The best student laptop deals 2023: all the latest back to school sales

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Finding the best student laptop deals can be difficult at the best of times, let alone during the back to school period. But the process can be made more straightforward. For a start, it's a good idea to understand early on what kind of money you have to spend on your new laptop for what you want it to do. 

For most school and college students, a simple back to school laptop in a small form-factor with access to basic word processing and productivity programs (such as Microsoft Office or G Suite) so that you can take notes in class and study after hours will do nicely. A Chromebook running Chrome OS fits that mould, and it can often be found in a roundup of the best student laptop deals.

Meanwhile, students working in creative subjects such as art and design will need a back to school laptop with a bright and vivid screen as well as a dedicated graphics card. A powerful processor is important when it comes to the best student laptop deals too, especially if 3D modelling and video rendering are on the table.

A good bet would be something you would find powering the best gaming laptops. If you would like more options on the best prices for gaming-focused machines, then our cheap gaming laptop deals roundup features a whole host of options available for well under $1,000 / £1,000. There are some excellent student laptop deals in there.

No matter what, you'll have to act fast if you find a deal that you like. With the summer rapidly coming to an end, stellar student laptop deals like these are flying off the virtual shelves.

The best student laptop deals available now

Student laptop deals under $300

HP 14-inch Chromebook | $299 $149 at Best Buy
Save $150 -

HP 14-inch Chromebook | $299 $149 at Best Buy
Save $150 - This 14-inch Chromebook is half price at Best Buy right now, netting you a 64GB memory configuration for just $149. That's excellent considering we usually see these kinds of prices reserved for smaller 11-inch devices. 

Features: Intel Celeron N4120 | 4GB RAM | 64GB eMMC

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15.6-inch laptop | $329.99 $199.99 at Best Buy
Save $130 -

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15.6-inch laptop | $329.99 $199.99 at Best Buy
Save $130 - With $130 off the final price you're getting a great deal on this Lenovo IdeaPad laptop. The 128GB SSD is particularly strong at this price, and offers up plenty of speedy storage for everyday studying. 

Features: AMD Athlon Silver 7120U | 4GB RAM | 128GB SSD

HP 17z 17.3-inch laptop | $499.99 $279.99 at HP
Save $220 -

HP 17z 17.3-inch laptop | $499.99 $279.99 at HP
Save $220 - You're getting plenty of screen space for just $279.99 here, excellent if you're looking to multi-task. Throw in a solid AMD Athlon Gold processor and a 128GB SSD and you're all sorted. 

Features: AMD Athlon Gold 7220U | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD

Dell Inspiron 15 15.6-inch laptop | $379.99 $299.99 at Dell
Save $80 -

Dell Inspiron 15 15.6-inch laptop | $379.99 $299.99 at Dell
Save $80 - Packing an impressive Intel i3 processor where we would normally see a Celeron model, as well as 8GB RAM, this Dell Inspiron 15 is looking particularly strong at just $299.99. There's an $80 discount in Dell's latest student laptop deals - perfect if you're after a reliable but cheap all-rounder. 

Features: Intel i3-1115G4 | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD

HP 15.6-inch laptop | $499.99 $299.99 at HP
Save $200 -

HP 15.6-inch laptop | $499.99 $299.99 at HP
Save $200 - If you're after more storage, HP has this 256GB 15.6-inch device for $200 off in its back to school laptop deals. That's excellent value for those who need plenty of space and not a configuration we often see at just $299.99. 

Features: AMD Athlon Gold | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD

Student laptop deals under $500

HP 15z 15.6-inch laptop | $639.99 $379.99 at HP
Save $260 -

HP 15z 15.6-inch laptop | $639.99 $379.99 at HP
Save $260 - You're investing more in your processor here, picking up an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU powering everything under the hood. That promises a smooth, reliable workflow, especially with a good amount of RAM to play with. 

Features: AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop | $629.99 $399.99 at Best Buy
Save $230 -

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop | $629.99 $399.99 at Best Buy
Save $230 - You're getting some fantastic value in the Intel i5 processor and 512GB SSD in this Lenovo IdeaPad deal at Best Buy. With $230 off the final price, Best Buy is offering a $399.99 rate on a configuration we would have been happy to see at $500 this time last year. 

Features: Intel i5-1135G7 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD

HP 17.3-inch laptop | $549.99 $399.99 at Best Buy
Save $150 -

HP 17.3-inch laptop | $549.99 $399.99 at Best Buy
Save $150 - If you'd rather invest more in a larger display, this 17.3-inch HP is also looking particularly strong at Best Buy. An Intel i3 processor and 256GB SSD represent a slight step down from the Lenovo above, but if you want more space for multi-tasking this is the student laptop for you. 

Features: Intel i3-1125G4 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD

Dell Inspiron 14 14-inch laptop | $699.99 $449.99 at Dell
Save $250 -

Dell Inspiron 14 14-inch laptop | $699.99 $449.99 at Dell
Save $250 - There's $250 off this Dell Inspiron 14 in Dell's own student laptop deals, dropping the Ryzen 7 configuration down to just $449.99. That's a considerable step up in processor for the price, especially considering you're also picking up 512GB of SSD storage space. 

Features: AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD

Asus Vivobook 15.6-inch laptop | $599 $469 at Amazon
Save $130 -

Asus Vivobook 15.6-inch laptop | $599 $469 at Amazon
Save $130 - Amazon's student laptop deals have shaved $130 off this Asus Vivobook's $599 MSRP. That means we're left with a stunning $469 sales price on a machine packing a 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM - those are serious specs we wouldn't expect to see this cheap. 

Features: Intel i3-1215U | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Dell Inspiron 15 15.6-inch laptop | $749.99 $499.99 at Dell
Save $250 -

Dell Inspiron 15 15.6-inch laptop | $749.99 $499.99 at Dell
Save $250 - With $250 off the $749.99 MSRP, Dell is offering this i7 Inspiron 15 for a fantastic price right now. We rarely see this kind of processor in a machine under $500, especially with a 512GB SSD up for grabs. 

Features: Intel i7-1165G7 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD

Student laptop deals under $1,000

Lenovo Yoga 7 16-inch 2-in-1 laptop | $749.99 $549.99 at Best Buy
Save $200 -

Lenovo Yoga 7 16-inch 2-in-1 laptop | $749.99 $549.99 at Best Buy
Save $200 - Convertible laptops like this Lenovo Yoga usually command a premium price tag, but a $200 discount in Best Buy's student laptop deals is dropping that cost down to just $549.99 right now. That's with three months of Xbox Game Pass included. 

Features: AMD Ryzen 5 7535U | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD

HP Envy 15.6-inch 2-in-1 laptop | $919.99 $569.99 at Best Buy
Save $350 -

HP Envy 15.6-inch 2-in-1 laptop | $919.99 $569.99 at Best Buy
Save $350 - The HP Envy is a luxury laptop model, so you're dropping your component value a little by opting for a more premium finish here. Still, with $350 off the final price and a Microsoft Office subscription discounted this is still a solid pick. 

Features: Intel i5-1335U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD

Dell Inspiron 15 15.6-inch laptop | $749.99 $579.99 at Dell
Save $170 -

Dell Inspiron 15 15.6-inch laptop | $749.99 $579.99 at Dell
Save $170 - This Dell Inspiron 15 packs some impressive components into a $579.99 price tag. There's 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD under the hood, with an i7 processor powering everything - that's enough to see you through more demanding workflows and plenty of multi-tasking. 

Features: Intel i7-1255U | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Asus Vivobook 16-inch laptop | $749.99 $599.99 at Best Buy
Save $150 -

Asus Vivobook 16-inch laptop | $749.99 $599.99 at Best Buy
Save $150 - With a 16-inch display and 12GB of RAM this is an in-between model. You're getting the screen space and memory boost of a premium device, but that $150 discount is working hard to keep things affordable at Best Buy. 

Features: AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS | 12GB RAM | 512GB SSD

HP Envy 17.3-inch laptop | $1,289.99 $799.99 at HP
Save $490 -

HP Envy 17.3-inch laptop | $1,289.99 $799.99 at HP
Save $490 - This is a massive 17.3-inch HP Envy, with 16GB RAM and an i7 processor at the helm. That's excellent if you're looking for an all-singing all-dancing machine that you won't need to transport too far. 

Features: Intel i7-1260P | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD

Dell XPS 13 13.4-inch laptop | $949 $849 at Dell
Save $100 -

Dell XPS 13 13.4-inch laptop | $949 $849 at Dell
Save $100 - This is a smaller saving, but you're picking up Dell's top of the range model in this offer. That does mean dropping back on a few components, but if you're after luxury this is still a solid deal. 

Features: Intel i5-1230U | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD


We're also rounding up all the best laptop backpacks to keep your new machine safe, but taking things onto the big screen at home is just as important for productivity. You would be hard-pressed to find better than the best gaming monitors. It's also worth look at the best gaming mouse if you don't like relying on the trackpad to navigate. 

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Tabitha Baker
Managing Editor - Hardware

Managing Editor of Hardware at 12DOVE, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I've written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i'm focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards, headsets and mice that come with them), PS5, and trying to find the perfect projector.