
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.
Top tech for new college students
Pros
- A16 chip is very capable
- Now starts with 128GB of storage
- iPadOS 18 runs smoothly here
Cons
- No major changes over the previous generation
Pros
- The perfect feature set for entertainment and productivity
- Open Canvas is a huge win for a tablet in the mid-range sector
- Big leaps in performance and battery life
Cons
- The design isn’t much fun
- Charging remains unchanged from the original Pad Go
Pros
- Solid specs for the price
- Looks and feels premium
- Quality pen included at no extra cost
- Surprisingly excellent speakers
Cons
- Android on tablets has improved, but still isn’t perfect
- Some annoying bloat
Pros
- A display that’s great for work and entertainment
- OxygenOS 15 has a wonderful sheen to it
- Smooth, Snapdragon enhanced performance
Cons
- Android just isn’t as well optimized as iPadOS
- The optional keyboard could use some work
- Can get pricey with all the accessories
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Fantastic build quality
- Full macOS experience
Cons
- No keyboard backlight
- USB 2 port feels a bit silly in 2026
- 8GB of memory could become frustrating
Pros
- Great performance
- Excellent display
- Practical port selection
Cons
- Keyboard isn’t the most premium
- No SD card slot
- Can get a little noisy
Pros
- Stunning design
- Extremely portable
- Fantastic battery life
- Great keyboard and trackpad
Cons
- MacBook Air M4 offers far better performance
- Limited ports
- Display is just OK
Pros
- Excellent performance
- New, lower price
- Silent design
Cons
- No need to upgrade from M3
- - No Wi-Fi 7