School is about to start back up for a lot of people, and with how integral technology is to the classroom, having a good computer is always important. If you’re looking to pick up a new Apple device for school or college, I’ll be going over the best picks right here.
Obviously, when it comes to Apple gear for school, you have to go over the most important Apple debate: iPad or Mac. I won’t be giving advice in that regard, though I will say that iPadOS 26 makes using an iPad as your all-in-one device for school more viable than ever.
iPads have one great advantage over Macs: the ability to take handwritten notes with an Apple Pencil. I’ve personally always preferred handwritten notes over typed notes, and studies would suggest that writing your notes out is better for memorization than typing them. Macs, on the other hand, have an excellent advantage in the fact that they run macOS, and are generally far more capable thanks to more apps being available and having less operating system restrictions.
iPads
Apple offers four iPad models: iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. Let’s break those down.
iPad (A16) is the base model, and serves as the cheapest option. It starts at just $329 for students, regularly going on sale for $299 – and masters all of the iPad essentials. The main thing it lacks is a laminated display, and it only supports the basic Apple Pencil (USB-C). If you want an Apple Pencil Pro, you’ll need a higher end iPad. You’ll also need a higher end iPad if you want a proper Magic Keyboard, as this iPad only supports the Microsoft Surface-style Magic Keyboard Folio.
Above that, is the iPad Air. At $549 for students (and $449 on Amazon), it bumps things up a notch, while still serving as an affordable option. You gain the ability to use Apple Pencil Pro and a proper laptop-style Magic Keyboard, and you get a laminated display – meaning the cover glass is right up against the display, without any air gap. When taking notes, having a laminated display can be helpful for tighter precision. iPad Air also comes in with an M3 chip with support for Apple Intelligence and much more, versus the more lightweight A16 chip in the base iPad. It comes in both 11-inch and 13-inch display sizes, so the iPad Air actually serves as the cheapest way to get a 13-inch iPad.
Below that is iPad mini. This iPad is less likely to be useful for school, unless you just want a small iPad for note taking. It does support Apple Pencil Pro, though you won’t have any sort of first party keyboard options. It has an A17 Pro chip, meaning it’ll support Apple Intelligence – and it’ll feel a bit speedier than the base model iPad. That’ll run you $449 at Apple’s education store, or $399 on Amazon.
Last but not least, iPad Pro. Compared to iPad Air, you get a much nicer OLED display with HDR support, a thinner chassis, Face ID (all other iPad models are Touch ID only), better speakers, and an M4 chip. This model is largely unnecessary for students compared to the iPad Air, but if you want more of a premium experience and have the budget – it can’t hurt to get an iPad Pro. It comes in at $899 for students – with a free pair of AirPods.
MacBooks
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