Student Computer Purchase Recommendations AY23-24


What to Buy

We recommend that all students purchase an Apple or Dell laptop with a three or four year warranty for their time at Princeton.

Apple and Dell models may be purchased directly from the manufacturer or other retail suppliers. Princeton does not offer a purchase program for students.

Apple Education Pricing and Student Discounts: https://www.apple.com/us-edu/store

Dell Student Discounts Laptops for College: https://www.dell.com/Princeton

Repair while at Princeton

The OIT Solutions Center: Computer, Software and Loaner Technology Support, located in the Frist Campus Center, is an authorized warranty repair facilitator for both Apple and Dell. 

Humanities Recommended Models

Apple MacBook Pro 14”

Dell XPS 13

Math, Science, Engineering Recommended Model

Apple MacBook Pro 16”

Dell Precision 5570

Financial Aid/ Outside Scholarship

Students receiving financial aid from Princeton Financial Aid may request reimbursement or a loan from Financial Aid. If you are an undergraduate student receiving need-based financial aid from Princeton please read Undergraduate Financial Aid Computer Purchases. Contact faoffice@princeton.edu for details specific to your situation.

If you are an undergraduate receiving a Princeton grant but the amount was reduced as a result of an outside scholarship, you may use lost grant funds toward the purchase of a computer. Please read Outside Scholarship toward the one-time purchase of a personal computer up

Software

With a Princeton student netID students receive a Google Drive and Gmail account, as well as a Microsoft 365 license. 

Additional software may be purchased through the OIT Store.

Undergraduate Loaner Computers (Financial Aid students only)

If you are an undergraduate financial aid student, you may request a loaner computer for your first year at Princeton.  Email techclinic@princeton.edu for more information

Loaner MacBook Pro 16  

Loaner Dell 5570 Precision

Graduate Students

We recommend that graduate students speak with their faculty advisor and/or departmental IT prior to purchasing a computer.  But we do recommend the following models as the basic starting point.

Apple MacBook Pro 16”

Dell Precision 5570