Apple student discount: how much is it, and how do you get it?

A shot of a MacBook and iPad with the Apple logo to show represent the Apple Student Discount
(Image credit: Future/Apple)

Being a student is expensive, so taking advantage of these Apple student discounts is a great way to lower costs while you're studying. You see, Apple student deals offer lower-than-retail prices on popular Apple products.

However, the way that Apple is offering these discounts isn't entirely clear, so we thought we'd clarify the situation. When landing on the Apple Student Discounts site you'll be met with the reduced educational pricing for each product, and then when heading to the checkout, you'll have a gift card emailed to you within 24 hours of your item being shipped out for delivery or store collection. 

This is not limited to just students either: faculty staff, homeschool teachers and parents of students can also take advantage of Apple's education pricing.

Keep in mind that Apple's student discount is great for the latest products, but not so much for models that are a few years old. For example, Apple deducts from the original retail price of these products – and who's buying the MacBook Air (M1) for it's 2021 retail price?! The student price for the MacBook Air (M1) is just $899, yet it's currently available on Amazon for $749.99, which is an amazing deal whether you're a student or not. 

Apple Student Discount: The best deals.

Apple student discount deals

Save $100 on a MacBook Air 15-inch + $150 gift card

Save $100 on a MacBook Air 15-inch + $150 gift card
Being a student means you can take advantage of all sorts of MacBook deals, including on the latest models like the MacBook Air 15-inch model with an M2 chip and 256GB SSD storage for as little as $1,199 with Apple student discount. 

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Save $100 on iPad Pro 12.9 (M2) + $100 gift card
There are some great savings to be had across the range of iPads, making them the ideal solution for taking notes in lectures. You can pick up the new iPad Pro 12.9" 128GB for just $999, while the iPad Pro 11-inch is available from $749.

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Save $100 on the new 24-inch iMac + $150 gift card
Prefer a full-size computer to a MacBook? That's cool; there are Apple student discounts available across the iMac range, including the newest 24" iMac with a 4.5K retina display and system powered by the M1 chip. These colourful iMacs are pretty stunning, but for students now only $1,399 too!

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Save $10 on Apple Pencil (2nd gen) + free engraving
Be wary of this student deal, as while you might be saving $10 on the retail price (usually $129), other retailers like Amazon are selling the Apple Pencil 2 for as low as $89. We recommend you opt for this deal only if you like the idea of engraving your stylus, as this is Apple Exclusive.

Get half-price Apple Music and free Apple TV+

Get half-price Apple Music and free Apple TV+
As a student you can get Apple Music for half-price, paying just $5.99 a month rather than the usual $10.99. Not only that, but you'll get Apple TV + lobbed in for free for a limited time, where you can binge award-winning shows like Ted Lasso and The Morning Show.

Apple student discount: Get Pro Apps Bundle for $199.99

Apple student discount: Get Pro Apps Bundle for $199.99
Need to get to grips with industry-standard creative apps? With your Apple student discount, you can get five of Apple's top apps for $199.99. The Pro Apps Bundle includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage - perfect for any creative. 


How to get the Apple student discount

We know it's hard to believe, but you don't have to be a student to get a discount. The Apple student discounts are available for pretty much anyone in the education industry, like teachers, education workers, parents, school board members and PTA members. All you have to do is visit the Apple Store for Education and then verify your credentials – how easy is that?

However, how you actually get your discount varies depending on where you are located. In the USA, just head over to the US Apple Store for Education (ideally use your university network for this part), and follow the steps to choose your items. It might also be helpful to have your proof of eligibility to hand when signing up. You might not need your proof, but it's good to have it just in case. 

Over in the UK, it's (unfortunately) not as simple. To get your student discount, head over to the UK Apple Store for Education where you can sign up online via the student discount website Unidays. Unidays is free, but you will need to provide some details about your course and university, to make sure your account gets verified. 

Sounding like it's all a bit too much? Don't worry, if you call Apple, chat online or in-store with a member of the Apple staff, and they'll be able to help you out.


Who is eligible for an Apple student discount?

01. Further or higher education students

If you're 16 or older and are enrolled in further or higher education (like college or university) and you have a valid student ID, then you're eligible for the Apple student discount – yep, it's seriously that simple. As soon as you enrol at your sixth form, college or university, you can sign up to get the discount.

02. Parents of students 

Apple was even kind enough to extend the Apple student discount to the parents of those students who are eligible for the deal. That means you can save money when buying an Apple product for your child. Remember though, you can't also get the deal if you're purchasing a device for yourself. 

03. People working in education

If you've got this far and you're not a student or a parent, but you work in education then you're in luck. Any member of staff that work at colleges, sixth forms or universities (public or private) is also able to sign up for the discount. To claim your Apple student discount, you'll have to provide some documents that prove where you work. Even those of you working for the PTA or PTO can get on board. 


Which products does the discount apply to?

If you're on the hunt for a Mac, then the Apple Student discount applies to the MacBook Air (with the M1 or M2 chip), the MacBook Pro (13,14 or 16 inches), as well as the iMac, Mac mini, Apple Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, the Mac Pro and even the Mac Studio. But if you're looking for something a little more portable like the iPad, then right now you can save on the iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and the iPad Pro. 

You can also equip your brand-new device with some of the best Apple-compatible apps around, with the Pro Apps bundle. This bundle includes Logic Pro X, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage – it's the perfect app bundle for any young creative. 

The other big Apple student discount at the moment is on Apple Music. This one's a bit simpler: a straightforward 50 per cent off, which means you pay $5.99 per month rather than the normal $10.99 per month for up to 48 months. Then on top of that, Apple is throwing in two months of Apple TV completely free – how ideal is that? 


If you're wanting more guidance on the top Apple products, we have a couple of features including the definitive guide to the various iPad generations as well as a comparison of the MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air. And if you want to find some other great discounts, make sure to check out our guide to the best Apple deals each month to find the best prices on a large range of products.

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects. 

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