With back to school fast approaching, it’s time for students and parents to begin a familiar ritual: trying to figure out the best laptops for getting work done at school.

The timing is good — manufacturers tend to offer laptop deals leading up to the September start of classes — but the choices can be confusing. You’ll need to make the decision between Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) macOS and Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 10 to start with.
Some school programs require specific software, so check out any requirements that may force you to choose macOS or Windows first. Once you’ve figured that out, it’s time to choose a specific model among the hundreds you’ll see offered in those back to school laptop deals.
To make things a little easier, we’ve put together a short list of five laptops that strike a good balance between cost, portability, durability and usability. In other words, options that make the best laptops for students.