60+ best back-to-school deals for students on a budget
Back-to-school season is in full swing. We’re ready for new backpacks 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
Acer Chromebook 315, 15.6-inch (Intel Pentium N6000, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $ 219
$ 349(save $ 130)Acer Aspire 3 (AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $ 299.99
$ 329.99(save $ 30)HP 17.3-inch laptop (Intel i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $ 369.99
$ 549.99(save $ 180)Dell Inspiron 15 touchscreen laptop (Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 399.99
$ 629.99(save $ 230)Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop (AMD Ryzen, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 479.99
$ 729.99(save $ 250)HP Envy 2-in-1, 16-inch touchscreen laptop (AMD Ryzen 5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 499.99
$ 849.99(save $ 350)Asus TUF Gaming A15 (AMD Ryzen 5 7535H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 599.99
$ 699.99(save $ 100)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $ 649
$ 699(save $ 50)Lenovo Yoga 7i, 14-inch (Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $ 719.99
$ 999.99(save $ 210)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $ 799
$ 999(save $ 200)Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Copilot+, 14.5-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 999.99
$ 1,199.99(save $ 200)HP Spectre x360 14t-eu000 (Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 1,099.99
$ 1,449.99(save $ 350)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 1,299
$ 1,499(save $ 200)Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD) —$ 1,699
$ 1,999(save $ 300)Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M3, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 2,399
$ 2,899(save $ 500)
Best headphone or earbud deal
Why we like it
If you’re headed to college, you need a pair of headphones to accompany you so you can listen while walking across campus to class or focusing during a library study session. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones is especially important when you’re dealing with noisy roommates. Luckily, Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are a phenomenal option that have dropped under $ 200.
Tested by our sibling publication, PC Mag, the Sony WH-1000XM4 earned their Editors’ Choice pick for striking the right balance of stellar noise cancellation and audio that satisfies even the pickiest audiophiles. Normally $ 348, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are down to $ 198 at Amazon. That gives you 43% off for $ 150 in savings.
More headphone and earbud deals
Soundcore by Anker A20i earbuds — $ 18.98
$ 29.99(save $ 11.01)JBL Vibe Beam earbuds — $ 29.95
$ 49.95(save $ 20)JBL Tune Flex earbuds — $ 49.95
$ 99.95(save $ 50)Soundcore by Anker P40i earbuds — $ 49.99
$ 69.99(save $ 20)Skullcandy Hesh Evo headphones — $ 59.88
$ 104.99(save $ 45.11)Samsung Galaxy Buds FE — $ 79.99
$ 99.99(save $ 20)Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) — $ 79.99
$ 129(save $ 49.01)Beats Studio Buds — $ 99.99
$ 149.99(save $ 50)Sony LinkBuds S earbuds — $ 128
$ 199.99(save $ 71.99)Beats Solo 4 — $ 129.99
$ 199.99(save $ 70)Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) — $ 139.99
$ 169(save $ 29.01)Jabra Elite 8 Active — $ 149.99
$ 199.99(save $ 50)Beats Fit Pro — $ 159.99
$ 199.99(save $ 40)Beats Studio Pro — $ 179.99
$ 349.99(save $ 170)Bose QuietComfort headphones — $ 249
$ 349(save $ 100)Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds — $ 249
$ 299(save $ 50)Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones — $ 349
$ 429(save $ 80)
Best school supply deal
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
Crayola Kids Crayons (24 count) — $ 0.50
$ 1.49(save $ 0.99)Elmer’s Washable School Glue Sticks (two pack) — $ 0.50
$ 1.39(save $ 0.89)Crayola Broad Line Markers (10 count) — $ 0.99
$ 2.59(save $ 1.60)Crayola Kids Pre-Sharpened Colored Pencils (12 count) — $ 0.99
$ 1.99(save $ 1)BIC Brite Liner Highlighters (five pack, assorted) — $ 1.79
$ 2.19(save $ 0.40)BIC Brite Liner Pastel Highlighters (12 count) — $ 6.37
$ 15.43(save $ 9.06)Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel Pens (six pack) — $ 6.39
$ 10.99(save $ 4.60)Sharpie S-Gel Gel Pens, 0.7mm (12 count) — $ 8.99
$ 16.99(save $ 8)Crayola Mini Twistables Crayons (50 count) — $ 8.99
$ 10.99(save $ 20)Crayola Construction Paper (two pack) — $ 11.49
$ 14.99(save $ 3.50)Amazon Basics Woodcased #2 Pencils (150 count) — $ 12.00
$ 16.82(save $ 4.82)Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers (40 count) — $ 12.49
$ 20.09(save $ 7.60)Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens, 0.7mm (24 count) — $ 14.98
$ 19.97(save $ 4.99)Sharpie School Supplies Variety Pack (31 count) — $ 17.02
$ 21.26(save $ 4.24)Sharpie Permanent Markers, fine point (36 count) — $ 18.39
$ 21.89(save $ 3.50)Casio FX 9750GIII Graphing Calculator — $ 59.99
$ 64.99(save $ 5)
Best backpack deal
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 $ 29.98. That’s a savings of 54%, or just over $ 35.
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
Amazon Basic Laptop Backpack — $ 26.11
$ 30.72(save $ 4.61)HP Campus XL Marble Stone Backpack — $ 29.99
$ 39.99(save $ 10); buy one, get one freeUnder Armor Hustle Sport Backpack — $ 33.75
$ 45(save $ 11.25)Adidas Excel 6 Backpack — $ 39.99
$ 60(save $ 20.01)Under Armor Hustle 6.0 Backpack — $ 22
$ 55(save $ 33)Herschel Supply Co. Classic Backpack — $ 46.20
$ 55(save $ 8.80)Lululemon Everywhere Backpack — $ 54
$ 78(save $ 28)
Best dorm deal
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
Levoit Core Mini-P Air Purifier — $ 44.99
$ 49.99(save $ 5 with on-page coupon)Linenspa 3-inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper — $ 51.17
$ 72.99(save $ 21.82)Keurig K-Mini — $ 59.99
$ 99.99(save $ 40)Keurig K-Express — $ 69.99
$ 89.99(save $ 20)Lucid 4-inch Bamboo Charcoal Memory Foam Mattress Topper — $ 82.65
$ 94.99(save $ 12.34)Black + Decker Digital Microwave Oven — $ 84.99
$ 99.99(save $ 15)Laura Ashley Twin Bedding + Towel Set — $ 99
$ 124.98(save $ 25.98)InterDesign Bathroom Storage Bundle — $ 99.99
$ 117.25(save $ 17.26)Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty — $ 155.98
$ 239.99(save $ 84.01)GreenPan Valencia Pro Cooking Set — $ 160.97
$ 299.96(save $ 138.99)Shark Matrix Robot Vacuum RV2300 — $ 199
$ 299.99(save $ 100.99)
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
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) — $ 79.99
$ 129(save $ 49.01)Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) — $ 79.99
$ 129(save $ 49.01)Apple AirTag (four pack) — $ 72.99
$ 99(save $ 26.01)Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) — $ 139.99
$ 169(save $ 29.01)Apple iPad, 10.2-inch (A13 Bionic, WiFi, 64GB) — $ 229.99
$ 329.99(save $ 100)Apple AirPods Max — $ 449
$ 549(save $ 100)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $ 799
$ 999(save $ 200)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 1,299
$ 1,499(save $ 200)Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD) —$ 1,699
$ 1,999(save $ 300)Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M3, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $ 2,399
$ 2,899(save $ 500)
