Apple has raised the MacBook Neo’s US education price again. The cheapest model now starts at $649 on the Apple Education Store, up from $599.
The regular price is still $699, so students now save $50 instead of $100. Counting from the $499 education price at launch in March, the student price is up $150 in total.
MacRumors spotted the change and says it happened within the past week. As of October 29, Apple’s Newsroom has no post about it.
MacBook Neo Education Price History
According to MacRumors, this is the second student price increase this year.
- March (launch): $499 education, $599 regular
- June: $599 education, $699 regular
- Now: $649 education, $699 regular
The 512GB model costs $749 with education pricing and $799 at the regular price. That is also a $50 gap.
The increase isn’t limited to the US. MacRumors says education prices rose by a similar amount in other countries’ currencies too. Apple has blamed this year’s price increases on a memory-chip shortage, MacRumors notes. That explanation covers the year’s hikes in general rather than this specific change.
Who Still Gets the Student Discount
Since May, education buyers in the US and Canada must verify their status through UNiDAYS, according to MacRumors. Those who qualify now get half the savings they did a few months ago.
For Apple’s cheapest laptop, that matters. A $100 student discount was a real reason to buy through the education store. At $50, it works out to roughly 7% off.
If you’re upgrading from an older Mac, Apple has also raised its US trade-in values for most Macs. That can offset part of the higher price.
MacBook Neo Specifications
The Verge notes that the $649 model comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It also lacks Touch ID.
- Chip: A18 Pro with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 256GB ($649 education) or 512GB ($749 education)
- Touch ID: not included on the base model
- Colors: Silver, Blush, Citrus, Indigo
If you can wait, a second-generation Neo is rumored for the first half of 2027. MacRumors cites a report saying it will use an A19 chip with 12GB of RAM. Treat that as unconfirmed until Apple announces it.
Sources: Apple Education Store, MacRumors, The Verge
