Home » Blog » Back to School Deals 2026
Published February 28, 2026 • 16 min read • by MonkeyCoupons
Back to school spending is the second-largest retail event of the year, trailing only the winter holiday season. The National Retail Federation estimated that American families with school-age children spent an average of $890 per household on back to school shopping in 2025, with total national spending exceeding $41 billion. For families with college-bound students, average spending reached $1,366 per household.
Those numbers do not have to be your numbers. Strategic timing, coupon stacking, tax-free shopping weekends, and knowing exactly which retailers offer the best deals in each category can cut your back to school spending by 30-50% without sacrificing quality or sending your kids to school with subpar supplies.
This guide covers everything you need to plan your 2026 back to school shopping: the best times to buy each category, which stores have the deepest discounts, how to maximize tax-free weekend savings, and specific strategies for the biggest budget categories including laptops, clothing, and school supplies.
Timing is the single most important factor in back to school savings. Prices on school-related items follow a predictable curve that repeats every year. Understanding this curve tells you exactly when to buy each category for the lowest price.
May through June: This is the earliest window and the best time to buy electronics. Laptop prices hit annual lows during Memorial Day sales and Amazon Prime Day (typically mid-June). Computer manufacturers clear out current inventory before back to school models arrive. Savings of 15-30% compared to July/August prices are common.
Early July: School supplies begin appearing at retailers, but prices are at or near full retail. The exception is Amazon Prime Day, which typically falls in the first two weeks of July and offers strong deals on electronics, backpacks, and some school supplies. Fourth of July clothing sales also provide an early opportunity for wardrobe purchases at 30-50% off.
Late July: This is the sweet spot for school supplies. Walmart, Target, Staples, and Office Depot launch aggressive loss-leader deals on basics: $0.25 notebooks, $0.50 folders, $1.00 glue sticks, $0.17 pencil packs. These prices are available for two to three weeks and represent the absolute lowest prices of the year on basic supplies.
First two weeks of August: Tax-free weekends hit in most participating states. Clothing deals intensify as retailers compete for the final wave of back to school shoppers. This is also when stores begin discounting remaining school supply inventory to clear shelf space for fall merchandise.
Late August through September: Prices rise on remaining inventory. However, if you missed earlier deals, clearance sales on summer clothing and leftover school supplies can still offer modest savings. Laptop prices stabilize at regular retail until Black Friday.
Basic school supplies see the most dramatic price drops of any back to school category. The loss-leader strategy used by Walmart, Target, and office supply stores creates prices that are genuinely below cost. The stores lose money on $0.25 notebooks and $0.50 crayons to drive foot traffic, knowing parents will buy higher-margin items while they are in the store.
The best time to buy basic supplies is the last week of July through the first week of August. Stock up during this window, even buying slightly more than you need for the current year. Notebooks, pencils, pens, folders, and glue do not expire, so last year's surplus becomes next year's free supplies.
Premium supplies like scientific calculators, art supplies, and specialty items rarely see the same dramatic discounts. For Texas Instruments calculators (required for many math classes), the best prices are typically on Amazon during Prime Day or on eBay where used calculators sell for 40-60% less than new. Art supply sets and specialty items are best purchased at craft stores during their regular 40-50% off sales or with Michael's and Hobby Lobby coupons.
Electronics represent the largest single expense in back to school shopping. A student laptop typically costs $300-$800, and the price difference between buying at the right time versus the wrong time can easily be $50-$150.
The best time to buy a student laptop in 2026 is during Memorial Day sales (late May) or Amazon Prime Day (June/July). Both events feature Chromebooks starting at $149-$199, Windows laptops starting at $299-$399, and MacBook Airs discounted $100-$200 off retail. These prices are comparable to or better than Black Friday laptop deals in most cases.
Student discount programs offer another significant savings layer. Apple Education Pricing provides $100-$200 off MacBooks and iPads for current students and educators, plus the annual back to school promotion (typically July-September) adds a free pair of AirPods or an Apple gift card. Best Buy's student deals program offers exclusive pricing on laptops, tablets, and accessories with verification through UNiDAYS or Student Beans. Samsung, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all offer education store discounts ranging from 5% to 20% off standard pricing.
Refurbished laptops are the most overlooked option for budget-conscious families. Apple's Certified Refurbished store sells previous-generation MacBooks at 15-20% off with full warranty and new batteries. Amazon Renewed and Best Buy Open Box offer Windows laptops at 20-40% discounts with return policies. A refurbished two-year-old MacBook Air is faster than most new $400 Windows laptops and costs roughly the same.
Clothing is the second-largest back to school expense category, averaging $253 per household in 2025. The key to clothing savings is avoiding full-price retail by timing purchases to coincide with seasonal clearance and promotional events.
The best clothing deals fall into three windows. Fourth of July weekend sales (late June to early July) offer 30-50% off at most retailers. This is the best time to buy summer clothes that will see you through the first warm weeks of school plus lightweight basics like t-shirts and shorts. Late July clearance sales mark down remaining summer inventory by 50-70% to make room for fall arrivals. Finally, tax-free weekends in August let you avoid 4-8% sales tax on qualifying clothing purchases.
For shoes specifically, the best deals come during Nike, Adidas, and New Balance seasonal sales in July and August. Student-specific deals through UNiDAYS and Student Beans provide additional 10-20% discounts at many shoe retailers. Athletic shoes that retail for $80-$120 regularly drop to $50-$80 during this period.
Quality backpacks from brands like JanSport, North Face, and Herschel cost $40-$80 at full retail. The best time to buy is during Amazon Prime Day or during mid-July sales at retailers like REI and Dick's Sporting Goods, where 20-30% off is common.
For durability-conscious families, investing in a higher-quality backpack that lasts three to four years is more cost-effective than buying a $20 backpack that falls apart annually. JanSport offers a lifetime warranty on all products. L.L.Bean backpacks carry a one-year satisfaction guarantee. Both brands regularly go on sale during July and August for 20-30% off.
Sales tax-free weekends are one of the most underutilized savings tools in back to school shopping. In states where sales tax ranges from 4% to 8%, these weekends provide immediate savings on qualifying purchases without any coupons, apps, or special effort required.
As of early 2026, the following states have announced or are expected to hold back to school tax-free weekends: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Dates vary by state but most fall between late July and mid-August. Check your state's department of revenue website for exact 2026 dates and qualifying item categories.
Most tax-free weekends cover clothing under $100-$200 per item, school supplies under $25-$50 per item, and computers under $750-$1,500 depending on the state. Some states include backpacks and shoes. Few include electronics beyond computers.
The strategy is to concentrate your highest-cost clothing and supply purchases during your state's tax-free weekend. For a family spending $500 on qualifying items in a state with 7% sales tax, the tax-free weekend saves $35 with zero effort. Combine this with store coupons and cashback apps for maximum impact.
Walmart: Offers the lowest everyday prices on basic school supplies. Their loss-leader deals on notebooks ($0.25), crayons ($0.50), and folders ($0.15) are the cheapest available anywhere. Walmart also price-matches competitors including Target and Staples.
Target: Target Circle provides 5% off with the Red Card plus additional digital coupons on school supplies. Target's back to school sales are competitive with Walmart on basics and often better on clothing, backpacks, and dorm essentials. Target also runs a Teacher Prep Event offering an additional 15% off school supplies and classroom essentials for verified educators.
Amazon: Best for electronics, backpacks, and bulk supplies. Amazon Prime Day (typically June/July) is the year's best time to buy student laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and accessories. Amazon also offers a Prime Student membership at 50% off ($7.49/month) with additional student-exclusive deals throughout the back to school season.
Staples and Office Depot: Both stores run aggressive loss-leader deals on paper, pens, and organizational supplies during late July. Their rewards programs (Staples Connect, Office Depot Rewards) provide additional 2-5% back. Both stores also offer price-matching and accept manufacturer coupons.
Monkey.coupons monitors back to school deals, tax-free weekends, and coupon stacking opportunities across every major retailer.
Explore monkey.couponsCollege students have access to a separate tier of discounts that K-12 families do not. These student discounts are available year-round but are most valuable during back to school season when purchases are concentrated.
The most valuable ongoing student discounts include Apple Education Pricing (5-10% off Mac and iPad), Amazon Prime Student ($7.49/month instead of $14.99), Spotify Premium Student ($5.99/month for Spotify, Hulu, and Showtime), Adobe Creative Cloud (60% off the full suite at $22.99/month), Microsoft 365 Education (free for students), and GitHub Student Developer Pack (free tools worth over $200,000).
For college dorm essentials, the best deals come from Target's College Registry (which offers a 15% completion discount), Bed Bath and Beyond replacement Overstock (deep discounts on bedding, storage, and small appliances), and IKEA's student-focused collections which provide functional furniture at the lowest price points in the market.
Back to school is one of the easiest times to stack coupons because so many manufacturers and retailers release overlapping offers. The typical stack for school supplies includes the store's sale price (loss-leader pricing on basics), a manufacturer coupon (available from coupons.com and Sunday inserts for brands like Crayola, Elmer's, and Mead), a store digital coupon (loaded to your loyalty card), and post-purchase cashback from Ibotta or Fetch Rewards.
Clothing stacking opportunities include the store's promotional discount (30-50% off during back to school events), a store coupon or promo code (Gap, Old Navy, and Kohl's regularly issue 15-25% off coupons), Rakuten cashback (typically 2-8% at major clothing retailers), and credit card category bonuses (many cards offer 5% back on select retailers each quarter).
Electronics stacking is more limited but still valuable. Student education pricing, store price-matching (Best Buy matches Amazon, B&H, and other authorized retailers), credit card purchase protection and extended warranty benefits, and cashback app offers on laptops and tablets all contribute to meaningful savings on big-ticket purchases.
Use this timeline checklist to ensure you hit every deal window:
May: Buy laptops during Memorial Day sales. Order refurbished electronics if budget is tight. Sign up for student discount programs.
June-July: Shop Amazon Prime Day for electronics and backpacks. Start buying summer clearance clothing. Load digital coupons for school supply brands.
Late July: Buy all basic school supplies during loss-leader sales. Stock up on notebooks, pencils, pens, and folders at their annual lowest prices.
August (tax-free weekend): Buy clothing, shoes, and any remaining supplies during your state's tax-free weekend. Use store coupons and cashback apps on top of the tax savings.
September: Pick up any remaining items on clearance. School supply prices begin climbing back to regular retail by mid-September.
The last week of July through the first week of August offers the lowest prices on basic school supplies. Walmart, Target, and office supply stores run loss-leader deals with notebooks as low as $0.25, folders at $0.15, and crayons at $0.50. For electronics, Memorial Day and Amazon Prime Day (June/July) offer the best laptop and tablet prices of the year.
The National Retail Federation estimated average spending of $890 per K-12 household in 2025, with college student households averaging $1,366. The largest categories are electronics ($300+), clothing ($253), school supplies ($135), and shoes ($167). Strategic timing and coupon stacking can reduce these costs by 30-50%.
Over 17 states typically hold back to school tax-free weekends, including Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and South Carolina. Most occur between late July and mid-August. Qualifying items usually include clothing under $100-$200, school supplies under $25-$50, and computers under $750-$1,500. Check your state's department of revenue for exact 2026 dates.
Walmart typically offers the lowest prices on basic school supplies during back to school season, with loss-leader deals that are difficult for any competitor to match. Target is competitive on basics and often better on clothing, backpacks, and dorm essentials, especially when factoring in the 5% Red Card discount and Target Circle deals. The best strategy is to buy basic supplies at Walmart and clothing and accessories at Target.
Yes. Amazon Prime Day (typically June/July 2026) is the best time to buy student laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, backpacks, and bulk school supplies. Laptop discounts of $50-$200 are common, and Chromebooks often drop to $149-$179. Prime Student members ($7.49/month) get early access to deals and additional student-exclusive offers.
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