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

Apple student discount: Three students sitting on grass and using laptops

(Image credit: Keira Burton from Pexels)

Jump to:

US Apple discount deals
UK Apple discount deals

Wow, can you really get an Apple Student discount? Absolutely! Okay, it's a little complicated. But don't worry, we'll walk you through everything quickly and easily.

In the USA, visit the US Apple Store for Education, and follow the steps to choose your items.

In the UK, you can visit the UK Apple Store for Education Apple seems to be more fearful of people cheating the system, so you have to verify your student or staff status to get your discount.

In Australia, you can get details of discounts on the Apple educational pricing page.

In Canada, check out educational discounts here.

Given the inflation that's sweeping the world right now, any money you can save on the cost of living as a student is going to be welcome. But before you get too excited, there are four things you need to bear in mind.

Furthermore, on July 13 Apple announced that it is sweetening the deal for many MacBooks and iPads by offering a gift voucher on top of the student discount (see details). This Back to School promotion is running in the US, UK, and Canada - and give you a US$150 / £130 / CAN$200 Apple gift voucher. You will also get 20% off AppleCare+, plus three months of free Apple TV+ and Apple Music. This limited time additional offer will run until October 2 2023 (October 23 in the UK).

Apple student discount: 4 things you need to know

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Firstly, understand that you can't get an Apple Student discount across all Apple products. But you can get one on specific products. (You'll find full details of all the best deals further down this page.)

Secondly, Apple never uses the actual words 'Apple Student Discount'. Instead, it talks about 'Apple Education Pricing'. We'll get to the reason why in a moment.

Thirdly, these discounts don't necessarily guarantee you're getting the lowest price on Apple products. You may actually find a cheaper deal with a third party, so it's worth checking our guides to the best MacBook deals and the best iPhone 14 deals. That said, most of the time, Apple Educational Pricing will save you the most money: you just have to shop around a bit to make sure.

Fourthly, and most importantly, you need to establish whether you're eligible for Apple Educational Pricing. Sadly, if you're under 16, you're not. On the flip side, you don't actually necessarily need to be a student!

There are three categories of people who can get an Apple Student discount, which we list below.

1. A further or higher education student

You can get an Apple student discount if you're 16 or older and enrolled in a further or higher education institution, such as a university or college.

You just need to show Apple your student ID to prove it. If you haven't started your course yet and don't yet have your ID, you can provide your acceptance letter as proof instead. If you're in the UK, you need to register through UNiDAYS.

2. The parents of students

Apple recognizes that even with a discount, students may not be able to afford their products. And so they allow parents who are buying Apple products for their offspring the chance to benefit from the Apple student discount too.

That means that if you're a parent or guardian of a student in further or higher education (as described in category 1 above), and are buying an Apple device for them to use, you qualify for the discount too.

3. A teacher or education worker

If you're a teacher, lecturer, or anyone else working in education, you can also get an Apple student discount. That includes non-teaching jobs, such as those in administration, executives of a PTA (parent-teacher association), and home school teachers.

To prove your eligibility, you may need to give Apple some documentation that shows where you work. This varies from country to country, though. In the US, Apple seems to trust you, and doesn't require any ID. In the UK, though, like students, you'll need to register through UNiDAYS.

How to get your Apple student discount

Apple Student Discount - female student using an iPad on campus — (Image credit: Getty Images)

As long as you're eligible (see above), you can get your Apple student discount by visiting the Apple Store for Education and then verifying your credentials. However, the process varies depending on where you are in the world.

In the USA, visit the US Apple Store for Education, and follow the steps to choose your items. It's basically like buying from Apple normally, only cheaper. Up until January 2022, Apple needed verification of your status, but since then it seems like they're taking it on trust. That may change at a moment's notice, though, so it's probably worth having your paperwork to hand just in case. There are some limits on just how many iPads, MacBooks, and iPhones you can buy a year though (see the Terms & Conditions to check the details).

In the UK, Apple seems to be more fearful of people cheating the system, so you have to verify your student or staff status to get a discount. First, visit the UK Apple Store for Education and you'll be asked to sign up online via the student discount website Unidays. This in itself is free. You'll need to provide the name of your college and details about your course, or similar information if you're a parent, teacher, lecturer, or education worker. They'll then send you a verification email to make sure your address is genuine.

If you don't want to fill in any forms, though, there are three alternatives: call Apple on 0800 048 0408, use the web chat facility, or visit a physical Apple Store.

What can you get with an Apple student discount?

You can get an Apple student discount on a range of products. These include the MacBook Pro M2, MacBook Air M1 13in, the 24-inch iMac, the top-of-the-range 12.9in iPad Pro, and the small but perfectly formed Mac Mini (or its bigger, younger brother the Mac Studio Ultra ). In the US, there's also a great bundle offer on video and audio editing apps. You'll find the full range of discounted products on the Apple Store for Education website.

Below, we've picked out some of the best offers available right now. We'll start with the best bargains for the US, but if you're on the other side of the Atlantic, then skip ahead to the best deals for the UK.

Apple student discount deals: US

Apple student discount deals: UK

Tom May is a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design and travel. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company and Bella.