The 10 Best Laptops for MBA Students 2023 (Top Rated — Detailed Guide)

Done with staring at your laptop screen while it performs poorly in the middle of your accounting and economics assignments? Time to say no more because we’ve tested different expert-advised laptop models so that you can grab one and make your MBA program easier.

After putting hours and hours into testing, we’ve discovered the Apple MacBook Pro 2022 has everything in its favor. This is because the stellar combo of power, quality, and design it holds will quickly make you want to splash the cash.

However, since everyone has different preferences, we’ve also listed nine other options that you may find more suitable. So let’s dive right in.

The Top Three Best Laptop Picks for MBA Students

How We Did the Test?

The market holds enough laptop options that may provide adequate power for business students. But since we had to choose the suitable ones that would provide an on-point experience, our team employed their experience and picked 16 different laptop models that provide the best value.

We then put these laptops through the following testing stages:

Performance

To test the laptop’s performance, we used benchmark testing for hardware. We also tested the laptops for productivity, gaming, graphics content, display, and battery life. We rated the laptop for its performance in each area to judge its ranking.

Build Quality

We also evaluated the laptops’ build quality. We tested the laptop for the build material it uses. How portable and flexible, the body is? And how well does it handle the heat produced under intense usage conditions?

Pricing

After assessing the laptops’ build and performance and assigning them a rating, we have a good idea of the laptops’ pricing. We then check the actual prices of the laptops and rank the ones that offer the best value.

Comparison Table of Best Laptops for MBA Students

IMAGE	PRODUCT	RATING	PRICE
Top Choice	2021 Apple MacBook Pro Processor: Apple M1 Pro chip with 8‑core  Screen Size: 13.3 Inch RAM: 8 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.9	View on Amazon
Runner-up	Acer Predator Helios 300 Processor: Intel i7-11800H Screen Size: 15.6 Inch RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 TB	9.8	View on Amazon
Best Budget Laptop	Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Processor: Intel Core i5  Screen Size: 13.5 Inch  RAM: 8 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.7	View on Amazon
Best Premium Laptop	HP Spectre 13T 4K OLED x360 Laptop Processor: 10th Gen i7-1065G7 Screen Size: 13.3 Inch  RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.5	View on Amazon
Best Portable Laptop	2022 ASUS VivoBook Ultra Thin and Light Processor: Intel 11th gen Quad-Core i5 Screen Size: 15.6 Inch RAM: 16 GB  Storage: 512 GB	9.8	View on Amazon
Best All-rounder Laptop	Dell XPS 13 9310 Thin and Light Touchscreen Laptop Processor: Intel Core i7-1195G7 Screen Size: 13.4 Inch RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.3	View on Amazon
Best Latest Laptop	HP Pavilion 15 Laptop Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-5700U Screen Size: 15.6 Inch  RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.7	View on Amazon
Best Value Laptop	Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6" Laptop Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-4700U Screen Size: 15.6 Inch RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.6	View on Amazon
Best Display Laptop	ASUS ZenBook 13 Ultra-Slim Laptop Processor: Intel Evo Platform i7-1165G7 Screen Size: 13.3 Inch RAM: 16 GB  Storage: 512 GB	9.4	View on Amazon
Best Priced Laptop	Dell Inspiron 5515 Laptop Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Screen Size: 15.6 Inch RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB	9.3	View on Amazon

Although, new Apple computers are already stealing the compliments out in the market. But since nothing much has changed over the past few MacBook variants, we decided to keep up with the Apple MacBook Pro 2020. That’s for the reason that it still provides a better value. Not just that, through its superb performance and features, it snatched the top place, too.

Meet the Apple MacBook Pro 2020. We’re confident you’ll be impressed by its stunning, sleek, and slim design. The aluminum body is available in two colors: Space Gray and Silver. But wait, the 13-inch Retina display with its stunning details and brilliant colors won’t draw your attention solely to the appearance.

This isn’t the only display there, but the Touch Bar is an additional Retina display above the keyboard that provides dynamic controls for the main screen content.

In terms of performance, you can be confident that Apple’s lightning-fast M1 CPU will handle whatever you throw at it. During our tests, we were impressed by its rapid execution and multitasking ability, which were made possible by the 8 GB of RAM. And, when our gaming freak came to life, the Apple MacBook Pro led the way with great gaming performance at high frame rates.

The 2020 MacBook Pro features an incredibly comfortable keyboard with spacious keys for a better typing experience. And if you think we’ve left something out, rest assured that it has a tremendous battery life of 20 hours. So, we’re guessing you’re quite clear about why it’s ranked first?

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	13.3-inch
Resolution	3546 x 2234
Storage	512 GB
Memory	8 GB
Weight	3.0 lbs
Colors	Silver, Space Gray
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches

A powerful laptop with high-end specifications makes one think about paying thousands of dollars in 2022. Therefore, the post-pandemic condition isn’t favorable for those who need high-resource laptops. Acer has therefore made an effort to keep things as they were before and blended power with a reasonable budget.

The efforts resulted in the Acer Predator Helios 300, a mid-range black, partial aluminum-designed laptop with a sporty appearance. The unit might not be so portable, but it makes sense for a laptop of this size. Because this laptop is mainly built for gaming, the Predator Helios 300 has a large 15.6 inches HD display with minimal bezels. Which provides a wider view of on-screen content with sharp and beautiful color calibration.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers some serious performance with its advanced Intel Core-i7 processor, dedicated NVIDIA GPU, and 16 GB memory. It all comes together for a rapid, fast processing ride through your business-related tasks. As we tested, this laptop easily gets all the productivity tasks done, whether it’s word processing, researching through numerous Chrome tabs open, storing massive files on its 512 GB SSD storage, and much more. You won’t see a sign of stuttering.

Also, the battery may seek your attention because it isn’t really long-lasting. With the 4 hours of battery life at typical usage, you’ll need to connect the cable soon. Still, it is reasonable for the power components residing in a well-priced laptop.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	15.6-inch
Resolution	1920×1080
Storage	512 TB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	5.07 lbs
Colors	Black
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	14.31 x 10.04 x 0.9 inches

For the ones on a shoestring budget, here is a well-designed recommendation. You won’t have to compromise with an unreliable plastic laptop to get your academics going. Because Microsoft has something really appealing on their shelf.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is widely considered the best Surface laptop in the range, and it is ideal for writing and productivity. This is due to the fact that this laptop has a truly premium keyboard feel that has never been seen before. The Surface Laptop 4 is a sleek, metallic laptop that is extremely portable. And if you’re seeking color options, they’re available here. You can select from a variety of colors. When you open the lid, you’re greeted by a 13.5-inch Full HD display with clear text and vibrant colors.

The Surface Laptop 4 model we tested included an Intel Core-i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM. Which resulted in a satisfying performance for all we set out to do. We tested it with a slew of Google Chrome tabs, including ones with YouTube audio playback, and saw no slowdown.

With all of this, the battery life lasts a reasonable amount of time. In normal use, the battery lasted 7 hours. The ports may appear to be a setback, but they can be compromised for a unique appearance, decent performance, and an affordable price.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	13.5-inch
Resolution	2256 x 1504
Storage	512 GB
Memory	8 GB
Weight	2.79 lbs
Colors	Ice Blue, Sandstone, Platinum, Matte Black
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57 inches

An already excellent laptop receives some more excellence and results in an impressively designed 2-in-1 device, the HP Spectre 13T. Even though this has loud fans, let’s overlook them for the brilliant battery life and advanced hardware performance provided by Intel.

Keeping a slim and beautiful approach on a metallic chassis, the HP Spectre x360 appears as a modern designed laptop and tablet when folded over a 360 degree. You may not find a ‘so good tablet experience’ because it’s more of a better slim and lightweight laptop than a bulky tablet in comparison to others. The Spectre x360 opens up and presents a 13.3-inch Ultra-HD touch-enabled display, a full-sized premium, decent-travel, backlit keyboard, and a wide touchpad neighboring a fingerprint sensor for a smart and secure login.

The display, which is framed by narrow bezels, is as beautiful as the design. Everything you see is bright and full of vibrant colors. The performance, as tested, was likewise impressive. The Spectre x360 offered a delicious performance to all of our productivity tasks, thanks to an excellent Intel Core-i7 CPU resting beside 16 GB of memory.

We could easily run many apps at the same time, with numerous Google Chrome tabs streaming YouTube videos. You should also expect it to run some of the finest PC games at medium settings. As a strong performer, this 2-in-1 also performed well in battery testing, with a half-day battery life of up to 13 hours. So it all adds up to a perfect fit for your on-campus computer requirements.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	13.3-inch
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	2.79 lbs
Colors	Natural Silver, Nightfall Black, Poseidon Blue
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	12.08 x 7.66 x 0.67 inches

While looking for a good laptop for your business academics, we discovered that the HP Spectre x360 has a great competitor that takes the same premium approach. The Dell XPS 13 competes with other best-designed laptops on the market because of its powerful specs and stunning appearance.

The Dell XPS 13 is a brushed-metal, exceptionally thin, and light aluminum laptop. It is available in two colors, both of which give it a professional and modern appearance. When the lid is lifted, a 13.4-inch Full HD display is revealed, delivering a superior viewing experience with more brightness and color accuracy than the HP Spectre x360. On the outside of its base panel is a full-sized keyboard with spacious keys that you will no doubt want to use repeatedly.

It is equipped with an 11th generation Intel Core-i7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a large 16 GB of RAM, making it highly appealing. The bad boys on board provided us with a lightning-fast trip by not allowing the lags to interfere with our demanding jobs as we ran the performance tests.

Moreover, although it did not outperform its rival in battery tests, it did have a battery life of up to 9 hours with normal use. So, if you’re looking for another premium option at better pricing, then Dell XPS 13 serves the purpose admirably.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	13.4-inch
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	2.8 lbs
Colors	Platinum silver and Black
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	7.82 x 11.64 x 0.58 inches

Following the premium ones, we’ll now look at some more affordable options. And ASUS is a well-known brand for offering competitive pricing while maintaining high quality and performance. Here we have the ASUS VivoBook 2022, a portable mid-range, ready for your on-the-go use.

With its exceptionally thin and light, plastic yet stiff build, the 2022 VivoBook has all the aesthetics. It’s so light in weight that we guess you’ll miss this perfect portability in any other 15.6-inch laptop. When you open the lid, you’ll see a 15.6-inch Full HD display with vivid and gorgeous colors nestled between thin bezels that add to its remarkable appearance.

The VivoBook 2022 is an affordable, power-packed unit with its Intel Core-i5 chip and 16 GB of plenty of memory. Besides, there’s also 512 GB of fast SSD storage that adds up to performance and enables quick boots and rapid data transfers. Our testing went smoothly because it actively executed large applications while playing music in the background.

While we were pleased with its performance, the battery also delivered up to 7 hours of backup time. So, as long as it doesn’t cost a fortune to get the perfect mix of power, portability, and quality, we guess this is a good buy.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	15.6-inch
Resolution	1920×1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	3.75 lbs
Colors	Gray
Material	Plastic
Dimensions	14.1 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches

How can Lenovo be overlooked? Their inexpensive yet powerful laptops scream quality. So, our team agreed on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5’s market attractiveness because of its outstanding design and ideal performance at an affordable price.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is a Graphite Gray laptop with a compact design that combines both plastic and aluminum. Don’t worry, this partially aluminum construction is lightweight but strong. The IdeaPad 5 has a 15.6-inch Full HD display that produces a bright and sharp image of everything you view on it. Its display quality is superior to that of the ASUS VivoBook 2022. Its keyboard is another highlight, with its smooth and well-distant keys allowing for a comfortable typing experience.

In terms of performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is equipped with a strong AMD Ryzen 7 chip, integrated Radeon graphics, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD, all of which combine to provide a smooth and quick computing experience. As we tested, the memory-eating Chrome will be a breeze for your word processing and spreadsheets, while also playing music and conducting research.

Lenovo hasn’t compromised battery life with this slim and elegant design. The battery testing went well too, with a backup time of up to 8 hours. So, if you want a compact machine packing all your academic needs, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is a good pick.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	15.6-inch
Resolution	1920×1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	3.87 lbs
Colors	Abyss Blue, Graphite Gray, and Platinum Gray
Material	Partial Aluminum
Dimensions	14.18 x 9.21 x 0.7 inches

No wonder, quite a few students can specify their needs regardless of price when purchasing a laptop, while others must stick to a fixed budget. However, with the ASUS ZenBook 13, things get simpler as you can expect a compact design, solid performance, and a secondary display on a reasonable budget.

The ZenBook 13 is ASUS’ attempt to create a unique laptop. And they did it with this Pine Gray metallic chassis laptop, which is really easy to carry around campus. This ZenBook variant features a 13.3-inch advanced OLED display with thin bezels. While watching our favorite Netflix series, the great, bright display gave a beautiful contrast of colors. It also features a secondary display on the touchpad for specific tasks such as Numpad and handwriting input.

The ZenBook 13 is powered by an Intel Core-i7 processor, dedicated NVIDIA graphics, and 16 GB of RAM, and it performed admirably in our testing. We were able to use resource-intensive tasks without experiencing any slowdown. There’s also 512 GB of big SSD storage for your massive downloads and software.

What’s more fascinating about it is its battery life. Because, in our battery testing, its battery provided a whopping backup time of up to 14 hours, which is even longer than the premium Dell XPS 13 and HP Spectre x360.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	13.3-inch
Resolution	1920×1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	2.51 lbs
Colors	Pine Gray, Lilac Mist
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	11.97 x 7.99 x 0.55 inches

With Ultrabooks from different brands having high-on competition going in the market, Dell has played its card with the Dell Inspiron 15. A well-designed Ultrabook that holds plenty of power inside.

The Inspiron 15 is a cheap Ultrabook with a great design that uses aluminum for a solid charcoal black build. The design is simple, light, and elegant, which is reasonable given the budget. You can lift the lid with one hand, revealing a full-sized backlit keyboard with well-spaced buttons, a touchpad, and a 15.6-inch Full HD display.

We found this touch-enabled display to be wide with minimal bezels, but the below-average brightness and dull colors make a bad deal. If we talk about the performance, it didn’t let us down. The powerful AMD Ryzen 7, and 16 GB RAM efficiently took hold of everything we made it to do. It didn’t show a sign of slowing down while we surfed the internet, with plenty of tabs and programs running in the background. 

However, it is important to note that this will fall short of expectations if you expect it to play the best recent games. The Dell Inspiron 15 also performs well in terms of battery life. It has a decent 8-hour battery life, so you won’t have to carry a charger with you everywhere. Therefore, Dell’s efforts to make it all available at a low price are well worth considering.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	15.6-inch
Resolution	1920×1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	3.62 lbs
Colors	Mist Blue
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	14.2 x 9.01 x 0.7 inches

HP’s attempt at providing the best quality laptops to the budget market comes in the face of the Pavilion series. And this 15-inch makes a perfect fit for all a business student seeks. The device we chose, the HP Pavilion 15, is jam-packed with high-spec hardware.

The HP Pavilion 15 packs some strong specs into a sleek and elegant chassis that has a premium look but doesn’t actually cost a premium. It’s a silver-colored plastic-built laptop with a simple design that’s light and narrow, making it an excellent compact laptop. When you lift the lid, you’ll find a large touchpad, a full-sized keyboard with no backlighting, and a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display.

The IPS display is decent. However, it appeared grainy and a bit reflective. But overall the brightness is on-point and displays a sharp text. While the performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 processor, AMD Radeon Graphics, and 16 GB of memory provide a snappy feel and efficiently handled all the day-to-day tasks that we used it for.

The battery is a bit of a setback. We couldn’t get past the 6 hours of battery timing while we ran battery tests on normal usage. But if your limits match this well-priced laptop’s limits, then give it a go.

Technical Specifications

Screen Size	15.6-inch
Resolution	1920×1080
Storage	512 GB
Memory	16 GB
Weight	3.86 lbs
Colors	Natural Silver
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	14.18 x 9.21 x 0.7 inches

Conclusion

Since students are preparing for a better-earning future while pursuing their degree. They rely on savings to purchase items such as a laptop. You should keep track of every penny you spend, especially if you’re a business student. Therefore, to help you make a good purchase, we tested multiple laptop models suitable for your business academics. We found that the 2021 Apple MacBook Pro was the clear winner in terms of long-term performance, battery life, and build quality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)