Best Grad School Backpacks: Big, Versatile & Affordable

Osprey Nebula Laptop Backpack

The Nebula laptop backpack from Osprey is an excellent option for grad school. It’s an incredibly versatile backpack with a large capacity that can work well for multiple purposes. Although the bag is primarily designed for travel and everyday carry, its features are versatile enough that the bag can work well for outdoor adventures.

The Nebula features a 34-liter capacity divided over three large compartments and a variety of pockets. The main compartment is very spacious and it’s perfect for bulky books and notebooks. There’s also a dedicated laptop compartment in the back with a padded sleeve and an extra pocket for a second device or just accessories.

On top of that, the backpack also features a smaller front compartment with an organizer panel that has a dedicated spot for everything from pens to keys.

The Osprey backpack boasts four external pockets as well. Two are stretchy side pockets, one is a stretchy front shove-it pocket, and the final one is a zippered, scratch-free pocket for smartphones and sunglasses.

It’s also worth noting that the Nebula features thick padding and breathable mesh in the backpanel and shoulder straps, as well as both a hip belt and a sternum strap.

The North Face Vault Backpack

The North Face Vault is a great medium-capacity backpack for grad school. It’s made from polyester and it has a water-repellent finish that will protect your precious belongings in light rain. It’s also one of the more affordable grad school backpacks out of the bunch, so a great value for students.

The pack also boasts TNF’s signature FlexVent suspension system with thick padding in the shoulder straps and backpanel, as well as breathable mesh over the entire back system of the bag. It’s very comfortable to wear and the convenient sternum strap will help keep those straps in place while you’re on the move.

There’s one main compartment in this backpack and it features an internal laptop sleeve. It’s a roomy compartment, but it doesn’t have any pockets inside – all of those are on the organizer panel that’s in the smaller front compartment. The Vault backpack also features stretchy side pockets, as well as an attachment point for an LED light on the front panel.

This backpack is best for people who need something to carry a computer and its accessories, plus a few other books. It’s also a great everyday carry bag, and it could work for cycling if you can improvise a waist strap.

Lenovo Legion Armored Backpack

The Lenovo Legion backpack is a great option for anyone who primarily needs a bag for their computer. This backpack is designed to fit even the bulkiest 17” gaming laptops, and it promises to keep them safe no matter what. The hardside compartment boasts excellent impact resistance, the exterior of the bag is weather-resistant, and the padding in the laptop compartment is EVA foam.

The main compartment of this bag is quite spacious, with open pockets meant to hold a keyboard, headphones, and a mouse. There’s plenty of room in this compartment for books and files, and those open pockets can certainly hold other items that you consider essential for grad school.

There’s also a smaller front compartment on this bag, with a hardside cover and an organizer panel inside. The backpack even has a stretchy side pocket for a water bottle.

In terms of carrying comfort, Lenovo does not disappoint. There’s thick padding in both the backpanel and the shoulder straps, as well as airflow channels for excellent breathability. The backpack also boasts a sternum strap for stable carrying, and you’ll even find a hidden zippered pocket on the backpanel, which is perfect for things you want to keep extra safe.

JanSport Big Student Backpack

JanSport backpacks are very popular with students, and the Big Student backpack is a great option for grad school if you’re on a tighter budget. It’s under $50, so it’s one of the most affordable packs featured here. The bag has a total capacity of 34 liters, which should be enough even for those of you that need to carry an entire library of books to class every day.

The backpack features three large compartments, a small front pocket with an organizer panel, and a slim zippered pocket on the front. There are also two stretchy mesh pockets on the sides, which are just right for water bottles and umbrellas.

The three main compartments are spacious and great for books and files, but they don’t feature smaller pockets inside. Only the front compartment has open pockets, pen holders, and a key clip inside – not the best organizational features you could hope for, but they’re certainly better than nothing.

The Big Student backpack also features thick padding in the shoulder straps and backpanel. It’s worth noting that the shoulder straps are ergonomic and S-shaped, for improved carrying comfort. However, there’s no sternum strap or a hip belt, which could be an issue when the pack is filled.

Targus Cypress Slim Backpack

The Targus Cypress Slim backpack is an excellent option if you don’t carry too many items to class in your bag. It’s a laptop backpack with a slim and sleek design that works wonderfully well for everyday carry. The pack is also very comfortable to wear thanks to the thick padding in breathable mesh in all components of the back system.

The backpack features a dedicated laptop compartment that fits devices up to 15.6”, as well as a separate main compartment. The main compartment is spacious, with an organizer panel and several zippered pockets for excellent organization. This bag also has hidden pockets on the front panel, as well as convenient pockets on the sides.

The Targus backpack also boasts a luggage strap in the back, making it a decent option for travel. It’s not the ideal carry-on backpack because the small capacity doesn’t allow for too many items, but it’s small enough that it might just pass as a personal item on most airlines.

In addition to that, it’s important to note that this backpack is made from recycled materials. The fabric was made from recycled plastic bottles, and it’s water-resistant for best performance in wet weather conditions.

Carharrt Legacy Deluxe Backpack

The Carharrt Legacy Deluxe backpack is a great option if you’re looking to get a medium-capacity backpack. The bag has three large compartments, as well as several smaller pockets for excellent organization. The laptop compartment can fit 17” devices, making this bag the best option for all of you with big and bulky laptops.

The main compartment is roomy enough to hold books, files, and folders, while the frontmost compartment boasts a convenient organizer panel with open and zippered pockets. There are two additional pockets on the front panel, one of which also boasts pen holders, card slots, and open pockets.

The other pocket on the front panel is small and zippered, without any extra features inside. The bag has three additional external pockets – two on the sides, and a scratch-free zippered pocket at the top.

Additionally, the Carharrt backpack is also very comfortable to wear thanks to all the padding in the shoulder straps and backpanel. There’s even breathable mesh all over the back system, for excellent ventilation on warm days. Overall, it’s one of the best backpacks for grad school, if you’re okay with the somewhat higher price point.

High Sierra Swerve Laptop Backpack

The Swerve laptop backpack from High Sierra is a great option for everyone looking to get a large-capacity backpack. With a total capacity of 36.5 liters, this is one of the largest backpacks for grad school you can find. It boasts excellent organizational features with multiple compartments, lots of pockets, and a surprisingly comfortable back system.

The back panel features padded and ventilated inserts for excellent breathability and even better carrying comfort. The shoulder straps are also padded and even ergonomically shaped for a comfortable fit and carrying experience. The bag doesn’t feature a sternum strap or a waist belt, but there is an insert where you can attach a sternum strap if you want.

The Swerve backpack features three large compartments, two small compartments on the front panel, and two stretchy mesh pockets on the sides. The laptop compartment can fit 17” devices, while the frontmost pockets boast convenient organizers for all the smaller items.

In addition to that, this grad school backpack also boasts compressions straps on the sides and a USB port for easy charging. It’s a versatile backpack that could also work for outdoor adventures, travel, and even everyday carry, plus it’s affordable enough that it won’t break the bank for most students.

Note: we have also mentioned one of these backpacks in our high school backpack reviews if you want more options.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Travelier

If you want a grad school backpack that also doubles as a great bag for travel, go with the Kenneth Cole Reaction Travelier. The brand makes excellent luggage, and this laptop backpack is no exception. It boasts a padded computer sleeve that fits devices up to 15.6”, as well a very spacious main compartment with a cope of convenient pockets inside.

There’s another full-size compartment in the front – it’s quite slim, so it’s perfect for files and folders. The bag also boasts two zippered pockets on the front panel, one of which is equipped with a convenient organizer panel.

In addition to all that, the Travelier backpack also boasts two zippered side pockets, as well as a quick-access pocket on the front panel. In terms of organization, it doesn’t get much better than this bag.

The pack also boasts a very comfortable backpanel with breathable mesh and thick padding all over. Even the shoulder straps are S-shaped for improved carrying comfort and feature a sternum strap that will keep them in place no matter how much you are moving around.

In addition to all that, the Travelier backpack also boasts a luggage strap on the back panel, which can come in handy if you decide to take this backpack on a trip.

SwissGear Cecil 5505 Laptop Backpack

SwissGear makes amazing backpacks and you can never go wrong with one of their products. The Cecil laptop backpack is a medium-sized bag with excellent organizational features that are perfect for students. However, the medium capacity of the bag means it’s not the best solution for all of you who must carry a lot of books.

The Cecil backpack is made from 600D ripstop Polyester for excellent durability. The material has pretty good water resistance even without any additional coating, so you can expect the bag to keep your belongings dry and protected in wet weather.

The bag has three zippered compartments total. One is a padded laptop compartment for 15.6” devices, another one is a slim compartment great for files and folders, and the final one boasts a padded tablet sleeve and a convenient organizer panel.

The SwissGear backpack also boasts an open, quick-access pocket on the front panel, two stretchy mesh pockets on the sides, and a convenient LED light attachment point at the bottom of the front panel.

This backpack also boasts signature SwissGear comfort with lots of thick padding in the back system and ergonomic shoulder straps. All the back system components are covered with breathable mesh for excellent airflow and ventilation. On top of that, the shoulder straps do have attachment points for a sternum strap, but you won’t get one of those with the backpack.