It Just Got Harder to Get Apple's Educational Discount

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Credit: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

Table of Contents

Apple products are notoriously expensive: The latest MacBook Air starts at $1,099, as does the iPhone 17 Pro, and while I love my AirPods Max, I strongly recommend buyers wait until they're on sale to avoid spending $549 on headphones. Apple makes good stuff, but that stuff comes at a cost.

Not all of Apple's products are this expensive, mind you. The iPhone 17e starts at $599. That's not necessarily cheap, but it isn't $1,099, either. Apple's MacBook Neo has drawn a lot of buzz by fetching the same price tag as the 17e, but also because of its education price: $499. For that price, students and educators can buy a brand-new MacBook that does just about anything you'd want an Apple laptop to do. For the rest of us, $599 is still a great price for such a machine, but, of course, we'd rather get the education price if we could.

In fact, until recently, we could. While Apple's Education Store specified it was only for students, teachers, and customers involved in education, it didn't actually check whether or not you qualified. As such, you could simply shop the Education Store to take a cool $100 off a brand new MacBook, no questions asked. That changed last week: Apple partnered with UNiDAYS to roll out a new verification system for its education discount. If you want the price cut, you now need to prove you qualify.

Who can shop Apple's Education Store?

According to Apple, the Education Store only applies to "current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels." Unfortunately, that's it. If you don't meet those qualifications, you can't save on Apple's devices. That includes, of course, the MacBook Neo, which starts at just $499 on the Education Store (for the 256GB model). But it also applies to Apple's other Macs:

M5 MacBook Air: starts at $999 rather than $1,099

M5 MacBook Pro: starts at $1,599 rather than $1,699

14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro: starts at $2,049 rather than $2,199

16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro: starts at $2,499 rather than $2699

iMac: starts at $1,249 rather than $1,299

Mac mini: starts at $499 rather than $599

Mac Studio: starts at $1,799 rather than $1,999

Mac Pro: starts at $6,599 rather than $6,999

But it's not just Macs that are discounted here. You'll also find iPads and Apple Watches with some price cuts. That includes:

iPad: starts at $329 instead of $349

iPad mini: starts at $449 instead of $499

iPad Air: starts at $549 instead of $599

iPad Pro: starts at $899 instead of $999

Apple Watch Series 11: starts at $359 instead of $399

Apple Watch SE 3: starts at $229 instead of $249

Apple Watch Ultra 3: starts at $719 instead of $799

There are other savings to be found here, too: Apple's new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR, iPad accessories, as well as Apple Care+ plans, have discounts on the Education Store. But Apple's other products do not, even though they're available to buy on the Education Store. iPhones are the same price for students as they are for all buyers, as are Apple TVs and Apple Vision Pros.

How to shop Apple's Education Store

While the actual purchase process requires verification, Apple's Education Store is open to anyone on the web. You can access it from this link, or by heading to Apple's official site, scrolling down to the bottom of the page, and choosing "Shop for College" under "For Education."

Once in the store, any applicable product will appear with its reduced price tag. The MacBook Neo, for example, will appear at $499 rather than $599 for the 256GB model. You can add items to your cart as you normally would, but once you decide to check out, you'll need to verify your education status with UNiDAYS. That involves creating a UNiDAYS account. Once in, students and teachers can sign in to their school's portal, or upload a school ID. Homeschool teachers can share their official ID, plus a homeschool document proving their status. While most qualified customers should be verified instantly, the process can take up to 24 hours.

The Education Store isn't the only way to score Apple discounts

If you aren't a student or educator, you still have options to get Apple products at a discount. For anyone open to buying pre-owned or open-box items, Apple's Refurbished Store is a great place to look. The company has options across more of its product lineup (including iPhones) you can choose from, and while they aren't new devices, they are covered by a limited one-year warranty by Apple.

You can also find deep discounts on Apple products from third-party retailers. Amazon, for instance, frequently has deals on MacBooks of all kinds, especially from previous generations. Since Apple's modern Macs perform well for years after release, this can be a great way to get a machine without spending a fortune.