The Dell XPS 15 (9560, year 2016) version is what both my kid and I have. Do note that the 2019 version (which Dell confusingly calls the XPS 7590) finally takes care of the biggest issue that most users had, which is the placement of the camera (no more “nostril cam”), plus it offers an i9 CPU for really high-end models. However, it literally just came out last month (June 2019) so chances are this model might be hard to find.
The XPS 13/15 is probably nicest machine out there alongside the MacBook Pro. Based on what you are saying, if budget is an issue, you should probably go with an i5 version. My kid did have an issue with the battery “bubbling up” (probably from overcharging the battery) and literally lifting his keyboard up, but it was a warranty item and Dell sent him a free battery. And has had issues with screws coming loose (probably from the battery issue), but once he put a cover on the bottom of the laptop, that helped a lot. Other than that, no problems, it’s been going pretty strong for him for 2+ years. Probably next year though I’ll think about upgrading for him.