Science

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

August 12, 20240

Top back-to-school deals
Best laptop deal

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at Best Buy
(save $200)



Best headphone/earbud deal

Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones

$198 at Amazon
(save $150)



Best school supply deal

Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator

$99 at Amazon
(save $51)



Best backpack deal

Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack

$29.98 at Amazon
(save $35.02)



Best dorm deal

Casper Comfy Mattress Topper (Twin XL)

$175.20 at Casper
(save $43.80)



Best Apple deal

$150 gift card with purchase of MacBook or iPad

From $549 in the Apple Education Store



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

Credit: Apple


Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899.00
at Best Buy

$1,099.00
Save $200.00



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

Credit: Sony


Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones

$348.00
at Amazon

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

Best school supply deal

Credit: Texas Instruments


Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator

$99.00
at Amazon

$150.00
Save $51.00



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

Credit: Herschel Supply Co.


Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack

$29.98
at Amazon

$65.00
Save $35.02



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

Best dorm deal

Credit: Casper


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

Credit: Apple


$150 gift card with purchase of MacBook or iPad

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

https://mashable.com/article/back-to-school-deals-2024