Some of the best Chromebooks around make ideal devices for students thanks to their affordability, compact and durable design, and reliable operating system. We’ve collected a bunch of great options from different brands ranging from compact, budget laptops to oversized desktop replacements. Whether you’re shopping for a young student with small hands or a more mature student who needs extra hardware performance and screen space for high school or college courses, these Chromebooks should be perfect when it’s time to head back to school.

Our favorite Chromebooks for students in 2023


Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook (13

Source: Lenovo

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook (13″)

Best overall

The right mix for most students

Lenovo’s 13-inch Flex 5i Chromebook really is a jack-of-all-trades, and that extends to the student life. It’s best suited for users who need a decent amount of performance as well as a larger display at 1080p.

Pros

  • High-end design and craftsmanship
  • Top-firing speakers
  • Strong Intel Core performance
Cons

  • Screen could be brighter
  • Undersized touchpad

Lenovo’s 13-inch Chromebook Flex 5i is one of our favorite laptops, especially for students who need strong performance and a durable, versatile build. Its convertible design allows for tent, stand, and tablet modes when not working in the regular notebook mode, and the plastic chassis looks and feels great no matter how you use it. The backlit keyboard is comfortable during long days of typing, and dual 2W speakers flank the keys for unmuffled sound.


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Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook

Port selection is fairly generous with dual USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm audio, and a microSD card reader, though you won’t have access to Thunderbolt performance. If more ports are needed, you can always connect to a great Chromebook dock.

The 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU combined with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and a 128GB M.2 SSD offers strong performance even while multitasking. When we tested the laptop in our Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i review, it was noted that “the Flex 5i didn’t sputter even with 25 Chrome tabs, music playing on Spotify, and a couple of Android apps open.” In addition, the 51Wh battery regularly lasts between eight and nine hours on a charge, which is enough to get through a school day without needing to search for an AC outlet.


Acer Chromebook Spin 311

Source: Acer

Acer Chromebook Spin 311

Best value

Affordable convertible Chromebook

It’s cheap, it’s small, and it’s a convertible. Younger students will get a lot out of this Chromebook, especially with a battery that won’t stop and a rugged design that can put up with life at school.

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Long battery life
  • Compact and easy to carry
Cons

  • Small screen, HD resolution
  • Limited storage capacity

Need to keep your Chromebook budget as small as possible? Acer’s Chromebook Spin 311 can be shopped for about $200, making it our best value pick and one of the best cheap Chromebooks. Of course, it can’t compete with the more expensive options when it comes to raw performance and display quality, but it can easily handle a student’s workload. It has a MediaTek octa-core MT8183 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage, with a battery that can run for up to 15 hours on a charge.

The 11.6-inch touch display is sized perfectly for smaller hands, and the convertible design allows it to be used in tent, stand, and tablet modes when the keyboard and touchpad aren’t required. The HD resolution also won’t look as grainy at this size. Above the display is a 720p camera with HDR capabilities to help with video conferencing, and ports include USB-C, USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

This Chromebook should be a great option for younger users who don’t need a lot of performance power. It’s durable, the keyboard is sized right for small hands, and it’s certainly affordable.


Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Premium pick

Great for those with deeper pockets

Older students who need modern performance and a no-compromise convertible design will want to check out the Chromebook Spin 714. It costs more than most other options, but it will crush anything you throw its way and will stay relevent longer into the future.

Pros

  • 14-inch FHD+ touch display, thin bezel
  • Durable, sleek build
  • Nimble Intel Core performance
  • Comes with a stylus
Cons

  • Display could be brighter
  • No microSD or SD card reader
  • Audio is a bit tinny

If you’re looking to land one of the best convertible Chromebooks for your student, Acer’s Spin 714 should be a top choice. Its 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U processor (CPU), 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 256GB SSD will easily handle anything you throw its way, and the battery can still run for a full workday and more. During testing for my Chromebook Spin 714 review, I managed to get more than eight hours on a charge when going about usual productivity work. Streaming video with 75% screen brightness, the Spin 714 lasted a whopping 16 hours.


The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 on a white table with some books and a pot behind it

The 14-inch touch display has a crisp 1920×1200 (FHD+) resolution, made taller thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio. This makes it ideal for mature students tackling large projects and more involved tasks requiring heavier multitasking. A stylus is included with the Chromebook for easy inking; it even has its own slot that keeps it charged.

The 1080p webcam provides a clear picture when conferencing, and dual microphones are on board for clear chatting. You’ll be able to connect most accessories straight to the Spin 714 thanks to its dual Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, USB-A 3.2, and 3.5mm audio jack. The Chromebook Spin 714 costs more than many of the other picks in this roundup. However, the performance, display, battery life, and convertible design with military-grade durability certification make it worth the price for students who need a reliable and versatile laptop.

Do note that a new Spin 714 model for 2023 is expected to launch soon. It will come with 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs, boosted webcam, top-firing speakers, and more. And be sure to check out our roundup of the best Acer Chromebooks for more options if this one is out of a reasonable price range.


Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i (Gen 8)

Source: Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i (Gen 8, 12.2″)

Best convertible

Hot new 12-inch convertible

The 12.2-inch Flex 3i from Lenovo is the new addition to the Chromebook world, powered by an Intel Atom N100 CPU and sporting an FHD touch display with convertible abilities.

Pros

  • Versatile convertible design that isn’t too large
  • 12.2-inch FHD+ touch display
  • Quad-core Intel Atom CPU performance
Cons

  • Slow eMMC storage
  • Only 4GB of RAM

Lenovo has produced a half-dozen or so generations of the Flex 3 and Flex 3i Chromebooks, and we’ve now arrived at the eighth-gen Flex 3i model. This Chromebook’s display has been resized to 12.2 inches, yet the overall size of the laptop hasn’t changed (and in some cases has shrunk by a couple of millimeters). The touch display has an FHD resolution with good color, and the bezels are slimmer than ever.

A two-tone color design in Abyss Blue covers a durable convertible chassis that’s as comfortable as a tablet as a standard laptop. The Flex 3i is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom N100 CPU with a boost clock up to 3.4GHz, as well as 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. You won’t want to take on any major projects with this hardware, but it will easily cut through productivity work and web browsing.

Port selection is decent with dual USB-A 3.2, USB-C 3.2, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, and a microSD card reader. Lenovo has also positioned the volume rocker and power button on the side of the chassis for easier control when in tablet mode.


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Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go

Best with LTE

Stay connected everywhere

The best feature that the Galaxy Chromebook Go has going for it is the 4G LTE connectivity, ideal for students who often operate outside of Wi-Fi range. Otherwise, it’s still a well-built 14-inch clamshell laptop powered by an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU.