Best Graduate Laptops

14 Jun 2022, by Danielle Slauter, min. read

Higher education calls for a serious laptop.

If you’ve made the big decision to go to grad school after graduating college and getting your degree (congratulations!), you might be looking at some of your old stuff from your years as an undergrad and might be wondering if it’s time for an upgrade.

You’re going to be in a more specialized field, so it’s only natural that your laptop that contains your entire academic life on it gets a little more technical, too. That’s why we’re rounded up some of the best graduate laptops available. Use your Student Beans discount to save while you shop, too!

What To Look For In A Graduate Laptop

While everyone’s preferences will be a bit different when it comes to picking out their graduate school laptop, here are a few key things you’re going to want to keep in mind while you shop:

Screen: Regardless of what you’re studying, most of your time is going to be spent staring at your laptop. This is where a majority of your budget should go, so just make sure you get exactly what you want. While you don’t need 4K, be sure to get something with a minimum 1080p display.
Keyboard: The only way to really get a feel for the keyboard is to get your hands on it. If possible, physically type a bit on it to see if you like the layout or not.
Battery Life: It can be tempting to buy a laptop that boasts a long battery life, but what’s more important is the battery itself. Don’t get a laptop with less than a 35 Wh battery capacity unless you want to have to charge it every few hours.
CPU & RAM: This is another big factor that’s largely dependent on what you’re going to be studying. If you’re going to be doing complicated math or rendering large video files, opt for something on the higher end for CPU—everything else will be fine. The general rule for RAM is more = better, so purchase what’s within your budget.

Best Grad School Laptop For Film School & Audio Production

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo OLED — $1979.88

ASUS really went all out for creatives when they designed the ZenBook Pro Duo OLED. The primary display is gorgeous thanks to the OLED screen, but they went a step further by adding in a secondary touch screen, located just above the keyboard. While it might seem like a gimmick, it’s seriously worth your attention.

The primary screen has a 4K resolution, meaning you’ll have a cinema-quality piece of tech to edit on. This is the perfect choice for photographers, programmers, video editors, musicians, animators, and even if you’re planning on going into video game streaming.

Asus ZenBook ProDuo laptop
Stand
Stylus
Palmrest

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: ‎32 GB DDR4
Processor: ‎2.1 GHz core i9
Storage: 2000 GB flash memory solid state
Screen resolution: 3840 x 2160
Screen size: 15.6-inches
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 5 hours
Battery type: Lithium ion
Audio connections: Built-in speaker
Webcam: HD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello
Colors: Celestial Blue

Pros

Dual screen is a game-changer
300Hz refresh rate
Anti-glare coating

Cons

Unique keyboard layout may be an issue
Average battery life
Heavy

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Best Grad School Laptop For Graphic Design

Apple MacBook Pro — $1999.00

The classic. What can we say about the Apple MacBook that hasn’t already been said? The M1 processor has been dubbed the piece of tech that’s ushering in the golden age of Apple products due to the superior quality. And of course we all know the Apple is a master of sleek and effortless design, especially with regards to the MacBook.

But inside the laptop is what’s seriously impressive. The 58.2 Wh of battery life means you can work a full day without having to charge, boasting up to 20 hours of battery life. The standard model comes with 8GB RAM, but upgrade to the 16GB if your budget allows—it will really make a difference.

What’s in the box

MacBook Pro
USB-C charging cable
61W USB-C Power Adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: iOS
RAM: 8GB
Processor: 8-core GPU
Storage: 256GB
Screen resolution: 1680 x 1050
Screen size: 13.3-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 20 hours
Battery type: 58.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
Audio connections: Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD camera
Colors: Space gray or silver

Pros

Insanely fast
Beautiful display
Brilliant speakers

Cons

Touch bar is annoying

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Best Grad School Laptop For Business Majors

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 — $1589.00

Lenovo’s ThinkPad series has been a mainstay in the business world for years now, and for good reason—they’re serious powerhouses, inside and out. The tough exterior shell means you don’t have to worry if you drop it, but the inside boasts impressive stats as well.

With 8, 16, 24, or 32GB RAM, you can customize this laptop to fit your needs exactly. While the base model only comes with 300 nits of brightness, you can upgrade to the 500 nits version for a screen that will offer peak brightness and display. It also includes WiFi 6 for fast Internet connections. This is the laptop to get if you want one that will last for years to come.

What’s in the box

Lenovo ThinkPad P15
AC adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 10 Pro 64
RAM: 16 GB DDR4 2933MHz
Processor: 10^th Generation Intel^® Core™ i7-10850H Processor with vPro^®
Storage: 1 TB PCIe SSD
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 16.4 hours
Audio connections: 2 x 2W stereo speakers
Webcam: 720p HD
Colors: Black

Pros

94 Wh battery
Solid battery life
Military grade durability

Cons

Upgrades necessary for peak performance

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Best Grad School Laptop For Computer Science

HP 15 ENVY — $1549.99

Computer science majors need a powerful CPU, and the HP 15 ENVY delivers incredible processing speed. 12GB of RAM also means you can have multiple applications open without fear of slowing down. And if you really need more, there’s even a built-in hard drive for extra memory.

The display is very clear and easy to see at a distance, and the touchpad is super responsive as well. A backlit keyboard means you can easily work at night (we know you’ll still be pulling late-night cram sessions, even in graduate school), and the layout feels perfect under your fingertips.

What’s in the box

HP 15 ENVY
Charging cable

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11 Home
RAM: 16 GB DDR4-3200 MHz
Processor: Intel Core i7
Storage: 512 GB Intel® PCIe® NVMe™ M.2
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 8.5 hours
Battery type: 83 Wh Li-ion polymer
Audio connections: Audio by Bang & Olufsen; Dual speakers
Webcam: HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera with camera shutter
Colors: Natural Silver Aluminum

Pros

Unrivaled computing power
Fingerprint sensor
Great keyboard feel

Cons

Small number of ports
Lower battery life

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Best Grad School Laptop For Engineering

HP ZBook Firefly 15 — $1449.00

The HP ZBook Firefly has a wide range of features and budgets to choose from, but we personally like the Firefly 15. The solid build can handle a wide array of tasks without completely killing your bank account in the process. It’s a great all-around laptop, but engineering students will like the level of customization they can input into this laptop.

While there’s plenty of ways to rig this laptop, here’s what we recommend: 16GB RAM, 512GB of NVMe SSD, and a 10th generation Intel CPU. The display isn’t good enough to support gaming, but it’s perfect for students planning on studying physics, engineering, math, and plenty more.

What’s in the box

HP ZBook Firefly 15
Charging cable

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
RAM: 16 GB DDR4-3200 MHz
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
Storage: 512 GB PCIe® NVMe™ TLC M.2 SSD
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 14 hours
Battery type: 56 Wh Li-ion polymer
Audio connections: Audio by Bang & Olufsen, dual stereo speakers
Webcam: 720p HD privacy camera
Colors: Silver

Pros

Good battery life
Incredible speed and power

Cons

Windows 10 pre-installed instead of Windows 11
Average display

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Best Grad School Laptop For Finance

Dell Precision 5560 Mobile Workstation — $1789.00

Dell’s line of Workstation laptops are able to handle just about any kind of workload you throw at it, and the Precision 5560 is no exception. The slim design won’t weigh you down, even with solid performance features, which is good to know if you’re going to be traveling back and forth between campus.

There’s a huge array of configurations to choose from, allowing you to fully customize whatever kind of laptop you need for your post-graduate finance studies. Even if you opt for the lower end of the specs, you’ll still come out with 8GB RAM, a 10th generation Intel i5 processor and a high quality 1920 x 1200 display.

What’s in the box

Dell Precision 5560 Mobile Workstation laptop
Charging cable

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: 8 GB, 1 x 8 GB, DDR4, 3200MHz, Non-ECC, SODIMM
Processor: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11500H, vPro®
Storage: 256 GB, M.2 2230, Gen 3 PCIe x4 NVMe
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1200
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 10 hours
Battery type: 56 Wh, Lithium Ion, ExpressCharge™ Capable
Webcam: Windows Hello IR Camera
Colors: Charcoal gray

Pros

Excellent performance
Slim design

Cons

No OLED

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Best Grad School Laptop For English & Creative Writing

Microsoft Surface Pro X — $699.99

Versatile and equipped with its own processor (the Microsoft SQ 1 and SQ 2), the Microsoft Surface Pro X is a great iteration of the Surface Pro series. While it might seem like a good choice for more hands-on studies (like graphic design), it’s actually a fantastic choice for english and creative writing studies.

Thanks to the Surface Pro X’s integration with the Surface Pro Pen, you’ll be able to jot down notes and ideas at a moment’s notice, which is an essential for writers everywhere. The battery also allows for a full day’s work without needing an additional charge—you never know when inspiration will strike.