From Amtrak to Apple to Spotify, here’s how to save hundreds of dollars
By Courtney Lindwall
College is certainly pricey, but shopping as a student doesn’t have to be.
A student ID or college email address can unlock hundreds of dollars in savings on everything from a laptop or phone to books, clothing, and video streaming services.
In some cases, the easiest way to find deals is to sign up for a student discount program—like Student Advantage, Student Beans, or UniDays—which allows you to browse hundreds of offers all in one place. And some discounts, like savings on gasoline or Amtrak train tickets, can make it cheaper for students to visit home more often. A win-win.
Below, we’ve tracked down dozens of the best student discounts from a range of retailers, including Apple, Best Buy, Nike, and Target. (No, Netflix doesn’t offer student deals, unfortunately. Lots of people ask about that one online.)
All of the discounts are available for college students, and many apply to K-12 students, parents of students, and faculty and staff, too.
Best Student Discounts on Laptops, Phones, and Other Tech
Before you use a student discount to buy a new laptop for college, check to see if your school has posted required or recommended specs online. Many colleges also offer their own discounts on tech gear as well as free software through partnerships with manufacturers.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Need Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, or one of the other creative apps from Adobe? The regular one-year subscription costs a hefty $660, but students and teachers can get it for $239.
Apple Pro Apps
Video editors and musicians can save nearly 70 percent on this bundle, which includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage. And it’s available at a one-time cost of $200 rather than a yearly subscription.
Adorama
This retailer specializes in cameras, audio equipment, and other electronics and offers discounts (which vary by product) through its free EDU Discounts program. As with most of the other companies on this list, you need to verify your college student status with SheerID, a free validation service, when signing up.
Apple
Apple’s student discount on Macs and iPads is a no-brainer because these products rarely go on sale. The special pricing is available to current and recently accepted college students, their parents, college staff, and homeschool teachers. For example, you can get $100 off the MacBook Air with M3 chip, plus a $150 gift card. Apple’s refurbished program offers great savings, too, for those who don’t need the very latest iPhone or MacBook.
AT&T
College students and staff can save $10 per month per phone line (up to five lines) on the AT&T Unlimited Premium plan. For one line, it would be $76 a month instead of the regular $86. This cell phone plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data that doesn’t slow down, plus 60 gigabytes of hot spot data per line each month.
Back Market
Refurbished, pre-owned tech can save you substantially when shopping for a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. Verified students can shave another $20 off when buying from Back Market.
Best Buy
Best Buy’s student discounts are open to everyone; you don’t need to verify your student status to take advantage of them. Simply head to the student deals hub to see what’s available.
Dell
By signing up for a Dell Rewards account, students with a valid academic email address can automatically save 10 percent on tech, like Inspiron laptops.
HP
The HP Education Store for university students, parents, teachers, and faculty offers up to 40 percent off regular prices. Just register with an .edu email address.
Microsoft
Students in grade school, high school, or college, their parents, and school faculty can get up to 10 percent off certain Microsoft products. Microsoft 365 Personal, which comes with essentials like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, is also half off for students, while Office 365 Education is free for students and teachers at eligible institutions.
Samsung
College students and staff can get up to 10 percent off a Samsung phone, laptop, smartwatch, or tablet by signing up for the company’s Education Offers Program. The student discount even extends to select home appliances, up to 30 percent off. (But if you’re living on campus, check to see if you’re allowed to have microwaves or toasters in the dorm.)
Verizon
Verizon offers college student discounts for both wireless and home internet service. For cell phones, the discount is $10 off per month for one line or $22 off for two lines on an Unlimited plan. For Fios Home Internet, the discount is up to $10 per month. You can save more if you use Verizon for both cell phone and home internet service.
Best Student Discounts on Entertainment
From movie theaters to music subscriptions to video streaming services, you don’t need to pay full price for fun.
Amazon Music Unlimited
After a free 30-day trial, college students can listen to Amazon Music for a discounted $5.99 per month. The regular plan is $11.99 per month or $10.99 for Prime members. This is different from the Amazon Prime Music included with a Prime membership. Unlimited gives you the ability to listen offline and skip unlimited tracks.
AMC Theaters, Cinemark Theaters, and Regal Theaters
Movie ticket prices are discounted if you show your college student ID at participating AMC Theaters, Cinemark Theaters, or Regal Theaters. The discount can vary by time and day, so check with the box office.
Apple Music and Apple TV+
Apple’s Student Music plan is $5.99 per month for up to four years; the regular individual pricing is $10.99 per month. It includes Apple TV+ (usually $9.99) for free.
Hulu
College students can watch shows and movies, with ads, on Hulu for just $1.99 per month, an 80 percent discount. This student discount can’t be combined with the discounted Disney (Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+) bundle. But if you want music streaming, too, see the deal below.
Hulu Plus Spotify Premium
After the free one-month trial, get both Spotify Premium and Hulu (with ads) for $5.99 per month. Spotify Premium is usually $11.99 per month and Hulu (with ads) is $9.99 per month, so this is a savings of $15.99 a month for as long as you attend college.
Max Basic (with ads)
Students can stream the most popular Max shows and movies for just $4.99 a month (half off the regular price). You first need to verify your student status through UniDays to receive a unique discount code.
Paramount Plus
Stream movies, shows, news, and live sports on the Paramount Plus Essential plan for $6 per month (25 percent off) after verifying you’re a college student. This plan includes some ads and doesn’t include your local live CBS station.
YouTube Premium
A YouTube Premium student plan includes ad-free videos and music for $7.99 per month after the first month’s free trial. (The regular price is $13.99 per month.) This discount is available for up to four years max. At the end of each year, you’ll need to verify your eligibility as a college student.
Best Student Discounts on Clothing and Dorm Room Essentials
Shopping for yourself can be fun until you tally up your receipts. The discounts below can help you stay within your budget.
Amazon Prime Student
Prime Student is the discounted version of Amazon Prime for—you guessed it—college students. After a six-month free trial, the price is $7.49 per month, which is about half off the regular price. In exchange, you get the usual benefits of Amazon Prime membership, including free delivery; Prime Video, Music Prime, and Prime Gaming; and access to deep discounts during Prime Day sales.
EyeBuyDirect
Save 20 percent on eyeglasses and sunglasses at this online eyewear store. Sign up and verify your student status with Student Beans at the link above.
J.Crew
Update your wardrobe and save 15 percent when you show your college ID in the store or verify your student or teacher status at jcrew.com. This discount can only be used up to four times per month. It’s also not valid at J.Crew Factory stores.
Levi’s
“Consider this your early graduation present,” says the company’s website: 15 percent off all Levi’s apparel. Levi’s has deals for teachers, too.
Madewell
Clothing retailer Madewell offers college students and teachers 15 percent off online and in-store purchases. The discount can’t be stacked on top of other promotions, but if there’s a bigger discount available, that’s the one that’s applied. If shopping online, you’ll need a Madewell Insider account to verify that you qualify.
Nike
High school and college students can nab a 10 percent promo code valid at nike.com or through the store’s mobile app after verifying their student status with SheerID. That discount code can only be used once (and not in person), but you can get a new code every week by simply verifying your status again.
Target
Shop everything from dorm room bedding to back-to-school clothes. College students receive discounts during certain sales events as well as a discounted Target 360 membership for $4.99/month. (The regular price is $10.99/month.) The membership gets you unlimited free delivery and an extra 30 days on returns, among other perks.
Best Student Discounts on Magazines, Newspapers, and Books
Stay informed and feed your brain with these exclusive student deals.
Amazon Prime Reading
If you’re a Prime member—see the clothing and dorm room section for the details on Amazon Prime Student—you have free access to over a thousand ebooks, magazines, comics, and audiobooks.
The New York Times
College students and faculty get access to NYTimes.com for $1 per week when they sign up with a valid school email address. Check with your college first to see if it provides free subscriptions to students.
Poetry Magazine
A one-year subscription to Poetry Magazine (10 print issues plus digital access) for students or educators is $24. (The regular price is $34.) You also get immediate access to the magazine’s digital archive.
The Wall Street Journal
Check to see if your university offers WSJ subscriptions. If not, you can get access to WSJ.com for $24 for the first year and then $4 per month as long as you’re a college student.
Best Student Discounts on Travel and Auto Insurance
Getting around is more fun when you get a good deal.
AAA
Some of the AAA’s regional clubs offer discounted membership for student drivers. Head to the membership web page to see whether that deal is available near you. In addition to roadside assistance, AAA membership includes discounts at hotels, attractions, and retailers.
Allstate, Geico, Farmers, Nationwide, State Farm, and Travelers
Here’s an incentive to do well in school: Most car insurance companies offer a “smart student” discount if you maintain good grades (often a B average or better) in college or high school. Ask your agent about other options, such as the “away at school” discount for students living 100 miles or more from home.
Amtrak
Students between the ages of 17 and 24 can take a train ride for 15 percent off when booking at least one day in advance. The discount is automatically applied to qualifying travel. (Seating is limited and might not be available on all trains on all days.) Enter code V814 in the Amtrak app.
Exxon, Mobil, and Walmart
Walmart+ members receive 50 cents off per gallon at any of the 14,000-plus Exxon and Mobil stations nationwide from April 28 through May 4. (Similar sales occur throughout the year.) To take advantage of the offer, you simply pull up to the pump and open the Walmart+ app.
Kayak
Whether visiting home on break or en route to a semester abroad, students and young adults can save on certain flights when booking through Kayak. Just select “student” in the drop-down menu when choosing the number of passengers.
Shortline/CoachUSA and Trailways
CoachUSA offers discounted bus service to and from select colleges in New York State if you show a valid ID. Trailways offers verified students up to 15 percent off the regular adult fare on select routes. (Inquire with the company.)
4 More Ways to Save as a Student
Here are some final tips to help you find discounts, deals, and freebies.
Flash your ID. You might be surprised by how many places are willing to cut students a break. (It doesn’t hurt to simply ask.) Local attractions such as Lincoln Center in New York City, the New England Aquarium in Boston, and the Art Institute of Chicago will sometimes let you in free (or at a discount). And regardless of what the Buffalo Wild Wings and Taco Bell websites say, an individually owned franchise may comp your drink or cut 10 percent from your bill.
Enroll in a student discount program (or two). Student Advantage, Student Beans, and UniDays gather coupons and affiliate deals across just about every product category, including fashion, food, technology, and travel. To get the offers, you just need to register for a free account. (Many of the deals are duplicated across the sites, but some are exclusive.) For apps and software needs, check out Student App Centre, which lists discounts like a free subscription to the popular task management system Notion.
Get a digital wallet or ID card. Most of the discounts cited in this article require you to verify your student status through a third party. Services like that are a good place to find savings, too. International Student Identity Card (ISIC) costs $20 and gives you access to deals across the globe; ID.me is a free digital wallet that offers cash back; and SheerID, which verifies status for companies like Amazon, The New York Times, and YouTube, has exclusive student discounts.
Use your alumni benefits. The savings don’t necessarily stop once you graduate. Many universities offer graduates discounts on professional development courses, travel, and shopping. In some cases, you can even get a permanent .edu email address, prolonging access to these student discounts.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2025, Consumer Reports, Inc.