Every August, a well-known ritual takes place on college campuses: students consider whether to purchase a new laptop before classes begin, browse through sales, and ask older siblings how much they paid. The Apple Education Store, a dedicated online storefront that offers discounted prices on Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, and certain accessories, is something Apple has discreetly created just for this occasion. Most people are aware of its existence. Fewer truly know how to use it effectively.
Even though the discounts aren’t very noticeable, they are real. Those who qualify can save about $200 on a MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air is about $100 less expensive. The iPad Pro decreases by a comparable amount, and the more recent Apple Watch education pricing, which was introduced in May 2026, reduces the cost of an Apple Watch Ultra 3 by up to $80 and the Series 11 by about $40. These figures by themselves won’t change your life, but a $100 discount on a $1,500 laptop purchase is still a $100 discount. That math is difficult to dispute.
The intriguing thing about this year’s Education Store is that, just as back-to-school season draws near, Apple made things a little trickier. Apple increased the cost of Macs and iPads on June 25, 2026, and the cost of education was also increased. The starting price of the entry-level MacBook Air with education savings is now $1,199. With those savings, a MacBook Neo, a more recent model at the more affordable end of Apple’s lineup, starts at $599. Depending on your initial expectations, that may or may not feel like a deal.
Compared to earlier times, verification is now a more significant step. In the US, Australia, Canada, and a number of other nations where it wasn’t previously necessary, Apple has increased its use of UNiDAYS, a third-party service that verifies student or educator status. The procedure entails setting up a UNiDAYS account and using a university email address to confirm enrollment. It’s an extra layer that some first-time buyers don’t expect, but it’s not complicated. It’s important to know before you arrive with the expectation of completing the checkout process right away.
As the name suggests, eligibility is more expansive. The store serves teachers, faculty, staff in K–12 and higher education, as well as parents making purchases on behalf of college students. Although they might have to go through extra verification procedures, homeschooling parents are also technically eligible. Contrary to popular belief, it does not address K–12 students or their parents, unless one of those parents is a teacher.
There are more subdued offers that are worth considering outside of hardware. For verified students, Apple TV+ is included for free as long as the student subscription is active, and Apple Music is reduced to $5.99 per month. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, and other programs are included in the Creator Studio subscription, which costs $2.99 per month for educators and students and $12.99 for everyone else. That gap is significant for anyone studying design, music production, or film.
Even with recently updated prices, there is a valid argument that now isn’t the best time to purchase from the Education Store. In the past, Apple has offered gift cards or bundled accessories with eligible Mac and iPad purchases as part of a Back to School promotion during the summer. Given the recent price changes, there are indications that a promotion may be coming soon. If your circumstances permit, waiting a few weeks could increase the savings.
This could be overthought. An expensive laptop won’t be made inexpensive by the Apple Education Store. However, the pricing is consistently lower than what is offered through traditional retail channels for educators who spend their own money on classroom supplies or students who are already devoted to the Apple ecosystem. The verification process is not very important. Even though the percentage savings are small, they add up to a complete back-to-school purchase. In general, the store fulfills this promise.
