Apple's Back-to-School Sale Is on — and AirPods Are Free

With back-to-school season upon us, a new Apple device might be at the top of your shopping list. Although Apple doesn't traditionally hold sales, the tech brand is offering students and teachers a rare perk: When purchasing a new Mac or iPad using Apple's education discount, you can also score a select Apple accessory — including AirPods — for free.

SHOP APPLE EDUCATION DISCOUNTS

How to score free accessories

Now through September 30, you can get AirPods, an Apple Pencil or select accessories valued up to $199 for free — but only when you shop using the brand's education discount.

While there is plenty of fine print regarding this back-to-school offer, here are the key details to know before making your purchase:

• You must either purchase your gadgets at an Apple store or complete your online order through the Apple Store for Education.
• There might be additional fees on some of the included items — like AirPods Pro 2 and iPad Magic Keyboards.
• Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancelling (MSRP $179) are indeed free with purchase right now.

Who's eligible for the deal?

According to Apple, this deal is open to K-12 employees, higher education faculty, staff and students, as well as higher education parents purchasing on behalf of their student.

In previous years, Apple ran promotions that included gift cards with your purchase, Apple's 2025 student discount marks the first time the tech giant has given free gadgets as part of its back-to-school promotion.

Is the deal worth it?

Apple actually isn't offering the lowest prices on its devices right now. For example:

• Amazon is offering competing discounts up to 25% on iPads and MacBooks.
• On Amazon, the brand-new 2025 MacBook Air is $200 off, making it $100 cheaper than Apple's student discount price.
• On Amazon, the iPad Air is currently $449, surpassing Apple's discounted price of $549.

That said, Apple is the only retailer offering free accessories with purchase. Our team of shopping editors track Apple deals all year — and while Apple's student discounts aren't the lowest prices we've seen, the inclusion of a free product makes it an opportune time to buy that new device, especially if you're bundling purchases or prefer to buy directly from Apple. Otherwise, Amazon is offering steeper discounts as the school year approaches.

Apple 2025 13-inch MacBook Air [256 GB]

Now 20% Off

$999 $799 at Amazon

$899 at Apple

Apple 11-inch iPad Air [128 GB, WiFi]

Now 25% Off

$599 $449 at Amazon

$549 at Apple

Apple AirPods 4

Now 23% Off

$129 $99 at Amazon

$129 at Apple$179 $149 at Walmart

Apple 2024 14-inch MacBook Pro [512 GB]

Now 19% Off

$1,599 $1,299 at Amazon

$1,499 at Apple

Apple 11-inch iPad [128 GB, WiFi]

Now 14% Off

$349 $299 at Amazon

$329 at Apple

Apple 2024 iMac All-in-One Desktop Computer [256 GB]

Now 8% Off

$1,299 $1,193 at Amazon

$1,249 at Apple

Madison McGee

Lifestyle Editor

Madison McGee is a commerce editor at Hearst Magazines. For the past year, she has contributed shopping content, gift guides, product testing, and deals coverage across Hearst’s portfolio, which includes Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Men's Health, House Beautiful, Elle, Town and Country, Esquire, Country Living, Oprah Daily, and more. Prior to joining Hearst, she was a staff writer at BuzzFeed and worked in book publishing. Madison is a graduate of the University of Mississippi’s journalism program, and holds a Masters in Publishing from New York University. When she’s not scouting out the best deals, she can be found reading, cheering on the Baltimore Ravens, or exploring New York City’s indie bookstores.