Call yourself a book worm? Here are the best student discounts on books in 2023.
Everyone likes a good deal, even readers. So we’ve rounded up the best student discounts on books and bookshops – including academic textbooks, children’s books, YA, secondhand books, book subscription boxes and more. There are a mix of big and small brands in this list where you can find student discount codes, offers and sales – including Perlego, Hive books, WoB and A Box of Stories.
For the full overview of the discount codes we offer on books (and stationary!), check out our entire book student discounts category. You’ll also find some great deals on magazines, journals and newspapers.
In this guide:
- Waterstones
- WHSmith
- World of Books
- Books2Door
- A Box of Stories
- Perlego
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Wordery
- Hive
- Pearson
- Foyles bookshop
- JP Books
- Church House Bookshop
Best Student Discounts on Books
Waterstones student discount
Waterstones is a British bookstore icon, having began in 1982 and offering a massive variety of books, stationary, gifts and a bunch more at its 280 bookstores. Waterstones branches are operated on the ethos that their shops are run to best please their local customers, so each one is a bit different from the next, depending on what works for that store.
Personally, I really like the clothbound covers of some special classics and poetry books at Waterstones – like The Picture of Dorian Gray, Emma and Hard Times. You can see an example of my copy of Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata – which I bought from the Little Clothbound Classics collection at my local Waterstones. Another recommendation from me in this collection of tiny novels would be Chess by Stefan Zweig. Small but packs a punch.
If you’re after a book, it’ll almost certainly be found either in-store or online at your local Waterstones. And here’s another bit of good news, Waterstones offers a 10% student discount that can be used on books or whatever else you like.
WHSmith books discount code
If you’re looking for a WHSmith discount code and you’re a student, you’re in luck! WHSmith is an incredibly common fixture on UK highstreets (and airports) across the country. The brand’s been around since 1828 and sells a HUGE variety of book genres – including children’s books, cookbooks, travel guides, novels, revision books, graphic novels and a tonne more.
You can also find stationary, office supplies, games, arts and crafts and mags. More than 200 WHSmith stores also have a Post Office inside, meaning you can get the same range of services as those directly managed by Post Offices. Additional benefits include 7-day opening and longer hours.
The possibilities are endless. With Student Beans, you’ll get 10% off at WHSmith, too.
WHSmith discount code and promos
World of Books discount code
World of Books, or as it’s now known, WoB, is a great option for cheap, secondhand books.
Like myself, WoB doesn’t believe that books should only be read once, or have a single owner. Literature should endure and be continually recycled. World of Books also buys directly from charities, preventing the destruction of perfectly good books and working on a sustainable model.
WoB also sells through eBay. I’ve personally used World of Books via eBay dozens of times and can attest to the fact that they offer great deals with a seamless buying process. WoB has a 4.6 out of 5-star score on TrustPilot, with thousands of positive reviews.
As an English graduate who now works full time as a copywriter and considers themselves an avid reader, I buy most of my books via WoB due to the excellent prices and condition of their used books – especially older titles that can be harder to find.
For example, in 2023, I’ve bought 11 books through World of Books – including Have a Nice Day by Mike Foley (£5.49), Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain (£5.99), The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (£2.79, bargain!), Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace (£4.99) and Pereira Mountains by Antonio Tabucchi (£3.50).
Others I bought from WoB earlier in the year include Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski (£4.49), Being There by Jerzy Kosinski (£4.99), Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (£3.66), Fat City by Leonard Gardner (£3.22), The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Commyns (£3.88) and Civilwarland in Bad Decline by George Saunders (£4.64)
World of Books discount codes and offers
Books2Door discount code
Books2Door is a brand that aims to champion the the importance of books from an early age, especially as parents increasingly compete with screentime activities. Books2Door encourages children and young adults to build a love of reading by making books affordable and accessible for everyone. Books you buy from Books2Door are packed up into box sets at the best possible price, with up to 80% off the retail cost.
Regular deals you can find at Books2Door include 10 books for £10 and deals on imperfect or damaged books. The book brand sells a range of books for young children all the way up to young adults, with offers on favourites like the Harry Potter collection, 365 Days series, Never After series, Anne of Green Gables, Demon Slayer manga set, Briar U, House of Dragon, Big Nate and lots more!
If you’re looking for a Books2Door discount, you can find 10% off, as well as more offers and sales at the link below. Books2Door also offer £1 books (and books for less than £1), which can be found here.
A Box of Stories discount
A Box of Stories is a 4-book per box subscription service that aims to help readers discover new authors by specially curating book boxes. The brand collects together titles that have sold in reasonable numbers, combined with reader reviews, to create boxes that are guaranteed to delight book lovers. A Box of Stories subscription service is the perfect gift for readers in your life, as well as book clubs and the like. The book boxes contain four books each and are organised into collections by genre – i.e., fantasy, fiction, crime & mystery, light reads, YA, sci-fi, children’s books etc.
A Box of Stories has a mission to help readers discover authors and books that look beyond the bestsellers. No matter how many times you order, they promise that you’ll never get the same book twice. Standard mixed and fiction boxes cost £23.99, whilst genre specific boxes cost £29.99. All A Box of Stories boxes include free UK shipping and you can get prices as low as £18.99 with subscription offers. The brand also offers a student discount of 10%.
A Box of Stories student discount
Perlego subscription discount
Perlego can best be described as a sort of Spotify of books. Much like the music streaming service, Perlego is a digital online library that focusses on academic eBooks – making it well-liked by students. You’ll get access to more than 1 million books with Perlego, and you’ll save on academic textbooks you’ll need for uni and college.
As long as you have an active subscription, you’ll be able to access books within Perlego’s library. The site also generates fully-formatted citations for your bibliography or reference list from directly within the book, which is mightily handy for uni essays, coursework and dissertations.
Bloomsbury Publishing discount
Bloomsbury Publishing isn’t exactly a small name, but it might not a place you consider shopping for books as it’s not quite as popular as the likes of Waterstones and WoB. With that said, Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, and it’s arguably best known as the originating publisher of the Harry Potter series.
At Bloomsbury Publishing, students can also get 10% off books with student discount.
Bloomsbury Publishing discount
Wordery discount code
Wordery operates on the notion that online bookstores were diminishing the joy that comes from buying books and reading. Its mission is to run like a traditional bookshop, but with all the convenience of an online store; great service, outstanding book choice, round-the-clock access, excellent value, and free delivery anywhere in the world.
Wordery began in 2012 and has grown ever since it’s founding. Wordery commits to working with charities that improve literacy among young people by partnering with local primary schools. At Student Beans, you can also save 5% on books (or anything else) at Wordery.
Hive books discount
At Hive, you can find books, audiobooks, eBooks, CDs, vinyl, DVDs and more! Hive also helps out independent bookstores across the UK by donating a portion of your money to independent bookstores in their network. You can get save 10% at Hive with student discount, too!
Pearson discounts
Pearson is a publishing and education brand that supports learning and gaining new skills in all parts of life. Whether it’s upskilling in the workplace, getting ahead in school or learning a new language, Pearson’s products and courses can help to make it accessible and affordable. Check the link below for the best deals and savings to be found at Pearson.
Foyles bookshop discounts
Welcome, book lovers. Foyles, the award-winning bookseller known for its selection and expertise, has seven locations across the UK – in London, Chelmsford, Birmingham and Bristol. As well as new books and classics, Foyles sells a range of gifts and stationery to complement its ever-changing selection of books.
Foyles first opened in 1903 as a family-owned independent bookseller, until 2018 when it was bought by Waterstones. In addition to its beautiful bookshops, author events and wide variety of books available online – Foyles also offers a student discount!
Foyles bookshop student discounts
JP Books discounts
JP Books, as the name suggests, deals primarily in Japanese literature like books and magazines. The brand also offers an extensive range of stationery and traditional gifts directly imported from Japan. JP Books is also one of the largest stockist in UK for Japanese learning textbooks and learning materials. It was founded in London in 2000 and has operated in Japan since 1942.
JP Books stocks cult Japanese brands like Traveller’s Company, mostly known for their product the Traveller’s Notebook, as well as specialist versions of novels by well-known authors like Haruki Murakami.
Church House Bookshop discounts
London’s Church House, a Listed building in the heart of Westminster, contains the headquarters of the Church of England. While nobody knows for sure when Church House Bookshop actually came into being, it is known that meetings were being held as early as 1936 to discuss the desirability of including a bookshop within the new building.
The Church House Bookshop is run by Hymns Ancient & Modern, a registered charity, but retains its position as the ‘Official Bookshop of the Church of England’. The Christian bookshop sells books on church management, prayer, spirituality, poetry, bibles, theology and more – all available to buy online or in-store. Church House Bookshop also sells supplies like gifts, candles, communion cups and baptism certificates.