Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld explains how students, parents, and educators can access Apple’s Education Store for 5-15% discounts on Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches across the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada.
- Eligibility requires UNiDAYS verification with university email, and typical savings include $100-200 off MacBooks and $40-140 off Apple Watch models.
- The guide covers purchase limits, verification requirements, and optimal buying during Back to School promotions for maximum savings. Detailed instructions are provided below.
Apple rarely discounts its products, but eligible students, parents and teachers can access reduced pricing through the Apple Education Store.
The Apple Education Store is a dedicated online storefront offering year-round discounts of around 5% to 15% on selected products, including MacBooks, Macs, iPads and some Apple Watch models. The discounts are available to university students, parents buying on behalf of students, and staff working at educational institutions. To access education pricing, shoppers may need to verify their eligibility, and Apple also places limits on the number of discounted products that can be purchased each year.
Bad news: Apple hiked Mac and iPad prices on June 25, 2026 and at the same time hiked education pricing. You can see the new prices below.
Good news: It’s Prime Day this week and you can get some huge savings if you buy now. See our round up of the best Apple Deals.
This guide explains who qualifies for Apple Education pricing, how much you can save, the best time to buy, and how to maximise discounts through seasonal promotions and bundled offers. We also explain how you can save even more by shopping during Apple’s Back To School offer, which we expect will start very soon in the U.S. now that prices have been adjusted.
How to find the Apple Education Store
If you qualify as a student you can shop at Apple’s Education Store, where you can find discounted pricing, and occasionally promotions.
What can you save with the Apple Education Store?
Apple’s Education Store.
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Apple Education pricing offers year-round discounts on selected Macs, iPads and accessories for eligible students, parents, teachers and education staff.
Savings vary by product and region, but Macs usually receive the biggest discounts. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini models are commonly reduced by between $100 and $200, while selected iPads can be up to $100 cheaper through the Education Store. In May 2026 Apple added Apple Watch education pricing for students with discounts of up to $130. Smaller discounts may also be available on accessories such as the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard.
Typical savings include:
- $200/£200 off an MacBook Pro
- $100/£100 off an MacBook Air
- $100/£100 off an iPad Pro
- $50/£50 off an iPad Air
- $80/£80 off an Apple Watch Ultra 3
- $40/£40 off an Apple Watch Series 11
- £10/$10 off the Apple Pencil Pro
- £10/$10 off the standard Apple Pencil
Savings are larger on higher-spec configurations.
You can compare all the student savings for Mac, iPad student discounts, and Apple Watch student savings in our tables further down the page.
Other savings
Apple also offers discounted services and software for students:
Apple Music & Apple TV: Eligible students can subscribe to Apple Music at $5.99/£5.99 a month, rather than the standard £10.99. Apple TV+ is also included in that subscription for as long as you are a student. Here’s how students can get Apple Music for almost half price.
Apple’s Pro Apps Bundle for Education: This bundle is available only to students during the checkout process, and costs just $199.99/£199.99. It includes:
- Final Cut Pro – professional video editing software
- Logic Pro – music production and audio editing
- Motion – motion graphics and visual effects
- Compressor – video encoding and export tools
- MainStage – live performance software for musicians
Creator Studio: Alternatively you can subscribe to the Creator Studio – which is free for the first three months. The Apple Creator Studio education price is $2.99/£2.99 a month or $29/£29 a year. For non students, Creator Studio is available for a recurring subscription at $12.99/£12.99 a month, $129/£129 a year. Creator Studio adds Pixelmator Pro to the apps available in the Pro Apps Bundle, as well as premium features for:
- Keynote
- Pages
- Numbers
- Freeform
Who can use Apple’s Education Store
To access these savings, you must be a higher education student, a parent buying for one, or an educator/staff member at any grade level.
- Higher Education Students: Full-time students currently enrolled in a college or university.
- Parents: Those purchasing on behalf of a student currently in higher education.
- Educators and Staff: All teachers and faculty for K-12 or higher education, as well as administrative and other staff members working at an educational institution.
- Homeschool Parents: Parents who are homeschooling their children are also eligible, though they may need to provide additional documentation for verification.
It is important to note that standard education pricing is generally not available for school-age children (K-12 students) or their parents, unless the parent is a teacher or a homeschooler.
How to shop at Apple’s Education Store
Get Education Savings from Apple.
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With your status verified, you can shop at the Education Store for your country.
Here you will see special pricing for Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and certain accessories. Apple indicates education savings for products where applicable.
- Select the product and configuration you wish to purchase.
- Add accessories of software if required.
- If you have one you can add a trade-in device and get even more money off.
- Choose whether to add AppleCare+, which also includes an education saving. (£179 3 years/£69.99/yr)
- Verify eligibility if prompted
- Complete checkout
Those buying on behalf of a school or university, rather than for individual use, need to sign in their institution’s account at Apple’s Store for Education Institutions.
Visit the U.S. Apple Store for Education Institutions (if that link doesn’t work), the U.K. Apple Store for Education Institutions (if that link doesn’t work), or the Canadian or Australian equivalent and search for your Educational Institution. If your institution is found you will be able to sign in to access your institution’s store.
How to verify student status to use Apple’s Education Store
Verify your student status at UNiDAYS.
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Before gaining access to discounted pricing on Apple’s Education Store, students, teachers and education staff must verify their eligibility.
In many regions, Apple requires shoppers to confirm their educational status through the third-party verification service UNiDAYS. While UNiDAYS verification had already been mandatory in the U.K., Apple expanded the requirement in May 2026 to additional regions including the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Turkey and Chile as part of a stricter verification process.
- Visit the UNiDAYS website and create a UNiDAYS account.
- Provide details of your college or university.
- Provide your student email address.
UNiDAYS can usually verify student status by confirming your email address, but if that isn’t successful you may need to provide your student ID or other evidence.
Other ways students can save
There are several ways to save beyond the standard Education Store pricing. Additional savings can often be found through Apple Certified Refurbished products, trade-in programmes and discounts from third-party retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy.
Apple Certified Refurbished Store
Apple’s Certified Refurbished Store is one of the few places where the company directly reduces prices on its hardware. Refurbished devices undergo extensive testing, are restored to “like-new” condition, and include a one-year warranty with the option to add AppleCare coverage.
Discounts typically range from 15% to 30% compared with the original retail price. Recent examples have included savings of around $200 to $250 on refurbished M4 iMac models in the US store.
See Best place to buy a refurbished MacBook or Mac for more information.
Third-Party Reseller Deals
Resellers often provide deeper discounts than Apple, especially during major shopping events like Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day, or clearance periods.
- In the U.S., check Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy, and Walmart.
- In the U.K., Amazon, Currys, John Lewis, and KRCS are recommended.
Check our Best Apple Deals collection for the best deals we’ve seen, updated regularly.
Trade-In Programs
Apple and various resellers allow you to trade in old devices for credit toward a new purchase. This effectively lowers the out-of-pocket cost and is a convenient way to dispose of older hardware responsibly.
Read: How to sell or trade-in your old Mac and save on a new one.
How much is the iPad student discount?
Want to save money on the Best iPad for students? Here’s how the iPad MSRP compares to the student price in the U.S., U.K, Australia and Canada:
| Product | U.S. | U.K. |
|---|---|---|
| iPad (A16) MSRP | $449 | £429 |
| iPad (A16) Student Price | $429 | £409 |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) MSRP | $599 | £599 |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) Student Price | $549 | £549 |
| iPad Air (11-inch, M4) MSRP | $749 | £749 |
| iPad Air (11-inch, M4) Student Price | $699 | £699 |
| iPad Air (13-inch, M4) MSRP |
$949 | £949 |
| iPad Air (13-inch, M4) Student Price | $899 | £899 |
| iPad Pro (11-inch, M5) MSRP | $1,199 | £1,199 |
| iPad Pro (11-inch, M5) Student Price | $1,099 | £1,099 |
| iPad Pro (13-inch, M5) MSRP | $1,499 | £1,499 |
| iPad Pro (13-inch, M5) Student Price | $1,399 | £1,399 |
How much is the Mac/MacBook student discount?
Want to save money on the Best MacBook for university? Here’s how the MacBook MSRP compares to the student price in the U.S., U.K, Australia and Canada:
| Product | U.S. | U.K. |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo, A18 Pro, MSRP | $699 | £699 |
| MacBook Neo, A18 Pro, Student discount | $599 | £599 |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M5, MSRP | $1,299 | £1,299 |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M5, Student discount | $1,199 | £1,199 |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M5, MSRP | $1,499 | £1,499 |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M5, Student discount | $1,399 | £1,399 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 MSRP | $1,999 | £1,999 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Student discount | $1,899 | £1,899 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Pro MSRP | $2,499 | £2,499 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Pro Student discount | $2,349 | £2,349 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Pro MSRP | $2,999 | £2,999 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Pro Student discount | $2,799 | £2,799 |
| iMac M4 MSRP | $1,499 | £1,499 |
| iMac M4 Student discount | $1,449 | £1,449 |
| Mac mini M4 MSRP | $799 | £799 |
| Mac mini M4 Student discount | $699 | £699 |
| Mac Studio M4 Max MSRP | $2,499 | £2,499 |
| Mac Studio M4 Max Student discount | $2,299 | $2,299 |
How much is the Apple Watch student discount?
Here’s how the Apple Watch MSRP compares to the student price in the U.S., U.K, Australia and Canada:
| Product | U.S. | U.K. | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 11, MSRP | $399 | £369 | $679 | $549 |
| Apple Watch Series 11, Student discount | $359 | £329 | $609 | $489 |
| Apple Watch SE 3, MSRP | $249 | £219 | $399 | $329 |
| Apple Watch SE 3, Student discount | $229 | £199 | $369 | $299 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 3, MSRP | $799 | £749 | $1,399 | $1,099 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 3, Student discount | $719 | £669 | $1,259 | $989 |
FAQ
Are there purchase limits?
Yes. Student shoppers are subject to annual purchase limits:
Apple limits the number of discounted items you can buy from the Education Store each year:
- One desktop Mac.
- One Mac laptop.
- Two iPads.
- One Apple Watch.
- Two accessories.
When is the best time to shop at the Apple Education Store?
The best time to buy is during Apple’s annual Back to School promotion, which usually runs between June and September in the Northern Hemisphere, and January to March in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
During the promotion, Apple adds extra incentives on top of its standard education discounts, making it one of the cheapest times of year to buy directly from Apple.
Recent Back to School offers have included:
- Free AirPods or Apple Pencil models with qualifying Macs or iPads
- Discounted upgrades to AirPods Pro
- Savings on accessories such as the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad
- Gift cards with eligible purchases in selected regions
Who qualifies for Apple Education pricing?
In the U.S., Apple says the following groups are eligible for Education Store discounts:
- K–12 employees, including homeschool teachers
- School board members and some PTA/PTO officers
- University and college students, including those accepted into higher education
- Parents buying on behalf of eligible higher education students
- Faculty and staff at higher education institutions
Apple has similar eligibility rules in the U.K., where discounts are available to:
- Employees of public and private educational institutions
- Students attending or accepted into post-secondary education
- Parents purchasing for eligible post-secondary students
- Apple may request proof of eligibility during or after purchase.
Can parents buy through the Apple Education Store for their children?
Parents can purchase products through the Apple Education Store for their children, but only if the child is a student in higher education (college or university). Apple’s education pricing is not available to parents buying for children in K-12 (grade school, middle school, or high school), unless the parent is a teacher or a home educator.
Does Apple offer student discounts on AppleCare?
Apple does not offer separate student discounts on AppleCare+, but education customers can still add AppleCare+ to their Apple Education Store purchases.
Can you pay monthly or use Apple finance plans on the Apple Education Store?
Yes. In most countries, Apple allows customers to use monthly payment plans and financing options when buying through the Apple Education Store.
How often does Apple change Education Store pricing?
The discounts are typically updated when Apple introduces new products. The percentage saving is usually the same: between 5% and 15% off.
What happens if Apple asks for proof of eligibility after purchase?
You may need to provide the following, in addition to being verified via UNIDAYS:
- A student ID card
- University acceptance or enrolment documents
- A school or university email address
Without this your order may be cancelled.
