female student exploring software for study on her Copilot+ PC

July 31, 2025 | Updated: January 23, 2026

5 must-have Copilot+ PC apps for students

Between lectures, research papers, and creative projects, student life fills up fast. Whether you're taking notes, editing a presentation, or trying to stick to a study routine, the right tools can make all the difference.

That’s where the new generation of Copilot+ PCs comes in. Powered by next-gen NPUs (neural processing units), these devices are built for speed—delivering up to 58% faster performance than the MacBook Air with M3, and up to five times faster than the most-used 5-year-old Windows laptops still in circulation.¹

And forget the charger. With up to 22 hours of video playback and 15 hours of web browsing, you can get through classes, study sessions, and even a Netflix binge—on a single charge.²

To help you take full advantage of that power, we’ve rounded up five must-have Windows apps every student should install. These productivity apps for students are simple, powerful, and built to help you stay organized, focused, and ahead of schedule.

The OneNote app shows an annotated inventory work notebook page

1. OneNote: Keep class notes in one place

Best for: Organized notes, class tags, exam prep

OneNote: is a student’s dream tool for capturing everything—class notes, voice memos, screenshots, and more. Organize by subject, tag key info, and search anything in seconds.

On a Copilot+ PCs, AI-enhanced search makes OneNote even more powerful, helping you find exactly what you need (even from scribbled pages or scanned text). It’s hands-down one of the best productivity apps for students.

The Microsoft To Do app shows a quick list of tasks

2. Microsoft To Do: Stay on track without the stress

Best for: Managing tasks, building routines, meeting deadlines

Microsoft To Do: is a task manager that helps students stay organized without feeling overwhelmed. You can set daily checklists, create recurring tasks for classes, and even color-code assignments.

With a Copilot+ PCs, you get faster syncing and suggested tasks based on your schedule and habits. It’s a great addition to any set of student productivity tools.

The Clipchamp app shows the autocaptions feature in editor view

3. Clipchamp: Edit videos for school or social in minutes

Best for: Class presentations, creative assignments, social content

Clipchamp: is a beginner-friendly video editor that’s great for school projects or side hustles. You can use templates, stock music, and drag-and-drop tools to create polished videos—no editing experience needed.

On a Copilot+ PCs, Clipchamp benefits from AI-powered features like auto-captioning and smart trimming, plus quicker rendering. It’s one of the more fun and versatile productivity apps for students. Extra credit: Use Clipchamp to create video summaries of notes as a study tool.³

The Edge app with a menu that shows how to quickly summarize a paragraph

4. Edge browser: Research smarter, not harder

Best for: Managing tabs, building reading lists, organizing research

The Microsoft Edge browser: is built for multitasking students. Use vertical tabs to avoid clutter and save links into Collections to group research materials by topic.

Paired with Copilot+ PC features, Edge can summarize articles, suggest sources, and even help organize your thoughts into outlines. If you do a lot of online reading or research, this is software for study you’ll want in your toolkit.

The Paint app shows how Cocreator generates images from rough drawings

5. Paint: Quick visuals, diagrams, and creative touches

Best for: Annotating screenshots, sketching ideas, simple graphics

Paint has quietly become one of the most versatile tools for students—especially on Copilot+ PCs, where AI features like background removal, Cocreator image generation, and layer support add serious flexibility.⁴

Need to sketch a diagram, mock up a visual for a project, or annotate a screenshot for a class presentation? You can do it all in seconds. Try using Cocreator to generate custom images for slide decks or concept visuals that match your notes—perfect for creative or visual learners.

Get more done with these productivity apps for students

Studying is easier when your apps are working as hard as you are. With the power of a Copilot+ PCs and these five must-have Windows apps, you can stay organized, productive, and ahead of deadlines all year long.

Ready to take your schoolwork to the next level? Explore the latest Copilot+ PCs and Windows 11 to experience faster performance, longer battery life, and AI tools built to help you study smarter, not harder.

DISCLAIMER: Features and functionality subject to change. Articles are written specifically for the United States market; features, functionality, and availability may vary by region.
[1] Based on Cinebench 24 Multi-Core benchmark. See aka.ms/cpclaims.
[2] Battery life varies significantly by device and with settings, usage and other factors. See aka.ms/cpclaims.
[3] Microsoft Clipchamp subscription sold separately (premium filters & effects, premium stock content, brand kit, advanced AI features - highlights, retake and filler word removal, premium output (4k)).
[4] Optimized for English text prompts and requires a Microsoft account and internet connection to access cloud services that help ensure the responsible use of AI. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs.