Do educational discounts apply to refurbished Apple products?
Apple's Education Store pricing does not apply to refurbished Apple products. The education pricing program is exclusively available on new devices purchased through the Apple Education Store, and it cannot be combined with refurbished inventory from any seller.
How Apple Education pricing works
Apple offers discounted pricing for students, teachers, and education staff through its dedicated Education Store. Here is what you need to know:
- Eligible buyers: Current and newly accepted college students, parents buying for students, faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers.
- Typical savings: Around 5-10% off new Mac and iPad models.
- What's included: New devices only, sometimes bundled with free AirPods during back-to-school promotions.
- What's excluded: The Apple Refurbished Store, third-party refurbishers, and accessories are not part of the education pricing program.
Why refurbished already beats education pricing
Even without an education discount, refurbished Apple products are typically 15-40% cheaper than new retail prices. That means a refurbished MacBook or iPad almost always costs less than the same model purchased new with an education discount.
- A new MacBook Air with education pricing might save you $100, but a refurbished MacBook Air can save you $200-400.
- Refurbished products from the Apple Refurbished Store come with the same 1-year warranty and return policy as new devices.
- Third-party refurbishers often offer even deeper discounts, especially on older models.
You can compare refurbished MacBook prices or refurbished iPad prices on RefurbMe to see current deals.
Other ways to save as a student
For a broader look at student savings across all refurbishers, see our article on whether refurbishers offer student discounts. You can also set price alerts on RefurbMe to get notified when a product drops to your budget.