Our Best Backpacks For College

Bear, Bulldog, Spartan, or Gator, whatever your team, make sure you’re kitted out in the best backpacks for college and carry all your gear easily whatever the activity. 

Other than dorm room essentials, one of the most important things you’ll need for college is a durable, reliable, and spacious backpack. Whether that’s for carrying your laptop, books, lunch—or all of the above, or for downtime hangs, making sure you’ve got a backpack that fits your needs and your lifestyle makes all the difference. 

And, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up our five best-selling, fan-favorite backpacks for college, tried and tested over the years by many college students. Ready to make every activity easier and that little bit more stylish, here’s our lineup of college-ready backpacks to suit every taste and packing need.

The Favorite College Backpack

The SuperBreak® Plus is by far, the number one backpack worn by JanSport staff and loved by college students alike. 

A fresh take on the classic SuperBreak® pack, it’s made with recycled materials—perfect for being more eco-friendly as you go around campus. Throw on this versatile backpack for school or weekend outings. 

The SuperBreak® Plus makes an ideal laptop backpack, including an internal 15" laptop sleeve that’s padded to keep your tech safe and secure. It also features a side water bottle pocket and front organizer pocket that’s perfect for keeping all your cords in one easy-to-grab place. The spacious main compartment is great for all your other daily essentials.

 

The Adventurous College Backpack

The Gnarly Gnapsack 30 is perfect for all your most radical adventures at college and beyond. A large main compartment holds your gear while a secondary compartment with zippered mesh pocket stashes your cache. Padded S-Curve air-mesh shoulder straps and fully padded air-mesh back panel keeps you way cool. A dedicated laptop sleeve and easy access front pocket with protected media pocket keep your electronics close at hand.

 

The Original College Backpack

In 1970, students at University of Washington took our original hiking pack and turned it into the first campus backpack. A few design changes later the Right Pack was born. Functional simplicity at its best, the dependable leather bottom Right Pack is a solid choice for any college student. The main compartment has ample space for everything you need on and off campus. Featuring a 15” laptop sleeve and large front pockets, it is the iconic college pack.

Check out the Right Pack Premium which has a few fun upgrades on the OG including a dedicated zippered laptop compartment, air mesh shoulder straps, and premium suede leather bottom, trim, and zipper pulls.

 

The Gear-Forward College Backpack

The future belongs to those who have the gear to get there. The Main Campus will carry all your gear with ease. As its name suggests, it’s truly a college backpack at heart but will stay with you long into the future too. Pack your goals into the main compartment and your gumption into the other. With a dedicated laptop compartment, front organizer compartment, zippered stash pocket, H2O pocket, and an organizer panel with key fob, there’s no stopping you or the Main Campus pack.

 

The Daypack College Backpack

Give your college backpack an outdoor vibe with the Agave. A classic daypack featuring a padded sleeve to fit a 3L hydration system or 15 inch laptop, this backpack makes it easy to get to all your stuff at once. Designed with a soft tricot lined tablet pocket, AirCore shoulder straps, quick external accessories pocket, and a front utility pocket with organizer, this is the perfect backpack for college or day hikes.

The large compartment fits everything from books to your favorite college sweatshirt. Pack your pens, cords, chargers, and all your small stuff in the large front pocket. Keep your sunglasses or wallet in the top easy-access stash pocket. Check out the Women's Agave backpack as another great option.