Where to buy, sell and rent college textbooks

It’s no secret that college textbooks are expensive. The average student spends around $310 per year on course materials alone and a total of $1,250 for books and supplies each year at a public four-year school, according to CollegeBoard’s 2023 Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid, which cuts into available funds from student loans and other financial aid.

While it’s necessary to buy books for college courses, buying only from your college bookstore is often expensive. But you can save money by buying, renting and selling your books through third-party services or textbook sites.

Is it better to buy or rent textbooks?

Whether you buy or rent textbooks depends on your needs. If you’re looking to save some extra cash, renting is the way to go since it’s much cheaper than buying outright. However, renting does come with some stipulations. For one, you usually can’t write in your textbooks (though some companies will allow you to highlight), so it’s not the best option if you prefer to take notes in your book.

Renting versus buying college textbooks also depends on your studies. If there’s a textbook you know you’ll be referencing or using again, it’s probably better to buy the book. This is especially true for STEM majors, where technical textbooks may also be useful during your career or graduate school. If you’re required to take a class with a virtual textbook, you’ll likely need to buy one instead of rent since these textbooks often have a one-time access code.

If you do have to buy a textbook, consider buying a used book. While it won’t save you as much money as renting would, used books are considerably cheaper than new ones. Ask your professor if you can buy an older edition since those are often much cheaper than newer editions.

Best places to buy college textbooks

In many cases, buying used college textbooks can significantly cut your expenses, and there are plenty of websites to help you compare prices:

• AllBookstores: AllBookstores finds textbooks from multiple sources, like Amazon and Chegg, so you can compare prices and choose the best offer. AllBookstores offers new and used textbooks and will list how much you’ve saved per book, so you can keep track of your savings.
• BIGWORDS: BIGWORDS functions like a search engine that allows students to compare textbook prices from multiple sites. BIGWORDS also searches the internet for coupons, promotional offers and discounts.
• BookFinder: Like other textbook sites, BookFinder aggregates textbook prices of retailers. To find the best deal, type in the author, title or ISBN and search. You can filter your search by price, hardcover or softcover and publication year.
• CampusBooks.com: CampusBooks.com compares textbook prices from multiple sources and offers discounted new and used textbooks and e-books. The site features a unique tool called the BookBag. You’ll add up to five books into your cart at once, and then CampusBooks.com will compare the prices and find the best combination price on all the books.
• CollegeBooksDirect: This site allows you to search multiple ISBNs at once and limits orders to what the company has in stock (rather than offering back-ordered or out-of-stock materials). You can also limit your search upfront by the maximum price you will pay for a textbook.
• eBay: eBay offers you the ability to buy anything, but it’s a hidden gem for textbooks. You can find almost any textbook on eBay. If you have time before classes start, you can set up an alert to be notified when the book you’re looking for is on sale. EBay also has a generous return policy if the textbook doesn’t arrive in the condition you expected.
• ThriftBooks: With a vast inventory, this site is great if your instructor demands a rare edition or out-of-print title for their class. Customers can limit search results by the book’s price, condition, or format.

Best places to rent college textbooks

Most college textbook rental sites allow you to rent books for one semester, or you can choose a specific period. Renting is often cheaper than buying, and you won’t have to worry about selling the book once your class is done.

• Amazon: Amazon makes textbook rental fast and easy. If you’re signed up for a Prime Student account, you can receive your textbooks in two days, which is great if you’re on a time crunch. If you decide that you’d like to purchase your textbook instead, your rental fee will go toward that purchase.
• BooksRun: This site offers free delivery and returns on all textbooks, with a stock list that is updated daily. Customers can extend their rental or purchase books at any time. This site also purchases used textbooks.
• Campus Book Rentals: Campus Book Rentals acts as a search engine for renting new or used textbooks. Once you enter the book details, you’ll be presented with a list of prices and availability. You can even perform a bulk search by entering the ISBNs of all your books at once. The site also offers live customer support, extended rental periods and the ability to highlight in the books.
• Chegg: Chegg offers reduced prices on rental textbooks. Students can customize their rental time if they need the materials longer than they originally thought or purchase the books outright. Returning textbooks is free, and renters are allowed to highlight the textbooks.
• ECampus.com: ECampus.com provides free shipping on textbook rentals over $35, which isn’t hard to do if you rent a whole semester’s worth of books. Regular renters can join the site’s rewards program to earn discounts. You can also choose from three rental terms: quarter, semester or short-term.
• Your college or university bookstore: Your school may also offer textbook rentals for required course materials.

How to save money on college books

Even if you can buy used books or rent your books, you may still need help covering the costs of textbooks. Here are a few easy ways to save money on your course materials:

• Buy the electronic version: Most textbooks have a digital option you can access through your computer or tablet. Digital copies are typically much cheaper than the physical book.
• Try your school’s library: If you need your textbook only for a specific lesson, check your school’s library to see if the book is available to borrow. Remember that you won’t be able to mark or highlight your book, and you could have trouble getting a copy if other students in your class have the same idea.
• Search for scholarships: Some scholarships allow students to use the aid money for books and supplies. Some scholarships, like the one offered by the textbook marketplace BookScouter, are geared specifically toward textbooks.
• Look into the Open Textbook Library: The Open Textbook Library is a website that offers over 1,100 textbooks that are openly licensed by publishers and authors and free to use and distribute. Students can download, edit and read textbooks at no cost.

How to sell college textbooks

When you’ve completed your college course, you may not need or want to keep the textbook. In these cases, you could try to sell your used textbooks. Some options to consider are:

• College library or book sale. Some colleges will buy back or trade in your textbooks at a college textbook sale. Or, you may also be able to sell your textbooks to the college library as the library updates its collection.
• Used bookstores. Used bookstores may buy and stock used textbooks. If you live near a college, check out nearby bookstores since they are more likely to accept textbooks.
• BooksRun. You can get a quote for the specific books that you’d like to sell on this website. If you decide to sell, BooksRun also covers the cost of shipping and then makes a payment via check or PayPal within four days.
• GoTextbooks. A Chegg partner, this website also provides quotes for your used textbooks and provides a shipping label so that you can ship the book to the company for free. You may have to wait up to 14 days to receive payment.
• BookScouter. This company allows you to get a quote from multiple vendors in one place. You can then sell your book to the vendor offering you the best price. BookScouter also awards $500 book scholarships to students.

Bottom line

If you are looking for ways to trim costs when attending school, shopping around for textbooks can be one area to find savings. Buying used books or renting each semester can help you to save hundreds of dollars. You may even earn some money back if you sell your textbooks at the end of the term.

Ask your instructors for ISBNs on the materials they would like you to use; having this information can make cost comparison online a quick and painless process.