Students, teachers, and those who work for an educational institution can save money on a new Mac, MacBook, or iPad by shopping at the Apple Education Store, which offers discounts all year round.
This guide provides details on how much the Apple education discount is and eligibility requirements for an Apple student discount. Before explaining how to get an Apple student discount at the Apple Education Store, it’s worth noting that Apple says that the discounted products are not for resale.
What products does Apple discount for students?
Devices generally offered at a discount include the MacBooks and iMacs, the Mac Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Studio computers. Discounts are also available on monitors like the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR. Teachers and students may also purchase iPads as well as accessories like the Apple Pencil, keyboards, and various power adapters. The discount applies to new models only — not Apple’s refurbished products.
Apple also offers Apple Music subscriptions to students at a discount.
Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t offer education discounts on iPhones, Apple TV, AirPods, or Apple Watch.
Although AirPods aren’t discounted for students, Apple has been known to give away AirPods as part of a student-focused deal during the back-to-school buying season (between June and October in the northern hemisphere and between January and March in the southern hemisphere). For example, in January-March 2024 Brazil and South Korean students could claim free AirPods with purchases, but Australian and New Zealand students were given Apple gift vouchers.
The education discount limits how many products you can buy each year. You can purchase one computer (like a MacBook or desktop Mac) or two iPads each year.
How much is the Apple student discount?
Apple doesn’t offer a single, universal discount to students. It sets different prices for each product range.
Students can save up to $200/£220 on Macs and up to $100/£100 on iPads.
Here’s how the iPad MSRP compares to the student price:
| Product | U.S. | U.K. | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (10th gen) MSRP | $349 | £349 | $599 | $499 |
| iPad (10th gen) Student Price | $329 | £329 | $559 | $469 |
| iPad mini MSRP | $499 | £499 | $829 | $679 |
| iPad mini Student Price | $449 | £449 | $749 | $609 |
| iPad Air (11-inch, M2) MSRP | $599 | £599 | $999 | $799 |
| iPad Air (11-inch, M2) Student Price | $549 | £549 | $919 | $729 |
| iPad Air (13-inch, M2) MSRP | $799 | £799 | $1,299 | $1,099 |
| iPad Air (13-inch, M2) Student Price | $749 | £749 | $1,219 | $1,029 |
| iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) MSRP | $999 | £999 | $1,699 | $1,399 |
| iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) Student Price | $899 | £899 | $1,529 | $1,249 |
| iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) MSRP | $1,299 | £1,299 | $2,199 | $1,799 |
| iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) Student Price | $1,199 | £1,199 | $2,029 | $1,649 |
Apple’s discounted price for students compared to the usual price.
Here’s how the Mac MSRP compares to the student price:
| Product | U.S. | U.K. | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, MSRP | $999 | £999 | $1,599 | $1,299 |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, Student discount | $899 | £899 | $1,439 | $1,169 |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3, MSRP | $1,099 | £1,099 | $1,799 | $1,449 |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3, Student discount | $999 | £999 | $1,649 | $1,299 |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M3, MSRP | $1,299 | £1,299 | $2,199 | $1,749 |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M3, Student discount | $1,199 | £1,199 | $1,999 | $1,599 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 MSRP | $1,599 | £1,699 | $2,699 | $2,099 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Student discount | $1,499 | £1,589 | $2,529 | $1,969 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro MSRP | $1,999 | £2,099 | $3,499 | $2,699 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro Student discount | $1,849 | £1,939 | $3,239 | $2,399 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro MSRP | $2,499 | £2,599 | $4,299 | $3,299 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro Student discount | $2,299 | £2,389 | $3,949 | $2,939 |
| iMac M3 MSRP | $1,299 | £1,399 | $2,199 | $1,699 |
| iMac M3 Student discount | $1,249 | £1,349 | $2,109 | $1,629 |
| Mac mini MSRP | $599 | £649 | $999 | $799 |
| Mac mini Student discount | $499 | £539 | $829 | $669 |
| Mac Studio MSRP | $1,999 | £2,099 | $3,299 | $2,699 |
| Mac Studio Student discount | $1,799 | £1,889 | $2,969 | $2,429 |
| Mac Pro MSRP | $6,999 | £7,199 | $11,999 | $8,999 |
| Mac Pro Student discount | $6,599 | £6,789 | $11,309 | $8,479 |
Apple’s discounted price for students compared to the usual price.
MacBook student discounts
Below are the discounts on the base model Macs, there are bigger discounts on the more expensive models.
How much can students save on the 13-inch MacBook Air, M2?
MSRP: $999 / £999 / AU$1,599 / CA$1,299
Student: $899 / £899 /AU$1,439 / CA$1,169
Students save: $100 / £100 / AU$160 / CA$130
How much can students save on the 13-inch MacBook Air, M3?
MSRP: $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799 / CA$1,449
Student: $999 / £999 / AU$1,649 / CA$1,299
Students save: $100 / £100 / AU$150 / CA$150
How much can students save on the 15-inch MacBook Air, M2?
MSRP: $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199 / CA$1,749
Student: $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$1,999 / CA$1,599
Students save: $100 / £100 / AU$200 / CA$150
How much can students save on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3?
MSRP: $1,599 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 / CA$2,099
Student: $1,499 / £1,589 / AU$2,529 / CA$1,969
Students save: $100 / £110 / AU$170 / CA$130
How much can students save on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro?
MSRP: $1,999 / £2,099 / AU$3,499 / CA$2,699
Student: $1,849 / £1,939 / AU$3,239 / CA$2,399
Students save: $150 / £160 / AU$260 / CA$300
How much can students save on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro?
MSRP: $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299 / CA$3,299
Student: $2,299 / £2,389 / AU$3,949 / CA$2,939
Students save: $200 / £210 / AU$350 / CA$360
How much can students save on the Mac mini, M2?
MSRP: $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$1,999 / CA$1699
Student: $1,199 / £1,289 / AU$1,849.00 / CA$1,569
Students save: $100 / £110 / AU$150 / CA$130
How much can students save on the Mac mini, M2 Pro?
MSRP: $599 / £649 / AU$999 / CA$799
Student: $499 / £539 / AU$829 / CA$669
Students save: $100 / £110 / AU$170 / CA$130
How much can students save on the iMac?
MSRP: $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$2,199 / CA$1,699
Student discount: $1,249 / £1,349 / AU$2,109 / CA$1,629
Students save: $50 / £210 / AU$330 / CA$270
Get the student discount at:
Apple’s U.S. Education Store
Apple’s U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS).
Apple’s Canada Education Store
Apple’s Australian Education Store
iPad student discounts
Below are the discounts on the base model iPads, there are bigger discounts on the more expensive models.
How much can students save on the iPad mini?
MSRP: $499 / £499 / AU$829 / CA$679
Students: $449 / £449 / AU$749 / CA $609
Students save: $50 / £50 / AU$80 / CA$70
How much can students save on the 10th gen iPad?
MSRP: $349 / £349 / AU$599 / CA$499
Students; $329 / £329 / AU$559 / CA$469
Students save: $20 / £20 / AU$40 / CA$30
How much can students save on the 11-inch iPad Air?
MSRP: $599 / £599 / AU$999 / CA$799
Student: $549 / £549 / AU$919 / CA$729
Students save: $50 / £50 / AU$80 / CA$70
How much can students save on the 11-inch iPad Pro?
MSRP: $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 / CA$1,399
Students: $899 / £899 / AU$1,529 / CA$1,249
Students save: $100 / £100 / AU$170 / CA$150
Get the student discount at:
Apple’s U.S. Education Store
Apple’s U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS).
Apple’s Canada Education Store
Apple’s Australian Education Store
Who can get an Apple student discount?
Now we have told you how much you can save, the big question is whether you can save anything at all. Do you qualify for Apple’s student discounts?
In order to shop at Apple’s Education Stores and take advantage of the lower prices you need to qualify as a student or work in an education institution.
If you were hoping that you could get a discount for the Mac you want to buy your 13-year-old the bad news is that you can’t, unless you are employed by the school and buying for the institution, or you are a home educator. Students in high school don’t qualify for this discount.
There are three types of people who can qualify for a student discount:
- Students in higher education (post-secondary education, e.g. university, college).
- People who are buying for education institutions.
- Parents making purchases on behalf of students at higher education institutions.
- Home-based educators.
Apple spells this out in more detail in its terms and conditions.
For the U.S. these state that the following groups are “eligible to purchase from the Apple Store for Education:”
- An employee of any public or private K-12 institution
- K-12 homeschool teachers
- Currently serving school board members, as well as current PTA and PTO executives
- Faculty or staff of any higher education institution
- Students attending (or accepted into) any higher education institution
These rules are for US educators and students — Apple has a similar set of terms and conditions for eligibility in the U.K.:
- Employees of any education institution: Any employee of a public or private education institution in the U.K.
- Post-secondary education students: Students attending or accepted into a post-secondary education institution in the U.K.
- Parents of post-secondary students: Parents purchasing on behalf of their child, who is a student currently attending or accepted into a public or private post-secondary education institution in the U.K.
If you’re attending higher education, or have been accepted into a higher education/post-secondary institution, you qualify for an Apple discount. (In the U.K. post-secondary means university, or any other formal education that takes place after secondary education is complete. Therefore, this excludes sixth-form colleges, although it may be worth inquiring at an Apple Store to see if the company is prepared to relax the rules.)
Parents of post-secondary/higher education students do not qualify when buying for themselves, but they can pick up a discounted Mac for their child from the education store.
Anybody who works in an educational environment qualifies for a discount on certain Apple products. It’s not just limited to teachers and lecturers but also covers administrative workers and other staff members. Essentially, it’s anybody who works at or for a school, college, or university. (This is not limited to post-secondary institutions. Apple refers to “any education institution.”)
This does mean that you can’t get a discount for a Mac or iPad for your child who is currently at school, although the school could make the purchase and provide the equipment for students.
If you don’t qualify for an Apple Education Store discount, we’d recommend instead checking out the Apple Refurbished Store, which offers discounts for everyone. You can’t apply a student discount in Apple’s Refurbished Store.
How many products can I buy?
According to this Sales Policy document (or here) on the U.S. Apple site and the same on the U.K. Apple Education site, students can purchase the following with education pricing:
- Desktop Mac: One may be purchased per year
- Laptop Mac: One may be purchased per year
- iPad: Two may be purchased per year
- Accessories: Two accessories with Education Pricing may be purchased per year
How to get a student discount at Apple
Having established that you qualify for an education discount, how can you get money off at Apple?
You may think that all you need to do is visit the Apple Store for Education and you will find the products you want at a lower price. However, before you can access Apple’s Education Store you will need to verify that you are a student or that you qualify in another way (e.g. you work in a school or college). Different countries have different sequences of steps to go through, which we will run through below.
How to get an Apple student discount in the U.S.
If you are a student in the U.S. it is quite easy to get an Education discount at the U.S. Apple Store–in fact, a loophole may mean it is possible to get a student discount without any proof that you are a student. If you are a student you should follow these steps:
- Visit Apple’s U.S. Education Store.
- Choose the Mac or iPad you want and click on your selection.
- Once you have customized your Apple product, click Continue.
- Enter your delivery details and check out.
Apple may ask you to confirm that you qualify as a student or educator at checkout. Students can generally provide a current photo ID from the school they are attending, a transcript, or report card. Educators, on the other hand, can submit a pay stub from an educational institution or a letter on the school’s official letterhead verifying their role.
Homeschool teachers qualify as well. They can provide a photo ID along with a letter of intent to homeschool addressed to their local school district, a Home School Legal Defense Association membership card, Home School Charter School membership card, or a book receipt for the current year.
If you have any problems, we recommend you get your student status verified with UNiDAYS or log on from your university network. Make sure you have quick access to some form of official identification that proves you qualify for the education discount. Your student ID is a good choice.
In January 2022, Apple changed the U.S. Education Discount Store to require validation from UNiDAYS before students can get a discount, but it then removed the requirement. Apple could re-implement this validation step that students in other countries have to go through. If it does it may still be possible for non-students in the U.S. to avoid the validation step, as per this Reddit post.
Canadian students can follow the same steps as the U.S. Start shopping at Apple’s Canada Education Store.
How to get an Apple student discount in the U.K.
U.K. students will need to register with UNiDAYS before they can get a discount from the Apple Education Store.
- Visit Apple’s U.K. Education Store to access the Apple Education site.
- Once there you’ll be encouraged to sign up on the student discount website UNiDAYS. You can also use the alternative service Student Beans to register for Apple’s educational discounts.
- On whichever site you use, you’ll need to provide your email address and a password, your name, institution, subject of study, years of study, and course length.
- Once you have completed the registration process and signed in you will be able to access Apple’s student discounts.
If you don’t want to register via a verification site, you can also call Apple, use Apple’s Chat online feature, or visit an Apple Store. The staff there will guide you through the process.
How to get an Apple student discount in Australia
- Visit Apple’s Australian Education Store.
- It’s usually best to log on from your university network if you can.
- You will also want to make sure you have quick access to some form of official identification that proves you qualify for the education discount. Your student ID is a good choice.
- However, you may find you don’t actually require any sort of login or ID to order from the Apple Education Store–but beware that Apple can request to see evidence that you are a student at any point during or after the purchase and will charge an additional fee if you fail to provide it.
How to buy Apple products for an education institution
If you have been tasked with buying new Macs or iPads for a school, college, or university then Apple has a different store for you. This store is designed for those who are buying a Mac for an educational institution (for students to work on rather than for individual students to own).
- You should 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 Australian equivalent.
- You’ll need to search for your Educational Institution: enter your institution’s details and click on search.
- If your institution is found you will be able to sign in to access your institution’s store.
- You may still need to register before you can use the store.
- If your school, college, or other institution isn’t found then you may need to call Apple to discuss registering your school.
How to get a student discount for Apple Music and Apple TV
Students who are enrolled in degree-granting colleges and universities can join Apple Music for $4.99 per month for up to 48 months in total.
Getting a discounted Apple Music subscription requires validation through UNiDAYS.
Discounted Apple Music subscriptions are available in more than 80 countries.
Continuing an Apple Music subscription will require yearly verification through the UNiDAYS service. At the end of 48 months or when student status expires, a student Apple Music subscription will become an individual subscription at $9.99 per month.
The student discount brings the monthly cost of Apple Music membership down from $10.99/£10.99 to $5.99/£5.99, with identical schemes in Ireland, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Denmark, each offering half off the usual price.
All students who have a verified student subscription to Apple Music will also get free access to Apple TV , Apple’s streaming television service.
The Student Membership tier is the third membership tier Apple has offered to consumers, alongside Individual Membership ($10.99/£10.99 per month) and Family Membership ($16.99/£16.99). Visit Apple’s site for more details and to sign up.
If you’re a student and signing up for Apple Music on your iPhone or iPad, tap where it says “Are you a University Student?” and you’ll be directed to a verification system. If your college or university is eligible you’ll get a reduced subscription rate.
Discounted Software
Students, teachers, and school faculty members can get a software bundle that includes all of Apple’s pro apps for video and audio editing.
That includes Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor 4, and MainStage 3. Restrictions are the same as when making an iPad or Mac purchase through the EDU store in the United States.
Verification is not required in the U.S. to purchase the bundle, but it may be required in other countries.
