20 of the best discounts for college students in 2023

Between classes, extracurriculars and part-time jobs, many college students live on a tight budget. The good news is that college students are eligible for a slew of student discounts that can help keep their expenses low. Below is a list of the best student discounts to help you stick to your college student budget.

20 of the best student discounts

If you’re a college student looking to cut down on costs, start with these discounts for things like subscription services, travel and tech tools.

Shopping

• Amazon Prime: Amazon Prime Student lets you get a Prime membership at half the price. You get access to all Prime benefits, like free shipping, Prime Video and textbook rental (six months free, then $7.49 per month).
• Groupon: The Groupon Select Student Program gives you access to already-low local deals at even more of a discount. Get great deals on workout classes, local attractions, restaurants and more. By signing up as a student, you’ll get up to an extra $20 off local deals.
• Grubhub: With a Grubhub+ student membership, you can get free delivery on orders of $18 or more from select off-campus restaurants, as well as premium customer support features (free).

Video

• Hulu: As a college student, you can get a discounted subscription to Hulu and watch your favorite shows whenever you want. Students receive a 75 percent discount on the ad-supported plan as long as they’re enrolled in college ($1.99 per month).
• Paramount+: Paramount+ is a streaming service that gives you access to titles from CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central. As a student, you can get a 25 percent discount on your monthly subscription to the Essential plan ($3.74 per month).
• YouTube: YouTube Premium means no ads, plus access to YouTube Music. Other perks include background play, downloads and offline access (one month free, then $6.99 per month).

Music

• Amazon Music: With Amazon Music, you get unlimited access to 90 million songs. This subscription is free for 90 days and then $5.99 a month ($8.99 a month for non-students).
• Apple Music: Apple Music boasts more than 90 million songs, and you can listen completely ad-free with a subscription. You can access the student subscription for up to 48 months at a $5 per month discount ($5.99 per month).
• Pandora: Anyone can listen to Pandora radio for free, but you’ll need Pandora Premium if you want to skip the ads and play any song you want. Pandora Premium offers a discounted rate for students and also offers features like offline listening and the ability to make your own playlists ($4.99 per month).
• SiriusXM: A SiriusXM Platinum subscription gives students access to programs like sports radio, news channels and comedy recordings. You can even create personalized stations based on your musical tastes ($1 for the first three months, then $4 per month).
• Spotify: With a Spotify student account, you can get a discounted subscription to Spotify music, as well as Hulu and SHOWTIME. You’ll get benefits for up to 12 months, and you can renew each year for three years (one month free, then $4.99 per month).

Travel

• Amtrak: Whether you’re traveling home for the weekend or headed out on an adventure, discounted train tickets mean that you can take more trips. Ticket prices vary, but you can get 15 percent off all ticket purchases (free).
• CoachUSA: Student discounts are available for select routes and service to a small number of colleges and universities.
• Hotels.com: If you and your friends are headed on a trip for spring break, Hotels.com will help you save up to 40 percent on room prices. All you’ll need to do is register and verify your student status (free).
• Zipcar: Some universities partner with Zipcar to offer students discounted rental car services. As a student, you’ll pay $35 per year to become a Zipcar member and then pay a small fee each time you rent a car. With Zipcar, you can rent a car as little or as often as you want ($35 per year to become a member, plus extra fees to rent a car).

Study tools

• Evernote: Evernote is software that helps you take better notes. With Evernote Professional you can access your notes offline and from multiple devices — including your phone, tablet and computer. College students get 40 percent off a professional annual plan for one year (typically $169.99 per year).
• Logitech: The right tech accessories can help you become a more efficient student. Logitech gives students 25 percent off all Logitech products — so you can get more affordable keyboards, webcams, smartphone accessories and more.
• Adobe Creative: Discounted pricing of $19.99 per month is available for Adobe Creative Cloud memberships for students and teachers. (Normally priced at $54.99 monthly.)
• Microsoft: College and university students are eligible for up to 10% off select products and discounted Microsoft 365 (premium apps and storage) for $2.99 per month ($6.99 a month otherwise).
• Apple: Current and newly-accepted college students and their parents, plus faculty and staff, as well as homeschool teachers, are eligible for exclusive educational pricing on most Apple products.
• Dell: Exclusive pricing, promotions, and deals are available through the Dell university program.

How to look for local discounts

When it comes to scoping out local discounts, the best thing to do is ask. Especially in college towns, small businesses are keen to offer some kind of discount or perk when presented with a valid student ID. Many businesses will offer discounts to the tune of 10 to 15 percent off your purchase, or include a free appetizer with your meal, for example.

The bottom line

This list isn’t comprehensive, so look for student deals wherever you go. If you take some extra time to research purchases and ask businesses if they have student discounts, you can save a lot of money over time.