Walmart’s back-to-school sales kick off as early as June, with deals that only get better through July. And it’s not just the typical pencils and pens that get price rollbacks. Walmart notoriously drops prices on a variety of kids’ clothing for the school season (you'll pay as low as $7.50 for a 2-pack of polo shirts, for example) and even pricier items like scientific calculators get markdowns.
We also see tons of kids’ backpacks drop to under $10, plus discounts on college dorm supplies like laptops, headphones, storage, and small appliances. And when you combine Walmart sale prices with Ibotta rebate offers, that’s when you can pay 50% – 75% less than everyone else for your school supplies. It’s also how we get free school supplies in some cases.
Let me show you how to navigate this year's back-to-school sales at Walmart. And if you're curious about the timing, we've put together an entire Walmart sales schedule to keep you organized.
Don’t forget to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to keep tabs on all the best Walmart deals throughout the back-to-school season.
The Walmart Back-to-School Sale happens every summer, with rollback prices on clothing and supplies.
Walmart has a large section of rollback prices that begin early on in the back-to-school shopping season (like June, early).
But the bulk of Walmart’s deals on school supplies will happen in July when the back-to-school season is in full swing. And then you can pair Walmart’s low prices with Ibotta rebates to maximize your savings.
KCL predicts the next Walmart School Supplies Sale will start on July 12, 2025.
Walmart hasn’t officially announced its 2025 Back-to-School Sale, but based on what they've done in past years, we here at KCL predict school supplies and deals will start appearing in stores by mid-July.
How do we make our prediction?
Although Walmart has been all over the place since 2018 with regard to when they start their Back-to-School Sale, we predict they’ll continue their pattern of starting around the second Saturday of July, which would be Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Tips for Shopping the Walmart School Supplies Sale 2025
Find your school supply list on Walmart.com.
You can easily find the exact school supplies you need with Walmart’s School Supply List Finder on Walmart.com. Just enter your ZIP code to see a full list of schools in your area. Select your school from the results, pick the grade you’re shopping for, and get a full list of recommended items curated by Walmart.
If everything on your lists looks good, you can add all the items to your online cart at once, or save the list and shop in-store.
Use KCL's Back-to-School Stock-Up Price List to see if you're getting a good deal.
Yes, Walmart back-to-school prices are notoriously low. But you can’t assume you’re getting the lowest price for everything on your list. Especially when there are lots of places to get cheap school supplies.
KCL analyzed over 80 top school supply items and laid out all the prices you should aim to pay. Our School Supplies Stock-Up Price List shows you the lowest prices for everything on your list — binders, notebooks, pens, pencils, glue — you name it. You can even download a free printable to take into the store with you.
KCL TIP: Don’t feel like you need coupons to buy school supplies for under $1 — Walmart’s back-to-school rollbacks often make prices low enough as is. Always double-check the KCL stock-up price list, though — just because an item costs less than $1 doesn’t mean it’s the lowest price you’ll get.
Check online prices while you shop with the barcode scanner in the Walmart app.
One thing we know for sure is that Walmart store prices and Walmart.com prices are not always the same. That’s where the Walmart price checker in the Walmart app (iOS / Android) comes in handy.
Open the Walmart app and tap the little barcode icon in the top right corner of your search bar. Then hold your phone over the item’s barcode to scan it and look up the online price. If you notice that the online price is lower, that’s when it’s time to ask for a price match.
Ask for a price match on school supplies if you find a better deal on Walmart.com.
Walmart price matches their own online prices. So if you scan an item in-store and there’s a lower price online, you can request the lower price at checkout. Just show the online price to an employee at the cash register or customer service desk and ask for a price match.
Items for a qualifying price match:
Identical in size, model, brand, color, etc.
In stock on Walmart.com
Sold and shipped by Walmart (and not from a third-party Marketplace seller)
Print or clip coupons and stack them with Walmart Back-to-School Sale prices.
Before you shop for Walmart school supplies, look for coupons you can use on common back-to-school brands like Crayola, Bic, Paper-Mate, Sharpie, and more.
Since Walmart accepts manufacturer coupons, you shouldn’t have a problem using one coupon per item on top of sale prices. Walmart will usually follow the manufacturer’s limitations stated on the coupon. However, it’s up to the store manager whether or not they’ll accept more than one of the same coupon on multiple items in a single transaction. Keep in mind — most coupons for school supplies have a limit of two.
Find all your top back-to-school coupons right here:
Earn cash back on Walmart school supplies and score free items with the Ibotta app.
The Ibotta app gives you cash back on certain items after your purchases. At Walmart, you can earn cash back when you shop for school supplies online and in stores. This is just an extra layer of savings you can apply on top of coupons and Walmart back-to-school sale prices.
All you have to do is download Ibotta, search for Walmart, and add the offers you want to your list. Then buy all your items and upload your receipt to the Ibotta app. Or you can link your Walmart account to Ibotta and earn cash back automatically when you use a payment method saved to your Walmart account.
You can even score free items if you apply an Ibotta offer to an already low-priced item. In the past, we found Five-Star Pocket Folders for $0.50 each at Walmart, and then used an Ibotta offer for $1 back on two Five-Star school items, making them free.
Get free shipping with Walmart+ or when you spend more than $35 on school supplies online.
If you don’t even want to leave your house for Walmart school supplies, I don’t blame you.
You can shop for all your back-to-school needs on Walmart.com and get free shipping with Walmart+ or on orders of $35 or more.
You won’t be able to use manufacturer coupons this way (and some Ibotta cash-back offers are in store only), but if you can’t stomach the store crowds, it’s a great alternative.
KCL TIP: Wanna try Walmart+ out for free? Sign up to get a free 30-day Walmart+ membership, no credit card required.
Hit up the Walmart back-to-school clearance at the end of August for even lower prices.
Don’t worry, procrastinators. Putting off shopping is no biggie with Walmart’s insane back-to-school clearance at the end of August. You may even be able to score clearance deals before school starts (depending on where you live).
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