35+ best college-exclusive deals, sales and memberships from stores you actually want to shop

Heading back to college is stressful for a lot of reasons, including the fact that back-to-school shopping can be quite expensive. As a college student, you need more than just books and supplies — you’ll also have to shop for dorm essentials, bedding and bath, tech tools, under-bed storage for your room and more. With that in mind, it’s worth knowing that there are a lot of brands and retailers that have dedicated, college-exclusive memberships and deals for students. Whether you’re shopping for your freshman year or going back as an upperclassman, there are lots of sales from our go-to brands like Apple, Adidas, Dyson, Garmin and retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. Target’s College Student Appreciation program and Amazon’s Prime for Young Adults membership, which is for students between the ages of 18 and 24, are just the beginning. Both are less than the traditional membership and you can sign up after verifying eligibility. Below, I break down these programs and others, as well as the best back-to-school deals and sales for college students for more than 20 retailers and brands. I also highlight noteworthy student memberships, like UNiDAYS, that offer deals at many brands. The best college student memberships to sign up for in 2026 I rounded up a list of college-exclusive memberships from our favorite brands and retailers that provide deals, discounts and sales only for eligible students. - Amazon: Amazon’s Prime for Young Adults membership is exclusive to students between the ages of 18 and 24. It’s half the price of a regular Amazon Prime membership and still includes free and expedited shipping, Prime Video and 5% cash back. It includes a free six-month trial that costs $7.49 a month thereafter (which is 50% of the usual $14.99 price). While the membership isn’t the cheapest of all the major retailers, it’s arguably the best option for college students given its six-month trial and Amazon’s extremely reliable, trackable and fast shipping. - UNiDAYS: UNiDAYS is a platform that many popular brands and retailers, including Apple, Uber Eats, AMC, HBO Max, Disney+, Adidas and more, use as a universal college student eligibility verification tool. It essentially streamlines the verification process to make college-exclusive deals easier to access for students. You have to sign up for the platform and verify your eligibility using your student email or ID. - Target: Target’s College Student Appreciation is an extension of its popular Target Circle memberships, which has two main tiers: Target Circle (which is free) and Target Circle 360, which is $10.99 a month. The Student Appreciation membership costs only $4.99 a month and includes same-day delivery and free shipping. - Walmart: The Walmart+ Student membership functions similarly to Amazon’s and Target’s. It’s a 50% off membership, so it’s only $6.47 ($49 a year) a month instead of $12.95 monthly ($98 a year). Eligible members (you must be at least 18 years old and enrolled in an accredited school) get benefits such as free shipping and delivery on products and groceries (for orders of $35 or more). You can also save 10 cents per gallon at Walmart, Exxon, Mobil and Murphy gas stations, which is nice considering the cost to fill up a tank these days. Plus, it includes exclusive prices on gas at Sam’s Club. The membership also starts with a 30-day free trial. - Sam’s Club: Sam’s Club has a college-exclusive student membership for $20 a year, which is more than 60% off the regular membership which is $60 a year. You also have the option to get $50 off a Sam’s Club Plus membership, which is usually $120 a year. You must be at least 18 years of age and enrolled in a public or private university in the United States or Canada to be eligible. The best back-to-school college discounts, deals and sales in 2026 Below, I rounded up some of the best deals on dorm essentials, school supplies, tech, apparel, footwear and more for college students. Tech deals for college students This surge protector has eight outlets and four USB ports for all of your dorm room electronics, including headphones, earbuds, lamps and more. It’s available in lengths between 6 and 25 feet and comes in black or white. Plus, it has a flat plug so you can easily place furniture, like a chair or desk up against it without accidentally pulling it out of the outlet. - Apple: Save on MacBook Air, MacBookPro, MacBook Neo, iPad Air and Apple Watch Series 11 at the Apple Education Store after verifying eligibility through UNiDAYS - Best Buy: Save up to 55% on laptops, soundbars, televisions, mini fridges and more - Target: Save up to 40% on laptops, headphones, earbuds, tablets, smartwatches and more from Apple, Beats, Anker, Logitech and more - Walmart: Save up to 40% on earbuds, televisions, speakers, instant cameras, digital photo frames, sound bars, headphones, tablets and more from Apple, Vizio, Beats, HP and more Footwear deals for college students We’ve tested a lot of running shoes from several premium brands, and On continues to be one of our favorite options, including the On Cloudsurfer 2. NBC Selected reporter and avid runner Zoe Malin runs in these and loves how comfortable and supportive they are. The shoes have breathable mesh uppers and a substantial amount of cushioning to help with shock absorption as your run, according to On. - Hoka: Save on Hoka running and walking sneakers after verifying eligibility through ID.me at checkout. Plus, save up to 30% on Hoka apparel and shoes, including Cliftons, Skyflow, Rincon, Mafate, Ora Athletic Slides and more. - On: Save on On running and walking sneakers and apparel after verifying eligibility at UNiDAYS. - Nike: Save up to 25% on running shoes, including the Nike Vomero Plus, with code DAYONE. - Brooks: Save up to 35% on Brooks running and walking sneakers after verifying eligibility at UNiDAYS. - New Balance: Save 15% on New Balance running and walking sneakers after verifying eligibility at ID.me or UNiDAYS. - Saucony: Save on Saucony running and walking sneakers after verifying eligibility at ID.me or UNiDAYS. - Adidas: Save up to 30% on full-price items using an Adidas student membership discount by signing up online and verifying your eligibility at UNiDAYS. Plus, save on shoes and apparel, including the Adidas Campus, Spezials, Gazelles and more. Bed, bath and kitchen deals for college students Putting a new mattress protector on your dorm room mattress should be one of the first things you do when you arrive on campus. This mattress protector from Utopia Bedding is available in several sizes, including twin and twin XL, and is entirely waterproof. It’s also available in packs of two and four, if you ever feel like switching it out at some point throughout the year. It fits mattresses up to 13 inches tall and has a zip closure. - Target: Save up to 40% on duvet covers, comforters, mattress pads and more from Becky Cameron, Bare Home, Continental Sleep, Peace Nest, Alvantor and more. Plus, save up to 40% on towels, shower shoes, shower caddies and more from Crocs, Hearth & Harbor, American Soft Linen, Becky Cameron and more. - Walmart: Save up to 51% on apparel, tech, comforters, sheet sets, pillows, duvet covers and more from Mainstays, Lux Decor and more. - Bed, Bath & Beyond: Save up to 40% on bedding and bath, including bath towel sets, mattress pads, sheet sets, comforters, bathrobes, blankets, rugs and more dorm essentials, after verifying eligibility at UNiDAYS. - Dormify: Save up to 21% on duvet covers, headboards, pillows and quilts. - Brooklinen: Save up to 75% on duvet covers, quilts, towels, blankets, sham sets, pillowcases, bath mats and more. - Buffy: Save up to 20% on duvet covers, sheet sets, comforters, pillows, sham, quilts and more. School supplies deals for college students When my colleagues and I tested a ton of pens (including ones great for left-handed people), we all found the Sharpie S-Gel pens to be one of the absolute best options. These were my favorite of all the pens I wrote with because the ink dries very fast, it doesn’t smear at all and it was comfortable to hold in my hand (it also has a grip in the middle) so it’ll definitely be your go-to pen for taking notes. Plus, I love that it’s retractable so I don’t have to worry about losing the cap and it becoming dry and unusable. - Target: Save up to 60% on school supplies, including pencils, calculators, crayons, folders, glue, erasers, markers, mechanical pencils, pens, dry-erase markers, tape, highlighters, index cards, loose-leaf paper, sheet protectors, printers and printer paper from Crayola, Ticonderoga, Epson, HP, Deal Worthy, Paper Mate, Sharpie, Pilot, Expo, Scotch, Up & Up and more. - Walmart: Save up to 50% on pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, dry-erase markers, binders, index cards, folders, calculators and more from Expo, Ticonderoga, Texas Instruments, Sharpie, Paper Mate and more. - Office Max: Save up to 30% on pencils, loose-leaf paper, erasers, binders, folders, index cards, highlighters, pens, label makers, command strips, calculators, backpacks and more from Office Max, Paper Mate, Jansport, Command and more. - Best Buy: Save up to 62% on printers, backpacks and more from Samsung, Epson, Canon, HP and more. - Amazon: Save up to 45% on pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, desk lamps, backpacks and more. - Costco: Save up to $3 on packs of Sharpies, pens, pencils, highlighters, dry-erase markers, mechanical pencils and more. Apparel and accessories deals for college students A great pair of jeans is a staple for almost everyone, and Levi’s has some of the highest-quality (and most varied) options available. The 501 Original Fit is available in light, medium and dark washes, and they have a straight-leg feel. They’re made from a mix of cotton and lycra (which gives them some stretch) and they’re safe to machine wash in cold water, according to Levi’s. - Lululemon: Save up to 44% on women’s and men’s apparel, including jackets, running shorts, pants, half- and quarter-zip hoodies and sweatshirts and more from the We Made Too Much section. - Alo: Save up to 40% on women’s and men’s apparel, including sweatshirts, jackets, sweatpants, short-sleeve shirts and more. - Comfrt: Save up to 70% on the back to school collection as well as hoodies, sweatshirts, blankets, slides, shorts and more. - REI: Save up to 50% on apparel from The North Face, Patagonia, Smartwool, REI Co-Op, Arc’teryx and more. Plus, save on items with an REI Co-Op Rewards membership and sign up by 9/7 to get a $30 Member Bonus Card. - Nordstrom: Save up to 36% on apparel from Free People, Theory, Madewell, Honeydew, Luckybrand, Sam Edelman and more. - J.Crew: Save up to 60% on T-shirts, sweaters, tank tops, rugby shirts, jeans, midi dresses, crewneck shirts and more - Old Navy: Save up to 50% on everything, including tees, jeans, sweaters, running shorts, button-down shirts, maxi dresses and more. Plus, save up to 30% with an Old Navy Encore credit card. - Carhartt: Save up to 40% on relaxed tees, sweatshirts, pocket shirts, jeans, polos, long-sleeve plaid shirts, jackets and more. Want more from NBC Selected? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter. Why trust NBC Selected? I’m a commerce editor at NBC Selected, where I write about deals and sales events daily. I also write product roundups about home, lifestyle, kitchen, cleaning, organization and more. I found the deals, sales and student membership options above by researching multiple brands and retailers. Catch up on NBC Selected’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.