37+ Back-to-School Deals for College Students in 2026
From Amazon Prime for Young Adults to Target, Walmart+ and Apple, here's how students can save on dorm essentials, tech and more this year.
Back-to-school shopping is one of the biggest expenses college students face each year, covering everything from dorm essentials and bedding to tech tools and school supplies. To ease the cost, dozens of major brands and retailers now offer college-exclusive memberships and discounts.
Among the top student memberships is Amazon's Prime for Young Adults, available to students ages 18 to 24. It costs half the price of regular Prime — a free six-month trial followed by $7.49 a month, compared with the standard $14.99 — while still including free shipping, Prime Video and 5% cash back.
Target's College Student Appreciation program, an extension of its Target Circle membership, costs $4.99 a month and includes same-day delivery and free shipping, compared with $10.99 for Target Circle 360. Walmart+ Student offers similar perks for $6.47 a month ($49 a year) instead of $12.95 monthly, plus 10 cents off per gallon of gas at Walmart, Exxon, Mobil and Murphy stations, and a 30-day free trial.
Other retailers offer steep discounts as well. Sam's Club's student membership costs $20 a year, more than 60% off the standard $60 annual rate, with an added $50 off Sam's Club Plus. Ikea gives verified students a 15% discount via a one-time promo code.
Tech and streaming companies have their own programs. Microsoft offers Microsoft 365 free to students with a university email, along with up to 50% off Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes the Copilot AI tool. YouTube Premium's Student Plan starts with a free month, then $8.99 a month versus the standard $15.99. Spotify offers eligible students three months free, then $6.99 a month with Hulu included, down from $12.99.
Platforms like UNiDAYS and Student Beans serve as universal verification tools, letting students access discounts at brands including Apple, Adidas, Nike, H&M, Gymshark, Uber Eats, AMC, HBO Max and Disney+ after verifying their student status with a school email or ID. Apple's Education Store also offers savings on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air and Apple Watch Series 11 for verified students.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
