Here are the best MacBooks for engineering students according to our testing
Apple MacBooks have always been an excellent choice for most students thanks to their power and durability.
We combined firsthand experience with research to determine our picks for the best laptops for engineering students. With that in mind, read on for our picks of the best MacBooks for engineering students.
Which is the best MacBook for engineering students now?
The best MacBook for engineering students remains the MacBook Air, which was updated for 2022. It’s also the best MacBook for computer science students and one of the best MacBooks for IT students. There are other noteworthy models we’ve gathered to help you choose the one that fits your needs best.
The best MacBooks for engineering students you can buy today
1. MacBook Air (2022)
The best MacBook for engineering students who want fresh design and excellent internals
Specifications
CPU: M2 GPU: M2 (Integrated) RAM: 8GB/16GB/24GB Size: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches Display: 13.6-inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels Weight: 2.7 pounds Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB
Why it’s the best MacBook for engineering students
The MacBook Air for 2022 has received an incredible design change and updated internals, making this the Apple laptop most engineering students should purchase to start the new school year. Featuring an Apple M2 chip, the MacBook Air (2022) offers a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display for the first time and provides up to 18 hours of battery life between charges. It’s also available in two fabulous new colors, Starlight and Midnight, although it’s still available in Space Gray and silver.
The M2 chip makes this MacBook Air up to 1.4 times faster than the previous model. It features an 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. In addition, the entry-level model comes with 8GB of unified memory, which can be increased to 16GB or 24GB. On the storage side, you can purchase one with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.
This MacBook Air also comes with a MagSafe port that connects easily and quickly releases if the charging cable is accidentally pulled. There’s also an all-new 1080p FaceTime HD camera for those critical video online presentations. At just 2.7 pounds, this is the lightest MacBook Air you can currently buy, making it easy to carry it to lecture halls and library.
If there’s one negative about the MacBook Air (2022) is its price. For many years, this model started at $999. However, the entry-level model is now $1,199, which pushes it very close to the entry-level MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,299.
The MacBook Air is a gorgeous machine and a practical choice for most engineering students today. It’s also our favorite Mac of the year.
Pros
- Apple M2 chip
- 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
- Up to 18 hours of wireless web between charges
- MagSafe
- Lightweight
Cons
- Only two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
- Maximum storage is 2TB
- No longer "cheap."
2. 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 (2022)
The best MacBook for engineering students who want an excellent battery life
Specifications
CPU: Apple M2 (8-core) GPU: Apple M2 GPU (10-core)RAM: 8GB/16GB/24GB sSize: 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches Display: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600 pixel Weight: 3.1 pounds Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB
Why it’s the best MacBook for engineering students
Like the MacBook Air (2022), the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022) includes an Apple M2 chip. It has an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. You can purchase one with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage and up to 24GB of unified memory. This model also includes Apple’s Touch Bar, which can be viewed as a pro or con, depending on your preferences. It’s the last MacBook to have the Touch Bar.
The recently updated 13-inch MacBook Pro is very similar to the MacBook Air (2022) in terms of its internals. However, critical differences on the outside keep this from being our favorite MacBook for engineering students.
But unlike the MacBook Air (2022), the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022) spots a 13.3-inch Retina display, a 720p FaceTime HD camera, and no MagSafe. It also weighs more at 3 pounds vs. the Air’s 2.7 pounds.
On the positive side, you’ll get up to 20 hours between battery charges on this model, so if you want a MacBook with an excellent battery life, you may opt for this one.
There’s much to love about this machine, which offers ever-so-slightly better internals than the MacBook Air.
Pros
- Same internals as MacBook Air
- Apple M2
- 20 hours between battery charges
Cons
- No MagSafe
- Older design
- Slightly smaller display
3. 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023)
The best MacBook for engineering students who want extremely powerful laptop
Specifications
CPU: 3.3GHz Apple M2 Pro 12 cores (8P/4E) Gam: 32GB LPDDR5 Size: 0.66 by 14 by 9.8 inches Display: 16-inch 3,456×2,234 254ppi 3:2 aspect ratio; 500 nits SDR, 1,600 nits HDR Weight: 4.7 lbs/2.2kg Storage: 2TB Apple SSD AP2048Z, SD card slot
Why it’s the best MacBook for engineering students
Internally, the third-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) is the best MacBook engineering students can currently buy. Like the 14-inch MacBook Pro (mentioned below), this model offers an M2 Pro or M2 Max SoC with up to 96GB of unified memory and 8TB of SSD storage. That’s a lot of storage for your photos and videos. In addition, you get a 12-core CPU and up to 38-core GPU.
But there’s much more. The latest 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with a Liquid Retina XDR display (3456 by 2234 pixels) with ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s also packed with up to 22 hours of battery life between charges and comes with an all-new 1080p FaceTime HD camera with an advanced image signal processor and computational video.
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook models (2023), some of the best MacBooks available, also include MagSafe, an HDMI port, and an SDXC card slot, besides its three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. If you’re looking for any negatives, understand this is the heaviest MacBook Pro in many years (4.7 pounds). It’s also costly, even at the base level.
Pros
- Class leading performance
- Crisp retina display
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Very expensive
- Heavy (4.7 lbs)
4. 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023)
The best MacBook for engineering students who want versatility at a lower price
Specifications
CPU: M2 Pro (10-core CPU, 16-core GPU or 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU), with optional M2 Max with up to 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU GPU: 16GB to 96GB Size: 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024×1964 pixels, 254ppi) Weight: 3.5 pounds (M2 Pro) – 3.6 pounds (M2 Max) Storage: 512GB to 8TB
Why it’s the best MacBook for engineering students
The new MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023 raises the bar for laptop performance, with the M2 Pro chip delivering incredible speed in our testing. The M2 Max is even faster, especially when it comes to graphics performance. You also get a stellar mini-LED display, plenty of ports and over 14 hours of battery life. Yes, it’s pricey, but the new MacBook Pro cannot be beat.
This is the best MacBook for engineering students who want everything on the 16-inch MacBook Pro but with a smaller display. In addition, it offers similar internals for less. Nonetheless, it’s still an expensive computer, which is something to keep in mind.
Our best advice for students is to buy as much memory and storage as they can afford. And remember, you can’t change these options after purchase since upgrades aren’t possible. With this in mind, consider the option of an Apple M1 Pro with a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine that comes with 1TB of storage and at least 32GB of unified memory.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is nearly identical to the 16-inch model except for the smaller display and price.
Pros
- Blistering performance
- Vibrant mini-LED display
- Superb battery life
- Good port selection includes HDMI and SD Card
- Faster Wi-Fi 6E
Cons
- Expensive
- Notch is distracting
- No Face ID support
5. MacBook Pro 2021 (16-inch)
Best MacBook for engineering students who want a machine that delivers best-in-class performance
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: M1 Pro (10-core CPU) | M1 Max (10-core CPU) GPU: Integrated 16-core GPU) RAM: 16GB to 64GB Size: 14 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches Display: 16.2 inches; 3456×2244 pixels Weight: 4.7 pounds (M1 Pro) | 4.8 pounds (M1 Max) Storage: 512GB to 8TB
Why it’s the best MacBook for engineering students
The MacBook Pro 2021 (16-inch) is an across-the-board improvement over its predecessor, so if you’ve been considering investing in a 16-inch Pro this is unquestionably the model to buy. With its remarkable battery life, outstanding speed, smartly redesigned chassis and big, beautiful screen, this is a versatile pro laptop that will serve you equally well in your engineering studies. And if you’re willing to pay the price, configuring it with one of Apple’s brawny new M1 Max chips will guarantee you some of the best performance you can buy in a MacBook.
The 2021 MacBook Pro replaces the Touch Bar with function keys, continues the resurgence of Mac keyboard with an excellent scissor-switch design, and adds more ports – including the long-absent SD card slot.
It even brings back MagSafe, and finally overhauls the 720p camera system we’ve had for far too long, all while expanding the power of the M1 with the M1 Pro or M1 Max – magnitudes more powerful than even last year’s laptops. Apple is even happy for the laptop to be a little on the heftier side, with increased thickness and weight.
All of this extra power makes it perfect for resource intensive tasks, which is why we’re it as one of the best MacBooks for engineering students.
It feels like a MacBook mea culpa, and it’s better for it – and that’s without getting to the gorgeous new display which absolutely blows away premium Windows models. It even makes the prior MacBook Pro’s screen look a little old-fashioned. Some will scoff at the notch that houses the camera, but as far as accuracy and vibrancy goes, it’s the best laptop display out there.
Pros
- Gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display
- Outstanding battery life
- Great speakers
- Extremely powerful
- Plenty of ports
Cons
- Display is sub-4K
- Camera notch
- Expensive, especially with M1 Max
Engineering students pet
In 2023, our best MacBook for engineering students is the MacBook Air (M2, 2022). It’s the best choice for most students. This incredible device offers Apple’s new M2 SoC processor and includes Touch ID, Magic Keyboard, Force Touch trackpad, and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. There’s also a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and MagSafe. It’s also pretty lightweight and has 18 hours of battery life, so you can attend lectures uninterrupted.
If the Air doesn’t have you convinced, perhaps the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is a an excellent choice. There’s a Touch Bar, two more hours of battery life, and a better GPU at the entry point. Finally, if money is less than an object and you want maximum internals, consider the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro models. They each feature a powerful M2 Pro or M2 Max chip.
How we test the best engineering students laptops
To find the best Apple laptop for engineering students, we run each through our gauntlet of benchmarks and real-world tests, and then use them as our main computer for as well. Only then are we comfortable recommending them (or not) for your purchase.
We use a Klein K-10A colorimeter to test each MacBook’s screen to find its average brightness and color quality (so we don’t just assume Apple’s ratings are correct). When it comes to general performance, we use the Geekbench 5 (CPU performance) benchmark, and time how long the Macs will take to transcode a 4K video to 1080p.
We also run the BlackMagic storage speeds test to see how fast these MacBooks’ SSDs are (spoiler alert: they’re all pretty fast). Then, we run our custom battery test to see how long each MacBook (at 150 nits of brightness) can last browsing the web over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
We’ve also tested various computer games on MacBooks, with Civilization VI: Gathering Storm being one of our current favorites to run because it runs well on both macOS and Windows, giving us a good point of comparison.
No matter which Apple MacBook you buy, be sure to check out these MacBook Ventura tips and tricks to make the most of your Apple laptop.