Back to School Sales for 2025: Here's What to Expect

The summer season is underway, and now is a good time to think about Back to School shopping. Whether your kids are in middle school or are college students heading to the dorm, they'll need to be ready with basic school supplies, new clothes, and laptops for the coming school year.

With everything you have to buy for school, sending your kids back to class can be expensive. That's why you want to look for the best Back to School sales you can find. We go over what you need to know to save on your Back to School shopping list in 2024. Once you're done reading, learn about more ways to save with our articles on the best school supplies to buy and the best places to buy school supplies.

Student Discounts to Check Out

Amazon Back To School Deals

From $2

Amazon has deals on school supplies, backpacks, tech, clothing, and more in its Back To School shop. We found prices starting around $2 and discounts of 50% off or more.

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Amazon Prime for Young Adults

Free Trial for 6-Months

Amazon Prime for students is rebranding to Prime for Young Adults and giving away six months of Prime for free. You must be ages 18 to 24 or a student to qualify. After the trial period the Prime subscription will renew for $7.49 per month, a 50% discount. Besides the usual Prime benefits, students and young adults will also enjoy 5% cash back on select purchases and 10% back on Amazon Prime Day (July 8-11, 2025).

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Peacock TV Student Discount

$2.99 for 12 months

Take advantage of this Peacock 2025 student discount and stream all your favorite Peacock Premium favorites at a 63% savings every month! You'll have to verify your status via SheerID but once you do you'll be able to stream hit titles like Poker Face, Resident Alien, Love Hurts, and more at your leisure.

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Paramount+ Essential Student Discount

$3.99/month

New and returning students can get an entire year of Paramount+ Essential for 50% off with this 2025 offer. You'll need to verify your status with SheerID, but once you do you'll have 12 months to explore everything Paramount+ Essential has to offer. When the year is up, your plan will automatically renew at the then-current rate, so if you want to avoid higher prices, be sure to cancel before then.

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Uber One Student Discount

Free 4-week trial + 50% off

Qualifying students can sign up for Uber One and get 4 weeks for free to try out all the perks the service offers. Even better, after that, students can keep the service for just $4.99 per month - that's a 50% discount off the regular price. Benefits of the service include:$0 delivery fee on eligible food, groceries, and moreUp to 10% off eligible deliveries and pickup ordersEarn 6% Uber One credits on eligible rides and get matched with top-rated driversUber One Exclusives including special offers and promotionsSave on thousands of your favorite restaurants and storesCancel anytime without fees or penaltiesCurious about those exclusives? Examples include freebies with $15 purchases at restaurants like Starbucks, Taco Bell, Panera, and more.

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HelloFresh Student Discount

55% off first box + 15% off

New student subscribers can sign up for HelloFresh and get 55% off your first box with this 2025 deal. Plus, you'll also get free shipping on your first box and an ongoing 15% off savings applied for 52 weeks. Note that you'll need to verify your status via UNiDAYS in order to get this offer, but once you do you can begin selecting your favorite recipes to make meal prep a breeze. The discount isn't valid on premiums, meal upgrades, add-ons, taxes, or shipping fees, and can vary depending on which plan and size you choose.

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NOTE: The information below was compiled before Back to School sales went into full swing. Please refer to the info above before making any shopping plans.

When Do Back to School Sales Start?

Expect Back to School sales to start in early July and run until late August in 2024. A handful of sales will likely last into September, in case you wind up needing a few extra things you didn't account for.

Here's when we saw sales start and end for some of the biggest Back to School retailers in 2022:

• Amazon Back to School sales started on July 6, with new deals appearing weekly until September. The last deal ran through September 26. This was the first big Back to School sale of the year, and Amazon is likely to start sales early and run them late this year, too.
• Best Buy Back to School sales started on July 8, with new items joining the sale about every two weeks. These events wrapped up in late August.
• Target Back to School sales started on July 14 and ended on August 11. That should be a good period of time for most shoppers, but those who want to shop particularly early or late may miss Target's savings.

Back to School shoppers should also look to Amazon Prime Day, which will be in July once again this year. While this sale event isn't focused on Back to School necessarily, you could find some real bargains, particularly if a Kindle or Echo device is on your shopping list — Amazon-brand products typically see some of their best prices of the year on Prime Day. Amazon is offering up shopping guides for Back to School and Off to College, as well.

Wherever you shop, look for sales to be live in mid-July. Some retailers may launch all of their deals at the same time, but others will rotate deals week-to-week, so you may see slightly different sales depending on when you shop.

What to Expect from Back to School Sales in 2024

During Back to School shopping season, you can find deep discounts on the new school year's must-have items, with up to 85% off select products. However, don't expect everything to have such deep price cuts. For a good deal, look for 30% to 50% off on average.

Read on to learn about the types of discounts you can expect to see in different categories when shopping Back to School 2024.

Back to School Sales on Clothing and Shoes

It's time to get growing kids ready for the new school year with kid-friendly clothing, athletic wear, and shoes that will (hopefully) last through the year. Whether you have young children who are constantly outgrowing their wardrobe or fashion-forward college kids, Back to School clothing sales will help you get them ready for the academic year. Kids' clothing deals are particularly good during Back to School sales, and we expect to see many retailers offering half off or better.

Look for clothing deals from a variety of brands, including discounts from the following retailers:

• Amazon: Up to 50% off
• JCPenney: Up to 65% off
• Kohl's: Up to 80% off
• Nordstrom: Up to 60% off
• Old Navy and Gap: Up to 50% off
• The Children's Place: Up to 60% off

For activewear, sports gear, and sneakers, check for discounts from these retailers:

• Academy Sports & Outdoors: Up to 50% off
• adidas: Up to 30% off
• Dick's Sporting Goods: Up to 50% off
• Nike: Up to 50% off
• PUMA: Up to 60% off
• Reebok: Up to 40% off

Back to School Sales on Backpacks and Lunch Boxes

A quality backpack is a must to carry all of those Back to School supplies, but they can vary greatly in price. Two years ago, we saw basic backpacks starting at $10 from Walmart, while Target bundled backpacks with lunch boxes, water bottles, pencil cases, and more for just $20. Overall, you'll find a wide range of styles and features in backpacks. For sportier or potentially more durable packs, check Academy Sports & Outdoors or Columbia. You'll usually be able to find basic accessories like lunch boxes and pencil cases at the same stores.

If you're willing to hold out for better deals, you may see larger discounts on backpacks in late September, after kids have gone back to school. If your child has an acceptable backpack at the moment, it may be worth holding off and checking for price cuts after Back to School sales have wound down.

Back to School Sales on Laptops and Tablets

Practically every student needs a computer for the school year, and you can score great deals on desktops, laptops, and tablets during Back to School sales. Expect to find major-brand laptops and tablets for a few hundred dollars off. And refurbished models — which can be just as good as new — may see more drastic cuts.

During Back to School season in 2022, HP offered particularly impressive Back to School deals, taking up to 77% off plus an extra 5% off select products over $599 and an extra 10% off select products over $1,099. But most major manufacturers offered their own deals, with up to 68% off Lenovo devices and up to 50% off Dell refurbished computers. Also look to sales at major electronics retailers, like Best Buy (up to $200 off), B&H Photo Video (up to $500 off), and Newegg (up to 75% off).

Apple products are always a hot buy, but don't expect to find the best deals from Apple, which typically offers discounts in the form of gift cards with purchases. In 2022, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo Video offered solid discounts on iPads and MacBooks, with up to $300 off.

You may also need software to go with that new computer, but fortunately, education discounts and freebies are common for software. Eligible students can get great education discounts, including over 60% off Adobe Creative Cloud and free Office 365.

Back to School Sales on School Supplies

What about pens, notebooks, and other basic school supplies? Back to School season is the time to stock up, because you can find everyday school supplies at up to 85% off.

Look to these retailers for discounts:

• Amazon: Up to 60% off
• Office Depot and OfficeMax: Up to 60% off
• Staples: Up to 78% off
• Target: Up to 85% off

Back to School Sales for the Dorm Room

If your college-age kid is moving into the dorms this fall, you may find they need bedding, furniture, and accessories for their new living space. Costs can really add up when you're furnishing a dorm room, so you'll want to be on the lookout for sales.

In 2022 we saw sales at JCPenney (up to 65% off), Kohl's (up to 25% off), and Target (up to 30% off) on home goods like bedding, cookware, and more items that were perfect for outfitting a new dorm room.

How to Save Money With Tax Free Holidays

Some states offer tax holidays during the Back to School shopping season. They can give you extra savings for stocking up on the year's must-have academic accessories. While dates for these holidays vary, states tend to offer them in July or August.

Only certain items are eligible for tax free shopping, but in most states, they include clothes, shoes, and school supplies, with some states also offering a tax break on computers and peripherals. Many states also have a maximum cost they'll offer these tax breaks on, so you'll need to plan your shopping carefully based on local rules.

You can take advantage of tax free weekends for online shopping, too — just make sure you're purchasing eligible items. Typically, you'll get the tax break automatically as long as you buy something that's in stock and ships immediately. If something is out of stock or back-ordered, you may not be able to take advantage of tax free promotions.

Check with your state to get the details on tax free savings you can make the most of when Back to School shopping.

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