cerebrate of buying a Mac or MacBook for school , college or university ? Here , in our best Mac for student manoeuvre , we take a expression at Apple ’s current line - up to measure which Mac is best for students . We ’ll equate the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college and examine whether a screen background Mac might actually be a better choice .
prefer the good Mac for college or university depends on what you are locomote to be studying as well as how much you have to spend . Luckily record students can save money on a unexampled Mac by frequent at Apple ’s Education Store , or with one of Apple ’s partners . We discussHow to get an Apple student price reduction at Apple ’s Education Storeseparately , although we also speak about the different shipway you could save money as a bookman below .
you’re able to save hundreds on a MacBook Air , MacBook Pro , iMac , Mac miniskirt , Mac Studio and even a Mac Pro at Apple ’s Education Store all year around . tap the follow links for the Education memory in the nation where most of our reader reside :
Buy a Mac or iPad for university during the summer months and take advantage of Apple’s Higher Education deal.
If you ’re a scholarly person , you may also getApple Music for half pricewithfree Apple TV+included .
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We ’ll run through exactly how much money you’re able to deliver on a new Mac if you are a scholarly person below , then we will assess which Mac to pick out base on your needs as a scholar and the course you are taking . Our advise is to browse around for deals that may be unspoiled than the scholar discount : you may be able-bodied to get even more money off your Mac purchase if you go straight to a reseller . understand on to find the best deals for each Mac .
If you ’re doing a degree in moving-picture show and television , or euphony , or graphic plan then it might make good sense to also look at one of our other Best Mac For … templet for that subject field :
We also have a guide to facilitate you get thebest MacBook deals for students . We also offer advice about how much storage , RAM and cores inHow much MacBook do you really need ?
How much can students save on a Mac?
Before we begin countenance ’s look at what is uncommitted and how much you’re able to save with the pedagogy deduction .
Students can typically save $ 100 to $ 200 in the U.S. , in the U.K. the savings are from £ 100 to £ 200 , Australian student can economise between $ 150 and $ 330 and Canadian students can typically save from $ 130 to $ 270 . Savings are even bigger on high - end products like the Mac Pro , although we are n’t indisputable that many bookman require one of those .
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college/university?
This is likely the question you are hoping to get an solution to : should I grease one’s palms a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro for college ? We compare theMacBook Air vs MacBook Pro in detailseparately . Below we ’ll value the different MacBooks from the perspective of a typical student in the order that we recommend them for students .
1. MacBook Air, 13-inch, M3, 2024
You might assume that the MacBook Air is low - powered in comparability to the MacBook Pro , but until September 2024 the 13 - inch MacBook Air bid the same M3 chip as the 13 - column inch MacBook Pro . That exchange in with the introduction of the M4 MacBook Pro in October 2024 , but it is unconvincing to be tenacious until Apple updates the MacBook Air with the same flake . If you do n’t want to wait for theM4 MacBook Air , this is still a good option , especially because Apple increase the amount on RAM ( merge store ) admit from 8 GB to 16 GB in October 2024 without change the price .
If you ’re looking for a MacBook that does n’t break in the bank building and propose the ultimate in portability and great bombardment life , then the MacBook Air is the unadulterated fit . The simulation we are recommending here is not the cheapest MacBook Air , but it offers the good value for money and the price difference between this and the old M2 model is so small that it is one of those case where spend a fiddling more gets you a circumstances more .
This MacBook Air offers 18 hours of battery life , concord to Apple . This is less than the 13 - inch MacBook Pro ’s 20 hours , but it ’s sure to be enough to get you through a day and an all - nighter at university .
Buy a Mac or iPad for university during the summer months and take advantage of Apple’s Higher Education deal.
There are no USB - A embrasure on the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro , just two USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate , a headphone jack , and a MagSafe interface so you may charge your laptop and still have two USB port complimentary .
You may palpate that you need more storage than the ledger entry - level model offers , in which face , the 512 GB model be $ 200/£200 more . antecedently there were additional welfare to choosing the 512 GB version because Apple ’s minor SSDs were n’t as fast as the declamatory ones , but for the M3 MacBook Air Apple seems to have addressed this issue . Rather than fork out for extra storage build up - in you may find external storage , or even iCloud storage , works out flashy . ( If you have a big Music subroutine library , for case , pay for iTunes Match so you may keep your music in the cloud . If you have a big photo subroutine library move around on iCloud Photos and get additionaliCloud storage ) .
How much can students pull through on the 13 - inch MacBook Air , M3 ?
MSRP : $ 1,099 / £ 1,099 / AU$1,799 / CA$1,449Student : $ 999 / £ 999 / AU$1,649 / CA$1,299
Students save : $ 100 / £ 100 / AU$150 / CA$150
You ’ll see the best prices right now in the cube above , which may be even better than Apple ’s education pricing .
2. MacBook Air, 15-inch, M3, 2024
There is only one reason not to buy the 13 - inch MacBook Air with M3 : the 15 - in MacBook Air with M3 … although as of the end of 2024 we ’d tally the fact that Apple is likely toupdate the MacBook Air with the M4 chipearly in 2025 .
The 15 - column inch MacBook Air be $ 200 more than the entryway - stage 13 - in M3 model , but it offers a better M3 scrap as standard with a 10 - core GPU , rather than an 8 - core GPU . And there ’s also a bigger screen .
Another benefit connect to the speakers , which are better than the smaller MacBook Air ’s . Here you get a six - speaker sound system with military group - invalidate woofers rather than the four - speaker sound system of the 13 - inch M3 ( and M2 ) .
The 15 - inch MacBook Air weighs a fiddling more and will take up more space in your bag , but if you require a bigger filmdom then that ’s a fair cost to pay .
Battery life is the same 18 - hours as the other 13 - inch MacBook Air models .
How much can educatee carry through on the 15 - in MacBook Air , M3 ?
MSRP : $ 1,299 / £ 1,299 / AU$2,199 / CA$1,749Student : $ 1,199 / £ 1,199 / AU$1,999 / CA$1,599
Students salve : $ 100 / £ 110 / AU$200 / CA$150
3. Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4, 2024
The 14 - inch MacBook Pro with M4 is quite a leap up from the MacBook Air in terms of terms , so you may be marvel why anyone would want to ante up more for the MacBook Pro .
There is a grounds to buy the MacBook Pro rather than the MacBook Air though and that ’s fundamentally if the MacBook Air wo n’t be powerful enough for your needs . The matter about the MacBook Air is that it lacks a sports fan , which imply that if you really push it then the Mac might slow down to avoid overheat . For this reason , if you desire to use your Mac for threatening processing then you might be good off with a MacBook Pro . In this case , if you have the budget , you might actually want to weigh the M4 Pro alternative ( discussed next ) .
One other benefit of the MacBook Pro is the wider selection of ports than on the MacBook Air , include HDMI and an SDXC card reader . But if you are n’t doing anything too postulate then the MacBook Air is last to be more than powerful enough for your pauperization and we ’d propose that you save the money you ’d be spending on the MacBook Pro and buy an external display to plug into when you are back in your dorm room , or something equally as useful ( like food ) .
How much can scholarly person bring through on the 14 - inch MacBook Pro , M4 ?
MSRP : $ 1,599 / £ 1,599 / AU$2,499 / CA$2,099Student : $ 1,499 / £ 1,499 / AU$2,349 / CA$1,969
scholar economise : $ 100 / £ 100 / AU$150 / CA$130
4. MacBook Pro, 14-inch, M4 Pro, 2024
It is unlikely that students need the index of the M4 Pro in the 14 - in MacBook Pro ( or 16 - inch MacBook Pro for that topic ) and the price is probable to be prohibitive anyway . But we do see some goodMacBook Pro deals , so if you may get a bargain then these more powerful MacBook Pro models are worth consider .
If you need a more powerful Mac because your course calls for it , or perhaps because you are a gamer looking for a machine that can fulfil those demands , then you could preserve a bit of money by choosing the 14 - inch MacBook Pro over the 16 - inch example . Both models declare oneself the same specs , so you are n’t give up any high-pitched - world power options . Read:14 - inch vs 16 - in MacBook Pro .
How much can students save on the 14 - inch MacBook Pro , M4 professional ?
MSRP : $ 1,999 / £ 1,999 / AU$3,299 / CA$2,699Student : $ 1,849 / £ 1,849 / AU$3,069 / CA$2,509
Students make unnecessary : $ 150 / £ 150 / AU$230 / CA$190
5. MacBook Air, 13-inch, M2, 2022
Students looking to expend as niggling money as possible may well be considering the M2 MacBook Air , which is just $ 899/£899 for educatee . That ’s $ 100/£100 less than the student price of the newer M3 MacBook Air . Even better , Apple up the RAM ( unified memory ) from 8 GB to 16 GB as standard in October 2024 without increasing the price , so this is still a in force Mac to buy if you are on a budget .
That ’s not a huge rescue though , so we suggest you shop around a turn before you buy : you may find a price reduction on the M3 13 - column inch MacBook Air that pose Apple ’s scholar discount on the older poser . Just ensure that you remark whether there is 8 GB or 16 GB RAM inside when deciding whether a spate is dear enough .
If you’re able to spare the extra money , we advocate spending the extra $ 100/£100 because the M3 MacBook Air is the better leverage thanks to the newer M3 bit and faster warehousing . Our advice is to avoid the 256 GB M2 MacBook Air because the memory is known to be dumb . We ’d recommend upgrading to the 512 GB model , but by that point , you might as well spend the money on the M3 MacBook Air which is n’t hampered by the same storage issue .
But , if you ca n’t spare the extra money the M2 MacBook Air will be more than adequate for a scholar , peculiarly those preponderantly spell essays and conducting inquiry . This model came with a big and smart screen , and better FaceTime television camera than its forerunner , and still has a stack of benefits compared to the MacBook Pro .
The M2 MacBook Air offer 18 hours of battery life , just like the M3 theoretical account . That is less than the 13 - inch MacBook Pro ’s 20 hour , but it is enough to get you through a day and an all - nighter at university . It offer up the same larboard as the M3 MacBook Air : two USB - C , a headphone jack , and a MagSafe larboard for charging .
How much can students make unnecessary on the 13 - in MacBook Air , M2 ?
MSRP : $ 999 / £ 999 / AU$1,599 / CA$1,299Student : $ 899 / £ 899 /AU$1,439 / CA$1,169
educatee save : $ 100 / £ 100 / AU$160 / CA$130
MacBook vs Mac desktop for students?
Student lifespan normally involves a sightly amount of mobility – trip to lectures , library , the occasional burnt umber store , and then possibly home for weekend and full term break – so it create gumption to turn over a laptop rather than a desktop Mac .
While the cover sizes in MacBooks are smaller than iMacs , you may always corrupt a cheap projection screen and use that with your laptop when you are home . Or , if you also have an iPad , you might be able to link your iPad to your MacBook and use the iPad screen too ( here’show to practice your iPad as a second screen for your Mac ) . You could also practice that iPad for assume musical note when you are at lectures ( read our guide to thebest iPad for students ) .
However , there are some benefits to buying a Mac screen background . loosely , it is the showcase that you bear more for a Mac laptop computer , compared to the same glasses on a screen background . The Mac miniskirt , for model , is Apple ’s chinchy Mac despite having some pretty impressive specs . However , if you liken the 24 - inch iMac with a likewise speced Mac laptop computer the iMac is considerably more expensive .
iMac vs Mac mini vs Mac Studio for students
While we revalue that there are lot of benefits connect with pick out a laptop for university , you may be better off with a screen background .
1. Mac mini, M4, 2024
The Mac mini was elevate in October 2024 when it gained the M4 chip ( and the M4 Pro chip choice discuss below ) . It also got a brand new , much small , design . It now appraise a diminutive 5 - in by 5 - inch ( 12.7 curium x 12.7 cm ) . So you could find elbow room for it on your desk , or in your base when heading home for the vacation .
In the U.K. Apple also contract the price , so it ’s now $ 599/£599 ( the price has n’t alter in the U.S. ) . Depending on where you are based , the inexpensive Mac going is now even cheaper ! The only substantial compromise is the lack of proctor and keyboard .
If you are on a budget the Mac miniskirt is the way to go . Get an entry - degree Mac mini and ask around for an erstwhile keyboard , computer mouse and monitor lizard .
How much can students save on the Mac mini , M4 ?
MSRP : $ 599 / £ 599 / AU$999 / CA$799Student : $ 499 / £ 499 / AU$829 / CA$669
Students salve : $ 100 / £ 110 / AU$170 / CA$130
2. Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro, 2024)
The M4 Pro Mac mini offers all the benefits of the Mac miniskirt talk over above along with the more herculean M4 Pro splintering which fetch more GPUs and support for more RAM ( unite memory board ) .
If you involve an M4 Pro cow dung the Mac mini with M4 Pro is a fate cheaper , at $ 1,299 ( bookman monetary value ) than a 14 - inch MacBook Pro , which starts at $ 1,849 for scholarly person . for sure , you need to buy amonitor , mouseandkeyboard , but you may probably incur good deal on those accessories .
How much can students save on the Mac miniskirt , M4 Pro ?
3. Mac Studio, M2 Max, 2023
The M2 Max Mac Studio used to be celebrated for its powerful chip , with more GPU CORE and support for more RAM , at a much low-toned cost than similarly specced Mac laptop . However , it ’s now a few years on from its instauration and Apple is yet to update it . We anticipate that theM4 Mac Studiowill arrive in mid 2025 .
If you require a knock-down Mac , either because your course demands it , or because you want to spend your free time play , the Mac Studio is worth thoughtfulness , and the student discount rate is moderately upright . We ’d expect for the Modern model to plunge though .
As with the 14 - inch and 16 - inch MacBook Pro models though , we ’d suggest that you believably do n’t involve this much tycoon and could probably use the money for something more important , like accommodation or food .
How much can educatee save on the Mac Studio ?
MSRP : $ 1,999 / £ 2,099 / AU$3,299 / CA$2,699Student : $ 1,799 / £ 1,889 / AU$2,969 / CA$2,429
Students hold open : $ 200 / £ 210 / AU$330 / CA$270
4. iMac, 24-inch, M4
Back in May 2021 Apple usher in an M1 - equipped24 - inch iMacwith a brand new design in a selection of seven different colouration , it then took until October 2023 before Apple updated the car , add together an M3 chip and nothing else . Now Apple has update the iMac again , this time with an M4 chip in October 2024 .
We have n’t recommended the iMac for students , and we are n’t fully recommend it now . But the iMac does have a few qualities that might appeal to you .
Thanks to its aim it ’s certainly a Mac that will make a statement to anyone entering your hall way . That 24 - in showing could also be a large screen for streaming your favorite shows and movies .
The iMac is a non - portable Mac though , which might discourage many educatee from buy one . You wo n’t be able-bodied to take it with you to lecture – or cart it home on a train for the holiday – but you will be able to work more efficiently thanks to its 24 - inch screen .
How much can students save on the iMac ?
MSRP : $ 1,299 / £ 1,299 / AU$1,999 / CA$1,699Student discount : $ 1,249 / £ 1,249 / AU$1,919 / CA$1,629
Students bring through : $ 50 / £ 50 / AU$80 / CA$70
Which Mac should you get for university?
Our pick of the intact Mac ambit , if you ’re a pupil , is the M3 MacBook Air . It will give you a better screen , good webcam and an attractive new pattern to show off in lectures . It ’s light , fast , and with student pricing bug out at $ 999/£999 it ’s very good value . However , we ’d wait until Apple update it with the M4 chip , which is likely to happen in the spring of 2025 .
You could salvage by prefer for the older M2 MacBook Air , but , if you are front for the cheapest Mac you may get , the M4 Mac mini is a very good option . It ’s powerful and with Apple ’s education discount , it ’s just $ 499/£499 . You just want a reminder , black eye and keyboard . The only understanding to delay buying one is the fact that aMac minimay be make out soon .
How to get a discount on a Mac for university or school
you’re able to get a student discount rate at Apple ’s instruction stores , but you have to restrict as a student in higher education , be a teacher , someone buying for an education institution , or a menage pedagogue . schooling - years children can only take vantage if the equipment is being purchase by their school or if their parent is house - educating them . If you are a read student you ’ll be able to get a discount on a new Mac if you rat in Apple ’s various Education Stores ( below ) . you’re able to find out all about it in more detail in ourApple Education Store explainer .
catch a student discount rate from Apple ’s education storage is n’t the only way to get a cheaper Mac as a student though . There are various ways to get a deal :
Look out for reseller discounts : Another way to get a bargain is to look out for stack at Apple resellers and Amazon , where we have see Macs with as much as $ 500 off the price . Take a feel at our round ups of the best Mac great deal to get the serious toll right now :
Buy a refurbished Mac : Take vantage ofApple ’s refurbished storewhere the company sells ex - video display , returned , and previous - generation Macs at a discount . The benefit of buying refurbish from Apple is that the product are fully checker and come with a one - year guarantee . you could also geta refurbished Macelsewhere with many resellers offering the same service , but beware that not all refurbished Macs are equal . Usually refurbished means that the Mac is guaranteed to be in full working club , but do see with the reseller . Here ’s a guide tohow to bribe a freshen up Mac . We also look atwhy you should corrupt a freshen up Mac . One thing to take down : if you find what you think is a good deal on an honest-to-goodness Intel Mac we do not recommend that you buy one . Intel Macs will probably only be supported with protection updates for a brace more years , so you may find yourself need to upgrade before the end of your course .
Buy 2d - hand / used : One vantage of purchasing refurbished is that it should be guaranteed to sour and you should have no problem bring back it if there is a job . These are understanding why we do n’t recommend buyinga secondhand Mac . If you do see a deal on a secondhand or used Mac just be especially cautious .
The best Mac bargains are commonly on old models , although we do see bank discount on current Macs as well . If you see a in effect discount on an older Mac it ’s of import to be aware of what the new models pop the question so that you know what you are missing out on and can guess whether the deal is as good as it appear to be . For one affair , old mackintosh are likely to feature Intel processor rather than Apple ’s M1 , M2 , M3 or their variance , which could put you at a disadvantage in the future ( and will sure enough mean your Mac depreciates in note value very quickly ) . regard an Intel Mac ? Our advice is : keep off . See : How long does Apple plunk for Macs for .
If you are a student here’show to get Apple Music for half cost . Plus students with an Apple Music student subscription also getfree access to Apple TV+for a limited metre .
For buying advice on thebest Windows laptop computer , see our sister site PCWorld .
