From new backpacks to school supplies, electronics and clothes, back-to-school shopping can be expensive. According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-college spending will total $86.6 billion in 2024. On average, college students and their families will spend nearly $1,365 on these purchases.
There are ways to cut costs by simply showing your college ID. Retailers offer college students discounts on everything from clothing to food to electronics.
Here’s a list of discounts for college students, and a few credit card options to pair with those purchases to save even more.
Compare offers to find the best savings account
Discounts on electronics
- Apple: If you purchase an Apple product, such as a Macbook or iPad from the Apple Store, you can qualify for a gift card up to $150, 20% off AppleCare+ and more. To save even further, the Apple Card gives you 3% cash back on all purchases made directly through Apple.
- Best Buy: There’s no specific discount, but you may be able to find special deals through the Back to School Student Hub.
- HP: Get up to 40% off when you register for the Education Store.
- Lenovo: Students can save an extra 5% storewide when verified through ID.me.
- Logitech: Up to 30% off when you join UNiDAYS.
- Microsoft: Receive up to 10% off on select products.
- Samsung: Up to 30% off when you register for the Education Offers Program.
Apple Card
Information about the Apple Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
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Rewards
3% cash back on goods or services purchased directly from Apple (including Apple retail stores, the Apple online store, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music and other Apple-owned properties) on Uber and UberEats, at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores, on the Walgreens app and on Walgreens.com, in T-Mobile stores, at Nike, at Exxon and Mobil stations and at Panera Bread, 2% cash back on Apple Pay purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases
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Welcome bonus
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
19.24% to 29.49% variable
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Balance transfer fee
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Discounts at restaurants
Many restaurants don’t advertise if they offer a student discount. However, if you are in a college town or major metropolitan city, call ahead to see if they do. These are the few that CNBC Select was able to verify.
- Arby’s: Up to 10% off at participating locations.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: Up to 10% off at participating locations.
- Burger King: Up to 10% off at participating locations.
- Chick-fil-A: Free small drink with any purchase at participating locations.
- DoorDash: DashPass for Students plan available for $4.99/month.
- Dunkin’: Up to 10% off at participating locations.
Discounts on software
Software is essential for nearly all college students, whether it’s a subscription to a streaming service or a necessary program to complete a school project.
Here are the software subscriptions that give college student discounts:
Discounts on furniture and home goods
Discounts on clothing
There are an infinite number of clothing brands that give college students discounts. We’ve rounded up a list of the more widely known retailers currently offering discounts, but a more extensive list can be found on UNiDAYS.
Best credit cards for college students
This is not an exhaustive list of everywhere you can save money with your college ID, so be sure to call your favorite retailer to see if they offer discounts.
In addition to discounts, using a credit card can help you save even further on your purchases. Whether you want to earn cash back or save up your miles for your next trip, a credit card is a useful tool to also build your credit score. Just make sure you use your credit card wisely and try to pay off your balance in full each month.
Here are several of the best credit cards for college students:
- Discover it® Student Cash Back: You can earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases (on up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases, then 1%) for rotating categories each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, 1% on all other purchases. (See the full Discover cash-back calendar here.)
- Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students: You can earn 1.5X points per $1 spent on each purchase. The points can be redeemed for travel, gift cards or statement credits to pay for flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars or baggage fees.
- Discover it® Student Chrome: You can earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover it® Student Cash Back
On Discover’s secure site
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Rewards
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases-automatically.
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Welcome bonus
Discover will match all the cash back earned for all new cardmembers at the end of your first year
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
0% for 6 months on purchases
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students credit card
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Rewards
Unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases
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Welcome bonus
25,000 online bonus points after you spend at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward qualifying travel and dining purchases
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
0% APR for the first 15 billing cycles on purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account.
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
3% of each transaction intro balance transfer fee for the first 60 days from account opening, then 4%
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Discover it® Student Chrome
On Discover’s secure site
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Rewards
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
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Welcome bonus
Discover will match all the cash back earned for all new cardmembers at the end of your first year.
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
0% for 6 months on purchases
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Who can qualify for college student discounts?
Almost anyone attending college or another higher learning institute can qualify for a college student discount. It is based on active status as a student and there is typically no age maximum or minimum. Proof of enrollment is usually required by entering your student email address, verifying your information through a third party or showing your student ID.
How student discounts work
Student discounts are a way to save money from big ticket items to everyday purchases. Most student discounts require verification of enrollment in a college or other institute of higher learning. These discounts can include free items, percentage discounts or specific dollar amounts off.
FAQs
How can I find more student discounts?
Do steaming services offer student discounts?
Do graduate students qualify for college student discounts?
Most student discounts are catered toward undergraduate students, but there are plenty of student discounts that extend to graduate students too. You will still need to provide proof of enrollment into a graduate program through your student email address or with a verifier such as UNiDAYS or ID.me.
Should college students have credit cards?
Having a credit card as a college student is an added responsibility, but it can help to raise your credit score and build your credit history. When managed properly, student credit cards can save you money through points and rewards on eligible purchases.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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For rates and fees for the Discover it® Student Cash Back, click here
For rates and fees for the Discover it® Student Chrome, click here
Information about the Apple Card and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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