Apple launches big back-to-school sale: get up to $100 off a MacBook, iPad, or iMac - plus free accessories

Apple iMac, MacBook Air, iPad Air, and AirPods Pro 2 arranged on blue background with big savings text overlay
(Image credit: Future)

Heading back to school or off to college soon? It's a good time to consider heading over to Apple as the official education store has just launched its annual back-to-school sale.

Available today are discounts of up to $100 on the best student laptops as well as iPads, and iMacs - everything a student or teacher needs for several years of work.

I've laid out all of today's Apple deals below, including details on the free accessories that are also available at the education store today. These include things like AirPods, Magic Keyboards, and the Magic Mouse. Note that some of the lower-cost accessories are free today, but you'll still have to pay a little for the big-ticket items like the AirPods Pro 2.

As always, you can stack these back-to-school discounts and freebies on top of the usual trade-in rebates at the official Apple Store today. If you have an old model you're looking to upgrade, then I highly recommend trading that in to get a discount of up to $710, depending on the model.

Today's Apple Back-to-School deals

Apple iPad Air: from $599 $549, plus free AirPods at Apple

Apple iPad Air: from $599 $549, plus free AirPods at Apple
The Apple iPad Air is a great choice if you're headed out to college. It's a model that features a great balance between price and performance, with a beautiful premium lightweight design. Today's back-to-school sale at Apple knocks $50 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch model and also throws in a free pair of AirPods or another eligible accessory of your choice.

Apple iPad Profrom$999 $899, plus free AirPods at Apple

Apple iPad Pro: from $999 $899, plus free AirPods at Apple
The iPad Pro is overkill for basic tasks, but it's a fantastic high-end choice for design and creative work. With an incredibly powerful M4 chipset and stunning OLED display, it's easily the best Apple tablet money can buy right now. Today's sale at Apple offers a $100 upfront discount and free accessories, somewhat offsetting the high asking price for this one.

Apple MacBook Air: from$999 $899, plus free AirPods at Apple

Apple MacBook Air: from $999 $899, plus free AirPods at Apple
The latest MacBook Air is the Apple laptop that we'd recommend for both people. It's easier on the pocket versus the Pro models, but still packs plenty of power for most tasks alongside a stunning lightweight design. Today's Apple back-to-school sale offers a flat $100 discount across all sizes and storage variants as well as a free pair of AirPods or an eligible accessory of your choice.

Apple MacBook Pro: from$1,599 $1,499, plus free AirPods at Apple

Apple MacBook Pro: from $1,599 $1,499, plus free AirPods at Apple
Like the iPad Pro, I'd say the MacBook Pro is a more niche buy than the MacBook Pro - but it is a stunning laptop. You get a massive amount of power under the hood, which makes it a perfect choice for heavy content creation tasks or industrial-level programming. Of course, it's a little heavier than the Air though. It's also pretty damn pricey, although today's $100-off deal at Apple is a welcome discount.

Apple iMac: from $1,299 $1,249, plus free AirPods at Apple

Apple iMac: from $1,299 $1,249, plus free AirPods at Apple
Lastly but certainly not least is the Apple Education store's small but welcome discount on the Apple iMac. Generally seen as more of a niche option, the iMac packs-in a powerful chipset and stunning 4.5k display for a very reasonable price tag in our opinion. While not as popular as the laptops, the Apple iMac is a great option for the dorm-room or similar if you'd prefer a more static setup.

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What are the eligible accessory discounts today?

MacBooks

iMacs

iPads

Free AirPods 4

Free AirPods 4

Free AirPods 4

Row 1 - Cell 0

AirPods Pro 2 ($179 off)

AirPods Pro 2 ($179 off)

AirPods Pro 2 ($129 off)

Row 2 - Cell 0

Free Magic Mouse

Row 2 - Cell 2

AirPods 4 with ANC ($129 off)

Row 3 - Cell 0

Free Magic Trackpad

Row 3 - Cell 2

Magic Keyboard for iPad Air ($119 off)

Row 4 - Cell 0

Free Magic Keyboard

Row 4 - Cell 2

Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro ($119 off)

Am I eligible for Apple's education pricing?

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) REVIEW

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

As long as you're enrolled in a post-secondary education (or high school) establishment, such as a college or university, and have some kind of documentation or a student ID to prove it, then you should be able to take advantage of the education discounts. Parents of students can also apply for discounts on their children's behalf.

You won't be asked to verify your education status, but your Apple ID is limited to two education-discounted iPad purchases per year, so you can't just pick up everything at once.

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Alex Whitelock
Deals Editor

Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the best bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.

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