We Found the 10 Cheapest Places To Buy Back to School Essentials

As summer comes to an end, students and parents are prepping for the start of a new school year. Buying new school supplies is a major event for anyone with school-age children, and stores around the country heavily advertise their back-to-school deals as the fall approaches.

While back-to-school supplies and deals can be found at many different stores, some retailers offer better pricing and savings than others.

To help consumers save money on educational essentials this year, the FinanceBuzz team researched the costs of common school supplies at 10 major retailers to find the best prices. Here's where to shop to get the best deal.

Michaels, one of the largest arts and crafts stores in the country, is the most expensive store overall, regardless of age level. It's also the only retailer that did not carry all the items on our back-to-school supply list, as the chain doesn't stock tissue boxes or combination locks, meaning shoppers will have to find those items elsewhere to complete their school shopping.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $65.14
• Middle school: $147.34
• High school: $141.37
• All items*: $184.03

*Includes items that overlap between school levels, so the overall totals don't reflect the sum of each grade level.

While known as a pharmacy, Walgreens also sells toys, groceries, and school supplies, among other items. While Walgreens did not stock backpacks and lunchboxes last year, both of those items are available for purchase in 2025, according to the company's online inventory.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $58.31
• Middle school: $98.95
• High school: $85.67
• All items*: $132.37

Office Depot, another leading name in the world of office supplies, merged with OfficeMax in 2013. It's also the first chain on our list with physical retail locations where school supply prices crack triple digits.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $50.79
• Middle school: $75.86
• High school: $68.18
• All items*: $109.40

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world, and a quick and convenient way for millions of Americans to have items shipped directly to their homes at an affordable price.

However, shipping costs can exceed the value of certain products, leading Amazon to increase prices on those items to turn a profit. As a result, school items like crayons, folders, and rulers are more expensive to buy from Amazon than any other retailer.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $53.10
• Middle school: $75.51
• High school: $69.99
• All items*: $109.09

Located mostly in the Midwest, Meijer started as a grocery chain but eventually developed into a superstore concept long before Walmart was on the scene. Customers can find every item on our list at the chain, although they may want to find backpacks elsewhere, as Meijer's price for that item was the highest of any store on our list.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $49.83
• Middle school: $76.35
• High school: $65.17
• All items*: $98.99

Kroger started as a grocery store and evolved into an "everything" store with a significant national footprint, operating more than 1,200 locations across the country. Kroger stores offer the best prices for construction paper and glue sticks.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $42.14
• Middle school: $77.46
• High school: $64.08
• All items*: $97.21

Staples is a giant in the field of office supplies and a "staple" of back-to-school shopping for many customers around the country. It's also one of the few retailers on our list with costs under $95 for the full list of back-to-school supplies.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $44.89
• Middle school: $61.85
• High school: $62.64
• All items*: $90.08

At Target, the cost for our full supply list came in under $85. The popular store offers better prices than competitors on three items: lunch boxes, folders, and pencils.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $31.55
• Middle school: $52.07
• High school: $53.28
• All items*: $80.56

The cost for all 20 school supply items at Dollar General is a little over $18 more expensive than Walmart, making it one of the best options available this school year. Of note, Dollar General is selling rulers at the lowest price of any store this back-to-school season.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $36.50
• Middle school: $52.25
• High school: $45.75
• All items*: $72.75

Walmart offered the highest savings of any retail chain we analyzed. With a total cost under $55 and availability of every item on our list, the largest retail chain in America is also our No. 1 pick for back-to-school shopping.

Costs for:

• Elementary school: $27.07
• Middle school: $38.15
• High school: $30.51
• All items*: $54.21

While prices for things like fast food, theme park tickets, and eggs have surged in recent years, school supplies are one area where parents can catch a break, as costs for many standard school supplies have remained stable or even gone down in the last year.

Walmart has the best prices of any retailer for back-to-school supplies, but to further maximize your spending, following some of the best Walmart hacks, like downloading the Walmart app, can take your savings even further.