Apple Back to School Sale Returns Next Week With Higher Mac Prices

Apple’s annual Back to School promotion is expected to return by next week, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The timing places it squarely in the window just after WWDC 2026, which opens June 8, and the overlap is probably not accidental given that the sale window lines up closely with a period when students are actively shopping for fall.

What the promotion will actually offer this year remains unconfirmed. Last year, eligible college students and educational staff received a free accessory, such as AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro, with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad. Apple has not announced what it plans to bundle this time around.

The wrinkle this year is that Apple has raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineup ahead of the promotion. A free accessory worth roughly $100 to $130 lands differently when the base price of the device it accompanies has already moved up. Gurman’s framing suggests Apple may be leaning on the promotion as a buffer against backlash from those increases, giving buyers something to feel good about even as they pay more.

What Students Actually Face

The math here is straightforward. If a MacBook Air costs more than it did last year and the bundled accessory stays the same, the net value of the promotion has declined in real terms even if the headline offer looks identical.

Apple’s Back to School promotions have historically run through late summer, giving students time to buy before the academic year begins. Whether this year’s offer is generous enough to offset the pricing environment depends entirely on what Apple announces, which should become clear within days.