Online education is becoming more popular, particularly since recent statewide lockdowns caused institutions to close their classrooms. However, universities have long provided online programs, and there have been online universities for some time now, even ones that lend students laptops.
For every online student, a laptop is a costly but necessary purchase. It could cross your mind to consider attending an online school that offers computers.
There are now online institutions that provide students with free laptops. This provides the online college bonus points because students can avoid paying a significant expense by attending. We’ll go through a few of the best online universities that offer laptops to students so you can select the one that’s perfect for you.
List of 20 Best Online Colleges That Supply Laptops
College students are always on the go. Whether you’re heading to class or hanging out with your friends, it can be tough to lug around all of your books and other materials. If this sounds familiar, consider an online college that provides laptops for students. Many colleges offer laptops for rent or even supply them completely free of charge—here are some of our favorites:
1. Independence University
Previously known as the California College of Health Sciences, Independence University (IU), also known as Salt Lake City Home, provides students with tablets and computers for use in school or for any program.
To make sure that new students have all of the equipment needed to participate in tech-driven learning, numerous devices are given to them.
IU also gives students the option to keep their laptops and tablets for free, in contrast to many other online schools that do so. The only prerequisite is that they finish the degree program to they were first admitted.
2. Moravian College
In 2018, Apple first recognized Moravian as a Distinguished School. This implies that every undergraduate student at Moravian receives a free Apple MacBook Pro and iPad.
After accepting their admission and paying an enrollment deposit, students can pick up their devices. Additionally, Moravian permits graduates to keep their laptops and iPads.
Additionally, this college provides free gadgets to transfer and overseas students in addition to first-time enrollees. Students who take advantage of this program have access to a full-service portal with resources for renting equipment, IT problems, and technology support.
3. Wake Forest University
One of the most well-known online universities that offer computers to students is Wake Forest University. Online and on-campus students who participate in the WakeWare program at the university are eligible for institutional aid, such as grants and scholarships, as well as an automatic qualification for a free Apple or Dell laptop.
The rates for an Apple or Dell laptop are reduced for all other students, providing considerable educational savings. Each laptop provided through the WakeWare program also comes pre-loaded with all the authorized software required to complete any online or on-campus curriculum.
Additionally, the school offers an optional software update that allows students to download additional programs and software through the Software@WFU program. This includes equipment made by well-known companies like Adobe and Microsoft.
4. University of Minnesota Crookston
The University of Minnesota-Crookston is the next institution on our list of online institutions that provide laptops. This university has the distinction of being the nation’s first institution of higher learning to start providing free laptops to its students. Since 1993, this elite school has provided computers to its students.
Representatives from more than 120 colleges and universities had to go to the school to see the program’s outcomes in person at the time since they were so ground-breaking. The school’s new chancellor in 2017 instructed for an assessment of the laptop program to be conducted to see if it was meeting the needs of the students. The review’s findings supported the program’s educational value, ensuring its future relevance in an increasingly tech-savvy age.
Currently, online learners can enroll in the University of Minnesota-Crookston program in addition to offline or on-campus ones. A new Hewlett-Packard Elitebook 1040 G5, with features of a 14-inch screen and offering dual functionalities as a laptop and tablet, is given to qualified students enrolled in full-time programs.
5. Seton Hill University
This recognized online college with a Catholic liberal art located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, has one of the most distinctive curricula among those that provide laptops. Students in some graduate programs and full-time undergraduate students each receive a MacBook Air.
Online students are additionally eligible for the school’s Apple Care tech assistance service. Students who have laptops that can’t be fixed right away can borrow a free replacement Macbook Air.
6. Bethel University
Located in Tennessee is Bethel University. With little over 2,300 undergraduate students enrolled, it is a private Christian school. Bethel holds a prominent position among online colleges that improve college students’ social mobility despite its tiny size.
You will receive a Chromebook for free if you enroll at Bethel University. Your Chromebook will be mailed to you by the university as an online student.
Chromebooks have the advantage of being compact, light, and quick, despite not being as powerful as conventional laptops. You can start working on your assignments right away rather than waiting for your laptop to boot up because Chromebooks typically start up more quickly.
7. Valley City State University
Full-time students at Valley City State University are provided laptops as part of their laptop initiative. Additionally, part-time students may select either a current model or an older model computer based on availability.
Depending on their major, the school decides whether a student gets a MacBook Pro or a Windows laptop. While students in other areas like commerce, the natural sciences, and medicine are given PCs, students in fields like art, music, and social science are given Macs.
8. Chatham University
During orientation, this university provides brand-new MacBook Airs to all first-year students. All of the college’s undergraduate courses use hardware, and students have access to campus wi-fi and laptop tech support. A four-year warranty that covers theft and unintentional damage is also available.
9. Dakota State University
The first wireless mobile computing effort was introduced by Madison, South Dakota’s Dakota State University (DSU) in 2004. This program is still in operation today, giving brand-new laptops to first-year, full-time students. These students are qualified, on-campus or online, regardless of where they are.
Each student at DSU receives the most recent Fujitsu T-Series model laptop through this program. Each given PC comes with fully functional warranty protections and installed, licensed instructional software.
In addition to receiving free replacement batteries when their current ones wear out, students who participate in this program can use their laptops to connect to both wireless and wired internet networks from anywhere on campus. These students can stop participating in the program and start using their own laptops once they have earned up to 59 academic credits.
10. Bethel University
This college provides its pupils with Google Chromebook laptops. Additionally, 35 undergraduate, graduate, and seminary degree programs are available online.
Depending on the curriculum a student is enrolled in and the industry or profession they are studying, Bethel University offers totally online, face-to-face, online blended, and fully online programs with yearly one- or two-week intensives on campus.
11. Indiana State University
The Sycamore Technology Award is a benefit provided by Indiana State University to qualified applicants who have been admitted and whose financial need has been established according to the FAFSA.
Both in-state and out-of-state residents are eligible for this award; however, international, returning Indiana State, and online-only students are ineligible. While transfer students must apply, all incoming freshmen are automatically considered for the scholarship.
12. Georgia State University
Georgia State University has a laptop program called the Panther Laptop. This program provides students with a Dell laptop, Chromebook, or Windows 10 computer. The specific model of each computer depends on what you need and your major. For example, if you are studying business and will be using spreadsheets and other software related to that field then a Windows 10 computer would be best for you.
Likewise, if your major is in the sciences and technology then a Chromebook may be more appropriate because it’s light and easy to take notes on when writing papers or conducting experiments.
The Panther Laptop comes with all the standard features found in most laptops: Wi-Fi capability; Bluetooth connectivity; full-sized keyboard; trackpad; touchscreen display (optional); webcam/digital camera (optional); DVD/CD burner (optional).
The only difference between this package from others is that Georgia State University offers an Apple MacBook Air along with either Microsoft Office 365 Personal or Google Apps for Business as part of their package deal so students can access their files anywhere there is internet access without having to keep them locally on their device itself.
13. University of Central Florida
Students who qualify for the laptop program at UCF may be able to receive one of two laptops: the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Series 2-in-1 or the Dell Latitude 12 7000 Series 2-in-1 with 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and 256GB SSD.
While both computers provide the performance needed to complete assignments, the Latitude 12 7000 is better suited for multitasking than its Inspiron counterpart.
In addition to the laptop, UCF offers special pricing on other hardware of their choice including printers, monitors, and webcams. UCF also provides access to Microsoft Office Software, anti-virus software, and anti-spam protection.
14. NC State University
NC State University is one of the best online colleges. It provides laptops to students who enroll in its computer science program. The laptop program costs $125 per semester for undergraduate students, $250 for graduate students, and $350 for professional Master’s degree students.
In addition, UCF laptops have a variety of additional features. All computers come with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed as well as Microsoft Office 365 University Edition, which includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The Inspiron 14 also boasts 256GB solid-state drive (SSD) storage space while the Latitude 12 has 512GB SSD storage space State University is one of the best online colleges. It provides laptops to students who enroll in its computer science program.
15. Pace University
Pace University is a private, not-for-profit university located in New York City. It was founded in 1906 and has an enrollment of over 13,000 students. The pace is ranked as one of the top universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and has been included on a number of other lists such as Forbes Magazine’s Best Colleges list and Princeton Review’s Best Northeastern Colleges list.
Pace offers online programs for undergraduate and graduate degrees through its School of Professional Studies (SPS). Pace also offers online certificate programs for those looking to further their knowledge or expand their resume.
16. Northeastern University (Boston)
Northeastern University is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines.
Northeastern University is a member of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education, an alliance of institutions that collaborate on shared initiatives to advance higher education in the region.
In its 2019 edition of Best Colleges rankings, U.S News & World Report ranked Northeastern as tied for 29th among national universities and 38th among top public national universities (tie).
17. Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College is a public college located in Miami, Florida. The college provides high-quality education to more than 116,000 students across a variety of programs. It offers bachelor’s degree programs through its ten campuses and master’s degrees in business administration, education, and other fields of study. It also serves as a research institution for graduate students from the University of Miami and Florida International University.
The college has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1956, making it one of the oldest institutions with accreditation in the U.S., according to Great Value Schools’ website
The college is one of the top colleges in the country for producing teachers and nurses, according to Great Value Schools’ website. It also has a strong nursing program and is known for its pre-med programs that prepare students for careers as physicians or surgeons. The college’s online program offers classes in business administration, criminal justice, education, and nursing.
18. MCPHS University
MCPHS is a public university. It has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges since 1976. In addition to its main campus in Boston, MCPHS also has campuses in Worcester, Massachusetts; Manchester, New Hampshire; Concord, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Greenfield and Lowell (both in western Massachusetts); Providence (Rhode Island); Northampton (Massachusetts); Springfield (Massachusetts), as well as satellite locations throughout New England.
It offers a laptop program for students in both the Doctor of Pharmacy program and the Master of Science in Nursing program at its main campus in Boston. This means that if you’re going to school there or are planning on transferring there soon, it might be worth considering getting an Apple computer that meets your needs instead of buying one yourself before starting classes.
19. Purdue Global University
Purdue Global is a private, nonprofit institution. The university was founded in 1869 and has over 2,000 employees. Purdue Global is located in Indiana and offers its degree programs through various campuses around the country.
Purdue Global also has a variety of online degree programs. For example, the school offers five different associate’s degrees in business and eight bachelor’s degrees in subjects like psychology or human resources management. The school also offers two master’s degrees.
20. Syracuse University
If you’re looking for one of the best online colleges, Syracuse University is a great choice. It’s located in New York and has been ranked as one of America’s top 150 universities by Forbes—and it’s also an Ivy League school. Syracuse offers a high-quality education at an affordable price; its tuition is around $20K per year, including room and board.
Syracuse University’s laptop program includes:
- Dell laptops (with Windows 7)
- Microsoft Office Suite with Word, Excel, PowerPoint & OneNote
- Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop Elements 12 or Illustrator CC)
In addition to the laptop program, the school provides financial aid—including grants, scholarships, and loans—and offers an on-campus housing option for students who want to live near campus but don’t have room at home. Students can apply directly through Syracuse University’s website or by calling 1-800-7SYRACUSE (1-800-797-2287) during business hours.
Conclusion
Not everyone should take online courses. Online courses, however, have certain special advantages. These perks make college accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to pursue a degree.
There are more options than ever for students considering online degrees. It only seems reasonable that a college would give students a laptop since attending online school means they will be using computers most of the time.
Unfortunately, it isn’t the case for all colleges; but, the list above should assist you in making a well-informed choice.