9 college-ready laptops and tablets that make the…

9 college-ready laptops and tablets that make the perfect high school graduation gift

Selection of laptops and tablets on podiums, with confetti and a graduation cap.

High school graduation season is upon us, and if your teenager is one of those saying goodbye to school and getting ready to head off to college, you'll want to arm them with the right tech to set them up for success. A great laptop and/or tablet is essential, and makes for a perfect high school graduation gift.

We've reviewed hundreds of laptops and tablets here at TechRadar, and below I've rounded up our top recommendations for college students, with options at a range of budgets. All of these models have been put through our rigorous testing process and given our official stamp of approval (hit the More Details button for a summary of our main testing takeaways, as well as a link to see the full review).

On the laptop front, I've focused on models that have enough power to handle typical student demands, battery life that'll support a full day of shifting around campus, and won't cost the earth (although I have included a couple of pricier models for those students with heavier processing demands). Among my tablet picks, you'll find large and small slates that are ideal whether they're being slotted into a backpack for on-the-go computing, or propped on a shelf for Netflix binges on the weekends.

If you're looking for a deeper dive into all your options and how they compare, we have a separate guide to the best student laptops and the best tablets (as well as the best cheap tablets if you're on a budget). Read on for our top-recommended tech for new students.