pro M3. If you're on a course that demands a high-spec machine but can't stretch to the M3, this will almost certainly meet your needs for a lower outlay.
This machine, even the base model, will handle the most complex of tasks with relative ease... I personally really appreciate its overall design and the added connectivity it offers.
✅ You're on a budget: Even with the need to buy extra peripherals, this is a cheaper buy.
✅ You prefer a desktop setup: Not everyone likes working on their lap or in a cafe.
✅ You like the idea of a take-everywhere desktop: Its tiny dimensions mean it'll fit in a backpack, so you can work wherever there's a desk, a plug socket and a screen.
Don't buy it if
❌ You need to work without a power supply: Naturally, one of the key advantages of a MacBook is being able to run on battery, which the Mac mini can't do.
❌ You want an all-in-one package: The Mac mini won't do much by itself; you'll also need to pick up a monitor, keyboard and mouse.
❌ You need ultra-high performance: For a real upgrade over a MacBook, you'll want to look at an expensive Mac Studio.
The bottom line
🔎 Mac mini (M2, 2023) may be a desktop computer, but it's portable enough to be a credible MacBook alternative for students. Cheaper than a MacBook, it still offers whip-fast performance even at demanding tasks. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
We think the 2023 Mac mini makes a great value desktop MacBook alternative for students who don't need the portability of a laptop that they can take with them to class. You can get the entry-level M2 version or the M2 Pro edition with a bit more power, and it's incredibly compact for a desktop device, which makes it perfect for student digs where space may be at a premium.
Design: If you don't need portability, a Mac mini and a good external monitor can make a great setup for creative work. It's mini by name and truly mini by nature – measuring not much more in length than an iPhone 14! It may be a desktop computer, but there's no reason you can't sling the Mac mini in a backpack and take it on the go with you, meaning you can happily work anywhere there's a flat surface, a plug socket and a monitor. You get plenty of ports as well. Some more color-ways might not have gone amiss, but otherwise it's hard to fault.
Performance: We tested the M2 Pro version and found that it could handle pretty much everything we demanded of it, including video editing. At one point, our reviewer was editing 8K video in Premiere Pro while also running Photoshop and Freeform and having an ungodly number of browser tabs open into the bargain. The result? Nary a stumble or a jitter. That's impressive stuff, and it's hard to think of many students whose needs that won't realistically meet.
Price: With a launch price of $599 / £649 and commanding similar prices today, this continues to be much cheaper than a MacBook with an M2 chip. Of course, the downside is that you'll need to buy peripherals separately: monitor, keyboard, mouse. Even then, you'll likely come out ahead, whether you opt for the entry level Mac mini M2, or stump up for the more powerful Pro version that we tested.
If you're after a small PC that packs a punch, the entry-level Mac mini M2 offers an impressive amount of power and truly excellent value for money, and the same can be said for the M2 Pro version if you need that extra level of performance.
The best MacBook for you will depend on your needs, budget and whether your prioritise screen space and power or portability. We've chosen the 2022 MacBook Air 13 as the best student MacBook overall because it's slim and compact, provides more than enough power for most students' needs, and the price has dropped following the release of a new M3 model in 2024. However, students with more specific requirements, such as those that need to run demanding video editing software may want to consider a MacBook Pro.
We tested all of our picks of the best MacBooks for students in hands-on reviews. When we reviewed each laptop, we performed a series of benchmark tests in order to evaluate build quality, performance, display, battery life and ergonomics. We also put each laptop through its paces in real-life situations using a range of different software applications and media.
To choose the best MacBooks for students for different needs, we compared display size and portability, the ability to run the software needed for various creative courses, the comfort of the keyboards and more.
We think that in general MacBooks are good for students, although whether a MacBook is right for you will ultimately depend on your needs, preferences and budget. In our many years of reviewing MacBooks, we've found them to almost always be well-built and among the most powerful laptops available.
MacBooks are slim and light, putting them among the most portable laptops around for each size category. This is a big advantage for students who need to carry a laptop to class or to work in a library or other location. We also find Macs, and the operating system MacOS to be intuitive, user-friendly, and reliable. That said, there are caveats. Not all programs are available for MacOS, so if you need a specific piece of software for your area of study, you should check its runs on MacOS. Macs are also not the best for gaming, although that's starting to change.
Is a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air best for students?
This depends to an extent on what you study. MacBook Airs are more affordable than MacBook Pros, and they also tend to be slightly slimmer and lighter because of their fanless design. However, they aren't quite as powerful.
We think that any MacBook Air since 2020 will be powerful enough for most students' needs, and there's really no need to consider paying more for a MacBook Pro if you're no studying on a tech-heavy subject that requires the use of demanding software. However, students studying video editing or 3D design are likely to benefit from the improved performance of the MacBook Pros in these areas.
Beren has worked on creative titles at Future Publishing for over 13 years. Cutting his teeth as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, he moved on to edit several creative titles, and is currently the Ecommerce Editor on the most effective creative website in the world. When he's not testing and reviewing the best ergonomic office chairs, phones, laptops, TVs, monitors and various types of storage, he can be found finding and comparing the best deals on the tech that creatives value the most.
