The 4 Best Student Chromebooks - Black Friday 2024

The best Chromebook for students we've tested is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024), a 2-in-1 convertible. The Spin 714 line has been around for a number of years now, and this 2024 model is an iterative update, so it's largely the same device as the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) we tested but with a couple of changes. This version has speakers on each side of the keyboard, allowing for a larger touchpad, and there's also a higher-resolution 1440p webcam. The display gets brighter to combat glare, reaching almost 400 cd/m², and it still supports pen input, though the device no longer comes with a stylus, so you must buy it separately. Unlike the 2022 model, there isn't a place to store the pen for transport.

The internals have also been updated with Intel's Meteor Lake CPUs. The base Core Ultra 5 115U model with 8GB of RAM performs well and can easily handle general productivity tasks like web browsing, text processing, and video playback. Acer had announced more powerful configurations with Core Ultra 7 CPUs, but you'll have to wait a bit as they aren't available at the time of writing. Battery life is great at around 10 hours of light use, and the laptop charges over USB-C, so you don't have to carry around a proprietary charger. Speaking of ports, you get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, a USB-A, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. Unfortunately, there's no fingerprint sensor or facial recognition camera for added security or quick logins.

Our best budget student Chromebook pick is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023). Like our top pick, it's also a 14-inch device; however, it's a traditional clamshell model, meaning you can't flip the screen and use it as a tablet. You can configure this laptop with an Intel N100, N200, or Core i3-N305 CPU. We recommend the Core i3 configuration paired with an FHD, touch-sensitive display, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, which you can regularly find on sale for around $400 to $500 USD on Lenovo's website. It has the most processing power, and its FHD display is better than the other options available, as it looks brighter and more colorful. The cheaper configurations with an Intel N100 or N200 CPU and/or 4GB of RAM are fine if you have an extremely light workload; just know that they'll get bogged down quickly when multitasking.

This laptop feels reasonably sturdy build-wise. It has Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, an excellent 1080p webcam, and a decent port selection, including two USB-As, a USB-C, and an HDMI port. The keyboard is okay; it feels spacious but mushy, and the keys require a fair amount of force to actuate, which can cause some fatigue over an extended period. Unfortunately, the touchpad is small and not always responsive. On the upside, its battery life is outstanding at around 13 hours of light use, which is more than enough to get through a typical school day.

If you want to spend as little as possible, consider the Acer Chromebook 315 (2020). It's very portable for a 15.6-inch laptop, and its battery lasts easily through a full school day with plenty to spare. It sports a full-size keyboard with a numpad, a reasonably large touchpad, a wide port selection, and a surprisingly good 720p webcam. You can choose between a 720p or a 1080p display (with or without touch input); we recommend the 1080p option, as a 720p resolution is low for a 15.6-inch screen.

Naturally, there are a couple of tradeoffs to consider, specifically the display's brightness and CPU performance. The display only gets bright enough for indoor use, and even then, you might struggle with visibility in well-lit rooms. As for the CPUs, the only available options are Intel Celeron processors that can only handle light workloads, so don't expect to do anything remotely intensive. There's no biometrics like a fingerprint sensor or facial recognition IR camera, although that's typical for a cheap laptop.

Lastly, all Chromebooks have a limited number of years of software support, and this Chromebook's end-of-life is June 2026. It'll still work after that date, though you'll miss out on important security updates and bug fixes.

If you need something compact for a younger grade-school student, check out the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022), a Chrome OS tablet with a detachable keyboard. At 10.9 inches, it's about the same size as a regular Apple iPad or iPad Air, so it fits easily into a small backpack. The keyboard comes with the device, so separately buying it is unnecessary. It isn't the most comfortable keyboard to type on; it's fine for kids who only need to type out a few words now and then but not ideal for longer school work.

This tablet sports an FHD+ display. It gets bright enough to combat glare, and unlike other similarly priced devices, it doesn't look washed out. Unfortunately, there's no headphone jack, so you'll need a USB-C audio adapter or Bluetooth headphones. As for performance, the Snapdragon SoC can handle simple tasks like web browsing and video playback; just don't expect to do any heavy multitasking. The battery life is amazing at around 14 hours of light use.