Get your back to school kit at a bargain price with the Apple student discount.
Apple products are expensive, which makes finding the best MacBook and Apple device deals incredibly important. One that you may not know about, though, is Apple’s education discount for students.
The idea is simple: to help more people get access to Apple devices like MacBooks and iPads to help with school, college, and university projects by offering a discount for those in education. The good news is that it’s easier than ever to see if you qualify, and even easier to apply for the Apple student discount (opens in new tab).
If you’re not sure which Apple products you should snag with your student discount, then our guide to the best MacBooks for students is a good place to start. There are no bad choices, but some might be better suited to your individual needs and our comprehensive guide can help you make the right choice.
How much is the Apple student discount?
There’s no easy way to calculate the discount afforded by Apple’s educational program as it’s not a fixed rate, but it roughly works out at 10%.
That’s nothing to be sniffed at, though, especially given the high price to be begin with – especially when factoring in additional deals and offers which we’ll get to shortly.
What can I use the Apple Student Discount to buy?
As you can imagine, the Apple student discount is primarily for the purchase of educational tools – so while you can get the occasional free pair of headphones thrown in with your purchase, they’re not likely to be listed on the storefront when you first log in.
Instead, you’re able to save on M1 iPads like the iPad Pro and iPad Air, as well as Apple Silicon laptops including M1 and M2 versions of the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro and iMac.
How to get the Apple Student discount
The process works a little differently whether you’re applying in the US or the UK. For the former, once you’ve got your proof of eligibility (see the next section on what you need), you can head to a specific part of the Apple Store website (opens in new tab).
For UK students and education employees, you’ll need to sign up through a third party called Unidays (opens in new tab). It’s quick, but it’s not quite as simple as being able to jump straight into browsing the store.
Who qualifies for the Apple Student discount?
To be eligible for the Apple Education discount, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
- Be a student aged sixteen or over and in higher education (College or University). You’ll just need your student ID.
- Be the parent of a student that meets the criteria above.
- Be working in education (College or University). You’ll need to submit some employment documents to show this.
Does Apple offer other discounts for students?
Alongside the student discount, Apple fairly regularly adds additional deals.
Prior to a new academic year, the tech giant has been known to throw in a pair of headphones (usually Beats or the base AirPods) with a laptop or iPad purchase, while they often offer additional gift vouchers, too, that can be redeemed both on Apple hardware and on the App Store.
At time of writing, Apple’s current deal offers a gift card up to $150 (opens in new tab) when you buy a Mac or iPad. If you’re looking to grab another Apple product, like a pair of headphones, then that’s a fantastic offer.
There are also offers that’ll include a few months of Apple Music (opens in new tab), the company’s music streaming service, for free, or Apple One, a services bundle that includes the likes of Apple Fitness+, Apple Arcade, and additional iCloud storage.
There’s also a Pro Apps Bundle (opens in new tab) for Education that bundles Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, Mainstage, and Final Cut Pro for $199, saving an incredible $430.
Students can also save 20% on Apple’s AppleCare+ insurance, which can be ideal if you’re carrying your shiny new iPad or MacBook from classroom to classroom or building to building.
Does the Apple Education discount apply to refurbished products?
Apple doesn’t offer the standard Apple Student discount for its certified refurbished products, but it does offer exclusive deals on refurbished products on its education store.
If you’re happy to buy refurbished (and it’s always worth seeing what’s on offer) you may find what you’re looking for at a lower price than you’d get new with the education discount.
For example, at time of writing you can get $150 off a refurbished iPhone 12 Pro (opens in new tab), or a massive $280 off a refurbished iPhone 11 Pro (opens in new tab).
Are Apple products good for students?
While Apple’s products are expensive, there’s no denying that they offer bang for your buck.
Apple laptops, for example, tend to last longer than their Windows counterparts – major macOS updates are once a year, but because Apple owns the entire hardware and software stacks, the two work more closely together.
Nowhere is that more keenly felt than in the latest MacBooks powered by Apple Silicon. Inspired by the work done on iPads and iPhones, Apple Silicon Macs offer incredibly efficient power, meaning they’ll last for multiple lectures (and maybe even multiple days) without slowing down or losing power.
They also include a handful of built-in apps that are ideal for students; word processor Pages, spreadsheet app Numbers, presentation app Keynote, and audio recording suite GarageBand among them. That means that there’s no need to buy additional software or pay for monthly subscriptions right off the bat.
Away from the Mac, Apple’s iPad product line has never been more diverse. While the iPad Pro is undeniably pricey, Apple Education discount or not, the range also starts at just over $300.
iPadOS has just started to emerge from iOS’ shadow, and still has a long way to go when it comes to being considered a replacement for a laptop. Still, with the option to add the Apple Pencil for digital artists, or the Magic Keyboard for everything else, the iPad’s modular nature makes it undeniably appealing for students for both work and play.
Finally, the iPhone remains the most popular smartphone around, and with iPhone 13 being the best all-around iPhone yet, you’d be surprised by how much you can get done on it.
All of the above also work perfectly with Apple’s popular AirPods, too, meaning whether it’s a playlist for heading to school or a lofi track for late-night studying, students can enjoy high-quality audio wherever they are.
