5 Best Acer Laptops for College Students

Dvanp002 · August 2022

These are the best Acer laptops for college students

Sending your child off to college to begin living independently can come with countless worries and uncertainties. One surefire way to set them up for success is to provide them with an Acer laptop. Your young scholar may be rushing across the campus to get to class on time with their computer crammed into a jostling backpack. Your student's laptop may need to be capable of CAD (Computer-aided design), computer programming, and complex mathematical equations, in addition to having standard but essential office software suites. In addition, depending on their interest in video chatting, streaming, content creation, and PC gaming, the hardware, video, and audio components can impact a laptop's performance. Learn more about the best Acer laptops for college students and how they can help support your student for years to come.

Acer Swift 3

Available in an all-aluminum chassis in three attractive color-wash options, the Swift 3 includes Wi-Fi 6E, which is ideal for streaming significant amounts of 4K footage and facilitating large file transfers with ease. In addition to featuring USB Type-A and HDMI 2.1 ports to provide an impressive array of options for connectivity, users can employ the included Thunderbolt 4 for ultrafast PC charging featuring four hours of laptop use for a mere 30 minutes of charging time.

Audio quality is bolstered by Acer's TNR (Temporal Noise Reduction) technology along with Acer PurifiedVoice with AI Noise Reduction and DTS audio for improved audio quality. The Swift 3 also includes an FHD front-facing camera which excels at producing the best quality images possible when in low-light conditions. Users also enjoy the benefits of Acer's proprietary BlueLightShield technology to help prevent and reduce eyestrain from prolonged laptop use. The incredibly vibrant FHD (full high definition) or QHD (quantum high definition) touch display with 100% sRGB is capable of truly impressive accuracy when needed. Physical specifications include a screen ratio of 16:9, a screen-to-body ratio of 86%, a weight of as little as 2.75 lbs. or 1.25 kg (depending on the hardware installed), and an average battery life of 10.5 hours, and a maximum width of a mere 15.95 mm.

Aspire Vero

Great for those interested in personally tinkering with their laptops and ensuring their technology is as sustainable as possible, the Aspire Vero helps students stay green while enjoying an excellent laptop. Featuring EPEAT Silver (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) certification and 30% PCR1 plastic for the chassis, the Aspire Vero saves approximately 21% in CO2 emissions. This laptop can also be easily disassembled and upgraded, making it perfect for recycling, easy repairs, and much more. The unit includes 11th Gen Intel Core™ processors & Intel Iris Xe graphics3 for boundary-breaking performance in productivity and collaboration. In addition, users can stay fresh with Windows 11 and connected with Wi-Fi 6. Ports include one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one with power-off charging.

Aspire V5 series

The Aspire V5 offers an FHD display with IPS technology, and some models include an extremely useful LAN/VGA combo port and an optical drive. Supported by some of the latest AMD or Intel processors (depending on your preferences), this model provides a 10-point touchscreen with fingertip control, giving users the flexibility and graphics capabilities to tackle class-related tasks with maximum efficiency. Available in three practical screen sizes (11.6", 14" and 15.6") as well as a variety of attractive colors, this laptop is equally suitable for shopping and entertainment as well as academic pursuits. Some options available from the start include access to the Acer Games portal to enjoy an impressive collection of free games preloaded onto the laptop. The laptop also includes a dedicated Amazon Button to access favorite online retailers and access to Amazon Cloud Player for streaming and storing music.

Aspire 1

Whether your student is pivoting the laptop screen to work with classmates or enjoying some quality solo gaming or content watching in laptop or lightweight tablet mode, they can take their PC to their classroom, dorm room and everywhere in between. Users can create content in laptop mode, pivot the screen to share and collaborate with classmates, flip to view, and detach it to use as a lightweight tablet at home, in the classroom, or on the go. For better performance, the Aspire 1 uses the latest Intel or AMD processor, has up to 16GB of memory, and delivers enough power to see through the workday. So work, play, or relax; do it all with powerful productivity. The Full HD1 display keeps images and videos stunning, while the narrow border offers more viewable space. To protect the user's eyes from harmful blue light, it also includes Acer BlueLightShield, three USB ports (two USB 3.2 Gen 1 and one USB 2.0), one external HDMI port, and an ergonomic hinge capable of pulling additional airflow from beneath the laptop.

Chromebook Spin 13

Ideal for those who prefer to create and enjoy a peaceful classroom environment, the fan-less design of the Chromebook Spin 13 lets students engage in serious computing without the risk of noise pollution. Powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i processor, your student can crunch complex spreadsheets, transcode video files, enjoy faster load times overall, and have graphics run notably faster without experiencing lag. The 100% aluminum chassis is resistant to dents, bends, and warps, and the laptop also features a Corning Gorilla Glass NBT touchscreen and a Corning Gorilla Glass touchpad. For those looking for office productivity suites like Microsoft Office or social networking apps like TikTok and Instagram, Chrome-compatible apps can be easily located on the Google Play Store. The included stylus offers a natural writing experience with precision and control thanks to the elastomer tip. The QHD 2256x1504 screen provides a high-resolution display with an impressive 178-degree viewing angle, allowing users to leverage the increased friction to prevent the stylus from sliding on the smooth portions of the monitor.

Your young scholar may travel down many different roads to discover their true academic passions and future employment paths. A reliable laptop can make a significant difference regardless of where the road leads. The dependable, high-performing, cutting-edge technology Acer offers will help make the journey that much easier.

*The opinions reflected in this article are the sole opinions of the author and do not reflect any official positions or claims by Acer Inc.

About Dan VanPatten: Dan is a full-time technology writer with interests in gaming, gadgetry, and all things PC tech related. He writes about a variety of topics including technology news, product reviews, and software. His experience stems from years of experience writing & producing content for technology newsletters & publications.