60+ best back-to-school deals for students on a budget


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A row of school buses with a colorful tint.

Top back-to-school deals

Best laptop deal
A MacBook Air M3 chip


Best headphone/earbud deal

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

$189.99 at Amazon
(save $59.01)
A pair of Apple AirPods Pro


Best school supply deal
A Texas Instruments TI-84 calculator


Best backpack deal

Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack

$44.99 at Amazon
(save $20.01)
the Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack in seagrass/white stitch


Best dorm deal

Casper Comfy Mattress Topper (Twin XL)

$175.20 at Casper
(save $43.80)
A Casper mattress topper


Best Apple deal

$150 gift card with purchase of MacBook or iPad

From $549 in the Apple Education Store
A graphic showing Apple iPads and MacBooks with an Apple gift card

Whether you’re entering elementary school or college, back-to-school season is here. We still get a thrill thinking of a new backpack filled with freshly sharpened pencils and clean, colorful folders. Unfortunately, the older you get the less fun (and more expensive) shopping gets — like spending over $100 on a calculator. However, plenty of back-to-school deals are here to bring oodles of savings on laptops, headphones, and more.

All the big retailers are hosting back-to-school sales, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and more. You’ll find savings on the small stuff, like colored pencils for just $0.99, or hundreds of dollars off laptops, including the M3 Apple MacBook Air.

Best laptop deal

Why we like it

Read Mashable’s full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M3).

The MacBook Air with M3 chip is a great college laptop — especially if you’re on a budget. It comes in a light package, weighing 2.7 pounds versus a MacBook Pro’s 3.4 pounds, but it holds the same M3 processing power as the Pro. During back-to-school season, find the M3 MacBook Air for under $1,000 at Best Buy. It’s down to $899, an 18% savings and $200 off. (Note that you can save an extra $50 with a paid My Best Buy membership, matching its all-time low from Prime Day.)

More laptop deals

Best headphone or earbud deal


Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

$179.99
at Amazon

$249.00
Save $69.01



Why we like it

Read Mashable’s full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation).

Apple AirPods have become the universally beloved earbud, and it’s earned too. They’re foolproof for iOS users, as they automatically connect to iPhones, and they’re compact size makes them easy to toss into a backpack so they can go with you anywhere.

The second-gen AirPods Pro are a fantastic option if you’re in the market for a pair of back-to-school headphones. They offer active noise cancellation — ideal for long hours studying, or a very noisy roommate — but are much easier to transport than clunky over-the-ear headphones. You can find them at Amazon for $189.99, just $20 higher than their lowest price ever. Buy them now to save $59.01, giving you 24% off.

More headphone and earbud deals

Best school supply deal


A Texas Instruments TI-84 calculator

Credit: Texas Instruments

Why we like it

It’s a rite of passage to get your hands on a clunky graphing calculator for high school math. Luckily these days, the new generation of TI-84s are slim, sleek devices with colorful graphics. Ahead of the school year, get the Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE for just $99, saving you $51 for 34% off.

More school supply deals

Best backpack deal


the Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack in seagrass/white stitch

Credit: Herschel Supply Co.

Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack

$44.99
at Amazon

$65.00
Save $20.01



Why we like it

No matter your age or grade level, you need a backpack. Herschel Supply Co.’s 26-liter Classic XL Backpack is a roomy and minimalist option that has one main compartment with a floating laptop sleeve, a front utility pocket, and a side water bottle pocket. It retails for $65 on Herschel’s website, but Amazon has it on sale for $44.99 in two colors (Darkest Black and a limited-edition Seagrass/White Stitch). That’s a savings of 31%, or just over $20.

For younger students, the slightly smaller Herschel Classic Backpack (no “XL”) was also on sale at Amazon at the time of writing.

More backpack deals

Best dorm deal


Casper Comfy Mattress Topper (Twin XL)

$175.20
at Casper

$219.00
Save $43.80



Why we like it

If you’re headed off to college, your shopping cart is likely exploding with new bedding, towels, and more. But there’s one item we’re begging you not to skip: A mattress topper. Dorm room mattresses are essentially plastic bags full of stiff metal springs guaranteed to give you a terrible night’s sleep, but that’s nothing that several inches of memory foam can’t fix. Casper’s Comfy Mattress Topper is a favorite and is pricey at $219, however, during its summer sale it’s 20% off and down to $175.20. Those $43.80 are some sweet savings — letting you sleep even more peacefully.

More dorm deals

Best Apple deal

Why we like it

If you want to save on Apple products, our usual advice is to buy anywhere but the Apple store, as they rarely have sales. That is until back-to-school season rolls around. The Apple Education Store lets students and teachers save on Apple devices. Before September 30, with the purchase of a MacBook or iPad you’ll receive a gift card worth up to $150. Plus, when shopping in the Apple Education Store, you’ll benefit from education pricing that saves you an extra $100 on devices.

More Apple deals


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