Apple back to school sale live: $100 off iPads and MacBooks plus $150 gift cards

Apple MacBook Air m2 and iPad Air m1 on pink background
(Image credit: Future)

Apple has just launched its official back to school sale this week with a group of promotions aimed at not just offering savings for students, but gift cards of up to $150 in value.

Those on the hunt for a new laptop can look forward to a flat $100 across all MacBooks right now - including the latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models - as well as a $150 gift card. All models are currently available aside from the latest M2 Air model, which is due to be up for pre-order on July 8th. Overall, this is an excellent opportunity for students to bag a nice little discount on a quality ultrabook as well as enough free store credit for a pair of AirPods.

If you're more interested in tablets, then you'll find $50 discounts available on the latest iPad Air M1 and iPad Pro M1 alongside a free $100 gift card to spend on store. The savings aren't quite as good as those being offered on the MacBooks here but the free store credit is a nice little extra. It's enough to help offset the cost of a new Apple Watch or pair of AirPods if you want to bundle some in, for example.

Note, as with previous Apple Education Store promotions, this back to school sale is only eligible for students, parents of newly accepted students, and faculty staff of all grades. To get your hands on these savings, you'll need a valid .edu email address from a participating college or school, or a valid student ID. 

If you're not an active student or teacher then you'll likely be ineligible for these discounts, unfortunately. On the bright side, Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner now and likely to offer plenty of discounts on Apple products. If you're interested, check in with our ongoing Amazon Prime Day coverage.

Outside the US? Check out the best Apple deals in your region just below.

Apple back to school sale now live

Apple MacBook Air: $100 discount, plus $150 gift card at Apple
Both the older M1 model and new M2 MacBook Air models are listed with a $100 discount and $150 gift card for students right now but only the M1 is available for immediate order. Starting at $899 for the M1 model, the MacBook Air is a great choice if you're on more of a budget but still want a powerful and lightweight machine. It's perfect for streaming media and writing content, as well as offering unbeatable battery life for a laptop. Note, the latest M2 model will be available for pre-order on July 8th July 15th

Apple MacBook Air: <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X363&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fus-edu%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air%2Fwith-m1-chip&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - apple.com"">$100 discount, plus $150 gift card at Apple
Both the older M1 model and new M2 MacBook Air models are listed with a $100 discount and $150 gift card for students right now but only the M1 is available for immediate order. Starting at $899 for the M1 model, the MacBook Air is a great choice if you're on more of a budget but still want a powerful and lightweight machine. It's perfect for streaming media and writing content, as well as offering unbeatable battery life for a laptop. Note, the latest M2 model will be available for pre-order on July 8th and release on July 15th.

Apple MacBook Pro: $100 discount, plus $150 gift card at Apple

Apple MacBook Pro: <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X363&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fus-edu%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-pro%2F13-inch&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - apple.com"">$100 discount, plus $150 gift card at Apple
Need a bit more power? All Apple MacBook Pro models are available with a $100 student discount plus a $150 Apple store gift card. Ranging from the smallest 13-inch variant to the largest 16-inch size, the MacBook Pro is a great choice if you're going to be doing design work, content creation, or music production. These are pricey machines but a fantastic Liquid Retina display and speedy chip easily make them some of the best laptops money can buy.

Apple iPad Air M1: $549 $499, plus $100 gift card at Apple

Apple iPad Air M1: <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X363&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fus-edu%2Fshop%2Fbuy-ipad%2Fipad-air&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - apple.com"">$549 $499, plus $100 gift card at Apple
The newest Apple tablet in the entire range is available with a nifty $50 discount and $100 gift card in today's back to school sale at Apple. With a powerful M1 chip, gorgeous modern design, and great display, the Apple iPad Air M1 is a great choice for those who need a powerful tablet but don't want to fork out the cost for one of the Pro models. For studying, streaming, and the vast majority of apps and games these tablets are more than enough for most students.

Apple iPad Pro M1: $749 $699, plus $100 gift card at Apple

Apple iPad Pro M1: <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X363&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fus-edu%2Fshop%2Fbuy-ipad%2Fipad-pro&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - apple.com"">$749 $699, plus $100 gift card at Apple
We've listed the price for the smaller 11-inch model here but both of the latest Apple iPad Pro M1 sizes are on sale with a $50 discount and $100 gift card today. These drop-dead gorgeous tablets are overkill for most but they're amazing for design work or more intensive applications thanks to the Liquid Retina XDR display and powerful chips.


If you want to check out our thoughts on the latest MacBook model, head on over to our main Apple MacBook Air M2 pre-orders page. If you're not a student, we'd also recommend checking out our main iPad deals and MacBook deals pages for the best prices in your region. 

Alex Whitelock
Deals Editor

Alex is deals editor at TechRadar. With over three years of experience on-site and eight years working in e-commerce, Alex has made it his personal mission to share all his favorite tips, bargains, and deals with our readers here at TechRadar. At work, he specializes in computing, phones, and covering huge sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his keen love of photography and PC gaming, or down at the local climbing gym hanging off boulders far too difficult for his abilities. His editorial bylines also include contributions to T3 and GamesRadar.