Technology has dramatically changed many facets of modern life, but it’s completely transformed education in a fundamental way. Even now, educators and students are still trying to modernize successfully in an ever-changing landscape.
It's undeniable that college life has become digital. That’s why it’s crucial for college students to have the right technology to stay organized, productive, and connected. Whether you're managing coursework, staying in touch with friends and family, or simply entertaining yourself during downtime, the right tech can make a huge difference. But with so many options available, choosing the right tools can be overwhelming.
Luckily, this comprehensive guide will explore the best tech every college student should consider. Let’s dive into the must-have tech that will help you succeed in college and beyond.
Disclaimer
Before we start, though, I think it’s important to note that there’s no reason to break the bank on tech. I think a lot of students and parents get stressed by how overwhelming the options are and how expensive things can get. If you have the means, then of course, you should consider getting top-of-the-line equipment. But at the end of the day, each student’s actions will dictate how they do in a course and in college.
There’s nothing wrong with investing in standard models that will serve you well, and even leaving out some of the more superfluous pieces of tech. College is expensive enough as it is! Most students will find they’d rather have extra money for a spring break program than a slightly faster laptop. Also, there is genuinely good science behind the idea that old-fashioned pen and paper help more with retention and learning than taking digital notes (even with a tablet).
1. Laptop: The Heart of Your College Tech Setup
The laptop is as close to inescapable as you can get. Unless you want to have a very difficult time in college, you’re probably going to need access to a laptop. Your laptop is arguably the most important piece of tech you'll own in college. It’s your hub for note-taking, writing papers, research, and everything in between. The ideal laptop for college will depend on your needs, but you generally want something with a decent amount of storage space and a battery life that will get you through a couple of classes. Most college students won’t need anything too heavy-duty unless they are going into technology-intensive programs like Industrial Design, Computer Science, or the like.
Now, there are a TON of different laptop options you can choose from, but let’s be honest, the choice generally comes down to Microsoft or Mac. I’ve written out a look at the best of both worlds within a reasonable student budget. Both of these laptops would be very good for almost any undergraduate student.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Why it’s great: The Surface Laptop 4 is one of the best options for students who need both versatility and performance. It's sleek, light, and offers excellent display quality, making it ideal for reading, writing, and editing media.
Specs to look for: 13.5-inch PixelSense display, Intel Core i5 or i7, 8GB or 16GB RAM, up to 512GB SSD.
The Honest Truth: Honestly, this is very solid for a college laptop. If you treat it well, it’s pretty much guaranteed to make it through your undergraduate experience. One of the main reasons people like Microsoft laptops is that they can be touchscreen, something Apple has resisted with Macs. It’s more SSD storage than you would get from a Mac and at a lower price. Its battery life will probably be a bit worse, but most college students work with their chargers most of the time. It's just a very solid laptop, especially for the price range. However, if you want to go a bit lower than this, there are plenty of solid Windows laptops that aren’t the Surface that could do the job. I personally wouldn’t prefer something with less than 512 GB SSD, but if you really do want to save some money, storage is nothing an SD card can’t fix.
Apple MacBook Air (M1 or M2)
Why it’s great: If you’re an Apple user or plan to use Apple-specific software (like Final Cut Pro for video editing or Logic Pro for music production), the MacBook Air is a perfect choice. It's lightweight, has an ultra-long battery life (up to 18 hours), and boasts incredible performance with the M1 or M2 chip.
Specs to look for: 13.3-inch Retina display, Apple M1/M2 chip, 8GB RAM (16GB for multitaskers), 256GB SSD storage.
The Honest Truth: If you want a Mac, that’s totally understandable. They have amazing compatibility with the iPhone and are generally of higher quality build than a lot of Microsoft laptops. However, they’re also considerably more expensive with less storage. If you’re on a budget or in general want to get the best bang for your buck, you should probably look at refurbished Macs. These are normally just as good in terms of performance and for a far more reasonable price. Macs are good for students who anticipate using more heavy-duty programs such as Photoshop, video editing software, etc.
2. Tablet: For Flexibility and Convenience
Here’s the truth: the tablet is EXTREMELY negotiable. I know, I know, they’re one of the most trendy pieces of college tech. So many students use them now to take notes. However, while they can be very useful, there’s absolutely no need to break the bank for these devices.
Tablets are mostly very superfluous pieces of college tech, but plenty of students find them genuinely lifesaving for certain classes. In my opinion, if you’re a student who's going to be consuming a lot of PowerPoints in lectures, I would recommend it. The ability to download a professor’s PowerPoint and take notes on it is pretty game-changing. This applies to biology students, especially. Anyone who wants to be a doctor will generally find tablets worth it.
While a laptop is the mainstay of college tech, a tablet can provide extra flexibility, especially for digital note-taking, sketching, or reading textbooks. If you need something lightweight and versatile for class, a tablet can complement your laptop nicely.
Apple iPad
Why it’s great: If you need a device for note-taking, digital art, or drawing, the iPad with Apple Pencil is a game-changer. With its ultra-responsive screen and the A14 Bionic chip, it has a powerful performance.
Specs to look for: 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, 64GB or 256GB storage, Apple Pencil support.
The Honest Truth: There’s pretty much NO reason for a college student to actually need an iPad Pro vs. a normal iPad. And you also don’t really need an iPad with a lot of storage as the majority of your files will probably be shared to your computer and eventually transferred there. Unless you’re working with Photoshop, the Apple iPad is a very solid tablet for a college student and will perfectly service all your note-taking needs.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Plus 11”
Why it’s great: The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Plus 11” 64GB Android Tablet is an excellent choice for college students seeking a balance of performance and portability. With solid battery life and a lightweight design, it's ideal for on-the-go use in classes, libraries, and study sessions. Its performance is suitable for tasks like web browsing, word processing, and media consumption, making it a versatile and practical tool for college life.
Specs to look for: 11-inch WUXGA+ (2000 x 1200) TFT display, MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor, 4GB, 64GB or 128GB SSD.
The Honest Truth: Again, if you aren’t invested in the Apple ecosystem, this is a very good buy. It’s not as nice to write on as an iPad but most people probably won’t know the difference, and definitely not when they’re writing notes as fast as possible in a lecture hall. It’s just a very clean, well-designed budget tablet. There’s not much to complain about.
3. Smartphone: The Ultimate All-in-One Device
Your smartphone is likely the device you use most often, whether it’s for communication, entertainment, or scheduling. I won’t lie, people love their phones. They’re obsessed with them. But to be honest, your phone isn’t that important to your college life. Most people are either Team Android or Team iPhone (mostly iPhone in the U.S.) by the time they get to college and they probably have their preferred device already. Really, the main thing about a phone in relation to your college life and success is the apps you can download on it, but that’s probably another article. That said, it is important to have a phone that’s relatively fast, can take good pictures (memories are important!), and can handle a number of messaging apps. If you want to get a new phone just for college, don’t let me stop you. But I recommend a new or refurbished version of a slightly older model. Again, college is expensive and the newest version of a phone really isn’t worth the money.
Apple iPhone 14
Why it’s great: The iPhone 14 offers excellent performance, a fantastic camera, and integration with other Apple products. If you're already using Apple devices like a MacBook or iPad, the iPhone provides seamless connectivity.
Specs to look for: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, A15 Bionic chip, 128GB or 256GB storage, 12MP camera.
The Honest Truth: Not much to say here, if you like Apple, you’ll like this phone.
Samsung Galaxy S22
Why it’s great: If you’re a fan of Android, the Galaxy S22 offers excellent value with a powerful processor, vibrant display, and top-notch camera capabilities.
Specs to look for: 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB or 256GB storage.
The Honest Truth: Not much to say here, if you like Android, you’ll like this phone. It's much cheaper than the iPhone, though. And it matches its performance.
Google Pixel 7
Why it’s great: Known for its clean interface and incredible camera, the Google Pixel 7 is perfect for students who want a phone that combines performance with ease of use.
Specs to look for: 6.3-inch OLED display, Google Tensor processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB or 256GB storage.
The Honest Truth: It’s actually interesting but the Google Pixel has consistently performed very well in blind smartphone camera tests. If you want to be a little quirky, really value a good camera, and like Android software, then this is the phone for you.
Moto G Play 2024
Why it’s great: The Moto G Play 2024 is an excellent budget-friendly smartphone that delivers solid performance and a great user experience at an affordable price.
Specs to look for: Look for a 6.5-inch HD+ display, an octa-core processor, 3GB RAM, 64GB expandable storage, a 13MP dual-camera system, 5,000mAh battery, and a near-stock Android experience with water-repellent design.
The Honest Truth: Okay, this is probably the best budget option you’re ever going to find and a true tribute to the college student nature of this list. My phone broke my senior year of college and I was also broke so I needed something as affordable as possible that would still do the job ASAP. I got a Moto G 2021 and the price is absolutely insane for what you get. I mean this is genuinely a $110 dollar phone basically and it’s even better since it’s a later model. Again, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone because the camera isn’t fantastic and it can be quite laggy sometimes. But for the money you pay, it’s really really solid. I took some pretty great pictures with it, although again, not something that will take the fastest photos. To this day, the battery life on my Moto G 2021 phone is better than that of the Samsung S24 FE. I mean, that’s just insane. Also, apparently, you can add up to 1TB of storage on this phone, whereas Apple and Samsung’s flagships do not have expandable storage. Also, they’ve improved the design a lot to make it look more modern and more like those other flagship models. There’s also just a lot of UI and customizations (turning off specific annoying notifications) that I really enjoyed. Hard to recommend this more if you’re looking for a quick fix. And it still has a jack for wired earbuds.
4. Smartwatch: Stay Connected and Stay on Track
Again, a smartwatch is genuinely just not a priority on the college tech list. It will affect your classes pretty much zero percent. However, if you want one, it’s actually not a bad investment because health is one of the most important things you have to watch when you’re in college. So if you want to get a smartwatch with the actual intention of taking care of your health, I think it’s a very solid investment. Otherwise, I’m sorry but these are just so superfluous. There’s no notification it can send better than a phone and most of the time they can just be a huge distraction from you entering focus mode. However, if properly used, a smartwatch can help you stay organized, keep track of deadlines, and (mostly importantly!) monitor your health.
Apple Watch Series 8
Why it’s great: If you're in the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Watch is a no-brainer. It helps you stay on top of notifications, track your workouts, and manage your schedule, all from your wrist.
Specs to look for: 41mm or 45mm display, heart rate monitor, ECG, and blood oxygen sensors, GPS, watchOS.
The Honest Truth: Not much to say here, if you like Apple, you’ll like this phone.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Why it’s great: The Galaxy Watch 5 offers similar functionality to the Apple Watch but is tailored for Android users. It has great fitness tracking features and supports Google apps.
Specs to look for: 40mm or 44mm display, heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, GPS, Wear OS.
The Honest Truth: Not much to say here, if you like Android, you’ll like this phone.
5. External Hard Drive/Cloud Storage: Keep Your Files Safe
FINALLY! This is extremely underrated and an extremely useful piece of tech. As a college student, you’ll accumulate a lot of files, from notes and assignments to videos and presentations. Investing in external storage or cloud solutions will help you keep everything organized and prevent losing critical data.
Best External Hard Drives for College Students
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB
Why it’s great: The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is an affordable and reliable external hard drive that offers up to 1TB of storage. It’s compact and fast, making it an excellent option for students who need to back up their work regularly.
Specs to look for: 1TB storage, USB 3.0, compact design.
The Honest Truth: Seagate is a very reputable and solid storage solution. Not much to say here.
Western Digital My Passport 2TB
Best Cloud Storage Solutions for College Students
Google Drive
Why it’s great: Google Drive is ideal for collaboration and storing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. With 15GB of free storage, it’s a great option for students.
The Honest Truth: Not to feed into Google’s monopoly but to be honest, Google Drive really is pretty much the best storage solution out there for college students and the one they’re probably going to actually use. Its integration with Google Photos makes this the easiest slam dunk for the majority of people.
One Drive
Why it’s great: A lot of colleges and professors will use Microsoft software (as well as companies you may intern for), so it’s honestly not a bad idea. This obviously falls under the very powerful programs of PowerPoint and Excel, which really still can’t be challenged if you need to perform very intense tasks.
The Honest Truth: Not a bad idea to buy online storage with One Drive, but just a little more heavy-duty and office functionality driven than most college students will probably need.
6. Noise-Canceling Headphones: Block Out Distractions
Again, noise-canceling headphones are definitely a luxury, not a necessity. Most people can get used to working in environments with a good amount of ambient noise or they can blast instrumental music into their eardrums like the rest of us. While they are definitely a luxury item, I won’t deny that noise-canceling headphones have gotten astonishingly good at their job. Noise-canceling headphones are really great for studying in coffee shops or other loud environments. They help you focus and block out distractions.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Why it’s great: The Sony WH-1000XM5 is one of the best noise-canceling headphones available. They’re comfortable, have excellent sound quality, and feature industry-leading noise-canceling technology.
Specs to look for: 30-hour battery life, touch-sensitive controls, comfortable design.
The Honest Truth: Very solid headphones. Can’t say too much against them.
Bose QuietComfort 45
Why it’s great: Bose has long been known for its noise-canceling technology, and the QuietComfort 45 is no exception. It’s ideal for students who need to concentrate in loud environments.
Specs to look for: 24-hour battery life, lightweight, high-quality audio.
The Honest Truth: It really just comes down to preference. Unless you’re an audiophile, both of these headphones will do the trick.
7. Portable Charger: Keep Your Devices Powered Up
Another super practical piece of tech for college students is the portable charger. This is 100% something that can be a lifesaver for students. It’s a must-have for busy college students who are always on the go. Whether you're heading to class, the library, or a weekend trip, having extra power in your pocket ensures that your devices won’t die at the worst possible moment.
Anker PowerCore 10000
Why it’s great: Compact yet powerful, Anker’s PowerCore 10000 is a great option for students who need to keep their devices charged during long days on campus.
Specs to look for: 10,000mAh capacity, fast charging, lightweight.
The Honest Truth: Perfectly suitable for most needs.
RAVPower 26800mAh Portable Charger
Why it’s great: With a larger capacity, the RAVPower charger can charge multiple devices at once and last through long trips or extended study sessions.
Specs to look for: 26,800mAh capacity, three USB ports, fast charging.
The Honest Truth: Just a bigger option for students who want more charge and fast charge.
Conclusion
The right tech tools ARE important for a smooth college experience, but I just don’t want to oversell their usefulness. Except in very rare circumstances, one laptop will not make you significantly more productive than another. You should choose which piece of tech will fit with you and your lifestyle and, most importantly, your bank account.
