Run the Windows apps you need for class on your Mac
Make your Mac the perfect study partner
Love your Mac, but need to run Windows apps for school? Parallels Desktop Pro lets you run everything you need on Mac, even Windows-only, graphics-intensive, or otherwise resource-heavy applications.
All your educational apps, one seamless Windows-Mac experience
Grab your ID and sign up for a student discount (it only takes 5 minutes) to ensure that you and your Mac are optimized for educational wins. The 50% off educational discount to current and newly accepted students as well as faculty and staff at colleges, universities, and other academic institutions.
Enjoy powerful virtualization software at a price that fits into your student budget—don't miss out on this exclusive offer to improve your academic performance with Parallels Desktop.
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Launch Windows apps and run multiple OSs on the same Mac.
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No restarts. No extra devices. Just exceptional performance.
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Use 200,000+ Windows apps side-by-side with macOS apps.
Mac + Windows = A+
If you need it for class, Parallels Desktop Pro can run it.
Unlock your student discount in just 5 minutes
1. Verify you’re a student or faculty
Find and select your school. Log in with your credentials.
2. Check out and get 50% off
Your discount will be applied automatically.
3. Download and get started
Check your email and launch Parallels Desktop!
See what version of Parallels Desktop best addresses your challenges:
| Parallels Desktop Standard Edition | |
| Virtual RAM & virtual CPUs | Up to 8GB vRAM and 4 CPUs |
| Run Windows on your Mac | |
| Only Microsoft-authorized solution to run Windows on Mac | |
| Use Microsoft Office & basic school apps | |
| Built-in developer tools (CLI, automation) | Limited advanced software support |
| Upgrade to the latest macOS and Windows versions | |
| 24/7 customer supports | Available |
| Integrated security features like encryption, data isolation, and password protection | |
| Ideal for: | Essays, research, slides/decks, Office software, basic design projects |
| BuyUpgrade | |
| Parallels Desktop Pro Edition | |
| Virtual RAM & virtual CPUs | Up to 128GB vRAM and up to 32 CPUs |
| Run Windows on your Mac | |
| Only Microsoft-authorized solution to run Windows on Mac | |
| Use Microsoft Office & basic school apps | |
| Compatible with popular design software & coding or dev tools | |
| Built-in developer tools (CLI, automation) | Supports Docker, Jenkins, Vagrant, and more |
| Upgrade to the latest macOS and Windows versions | |
| 24/7 customer supports | Available |
| Integrated security features like encryption, data isolation, and password protection | |
| Preferred by professors and teachers | Yes! |
| Ideal for: | Graphic and technical design, 3D modeling, gaming, and coding/dev environments |
| BuyUpgrade | |
* Maximum Virtual RAM and CPUs per virtual machine
** The functionality will remain in the Business Edition for some time but will be removed in the future. Please consider upgrading to the Enterprise Edition if this functionality is crucial for you. Contact your account manager for more details.
System requirements for Desktop for Mac Student and Educator Edition
System requirements
Run most applications including Microsoft Office, accounting software, trading software, SAP, Matlab, and more.
Operating system
macOS Sequoia 15.0 or newer
macOS Sonoma 14.5 or newer
macOS Ventura 13.2 or newer
macOS Monterey 12.6 or newer
macOS Big Sur 11.7 or newer[1]
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 or newer[1]
macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or newer[1]
Processor
Any Apple silicon chip
Intel Core i5, Core i7, Core i9, Intel Core M or Xeon processor
Memory
4 GB of RAM
Storage
600 MB for Parallels Desktop application installation
Additional disk space for the guest operating system (at least 16 GB is required for Windows OS)
Graphics
Any Apple silicon chip
Intel, AMD Radeon, or NVIDIA graphics cards
[1] — an earlier product version is installed
For graphics-intensive applications, high loads, and running multiple virtual machines.
Operating system
macOS Sequoia 15.0 or newer
macOS Sonoma 14.0 or newer
macOS Ventura 13.2 or newer
macOS Monterey 12.6 or newer
macOS Big Sur 11.7 or newer[1]
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 or newer[1]
macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or newer[1]
Processor
Any Apple silicon chip
Intel Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 or Xeon processor
Memory
16 GB of RAM or more
Storage
600 MB for Parallels Desktop application installation
Additional disk space for the guest operating system(s) (at least 16 GB is required for Windows OS)
Graphics
Any Apple silicon chip
AMD Radeon Pro graphics card
[1] — an earlier product version is installed
Supported guest operating systems (Mac with Apple silicon):
Only Arm versions of operating systems are supported.
- Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions (recommended)
- Windows Server 2025 (when released)
- Ubuntu Linux 24.04, 23.04, 22.04, 21.10, 21.04, 20.10, 20.04
- Fedora Workstation 41, 40, 39
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Debian GNU/Linux 12, 11
- Kali Linux 2024.2, 2023.1, 2022.2, 2022.1, 2021.3
- CentOS Stream 9
- macOS Monterey 12 (in-app download)
- macOS Ventura 13 (in-app download)
- macOS Sonoma 14 (in-app download)
- macOS Sequoia 15 (in-app download)
Supported guest operating systems (Mac with Intel processors):
Only x86 versions of operating systems are supported.
- Windows 11 (recommended)
- Windows 10[1]
- Windows Server 2025 (when released)
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
Note: Support for legacy Windows OS versions (2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2) is limited. Learn more at KB 129252.
Parallels Desktop for Mac emulates PC hardware, so operating systems that are not included in this list can work as well. You can download the Parallels Desktop trial and install an operating system of your choice. If that OS doesn’t work and you believe it should be supported, let us know in the Parallels Forum.
To learn more about the limitations of running Windows 11 in Parallels Desktop, please visit KB 129497.
For information about supported Linux kernel versions, please visit KB 129963.
Why students and educators choose Parallels Desktop Pro
Why buy from Parallels
FAQs about Parallels Desktop for students and educators
All registered academic students, staff, and faculty (worldwide). Our educational discount is available to accredited public or private K-12 schools, school districts, school administration offices, boards of education, community colleges, colleges, and universities. Our program is also available to organizations with equivalent international designations.
- Select the Standard or Pro version of Parallels Desktop.
- Click ‘BUY NOW’.
- Verify your academic or institutional email address in the new tab.
- A confirmation email will be sent to your academic or institutional email address, with your discount applied to the cart.
- Your new subscription will be sent to your email address.
Students can take advantage of the % EDU discount for the entirety of their school and/or academic life.
Colleges often vet and recommend applications based on their compatibility with educational programs.
Parallels Desktop is well-regarded for its ability to run a variety of Windows applications, and many colleges recognize its utility in bridging the gap between macOS and Windows environments.
While colleges may not explicitly vet or endorse individual applications, they may endorse or support virtualization solutions like Parallels Desktop to enhance the overall user experience for students and faculty.
It's recommended that students check with their specific academic departments or IT support at their college for any guidelines or recommendations related to software usage with Parallels Desktop.
Installing Parallels Desktop is designed to be user-friendly and tech support is available.
The software features a step-by-step installation process with clear instructions, making it accessible for users with varying technical expertise.
The installation process is generally quick and only takes a few minutes.
Once installed, users can set up a virtual machine and start running Windows applications on their Mac without significant delays.
Parallels Desktop is available in both Pro and Standard Editions. While both enable users to run Windows on Mac, Parallels Desktop Pro is recommended for students because it handles graphics-intensive and resource-heavy applications and is preferred by computer science, engineering, architecture, design, and other STEM students and faculty for its ability to optimize the performance of your Mac for academic success.
No. Parallels Desktop Pro is optimized for Apple silicon and designed to run Windows apps and other resource-intensive apps smoothly without affecting Mac performance.
Parallels Desktop provides up to 32 CPUs and 128GB vRAM for the support that you need to tackle demanding academic tasks efficiently.
Parallels Desktop walks you through the setup. You can download and install Windows directly from within the app in just a few clicks.*
*Windows license required.
Ready to save on Parallels Desktop Pro?
Run Windows, multiple OSs, and over a million apps like they are native to Mac—with a 50% student discount.
- All the apps you need for class — including Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, MATLAB, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, and more—can run on Mac using the OS of your choice.
- Robust CPU and RAM support ensures efficiency and smooth performance, helping you tackle any and all academic challenges.
- Students, faculty, and staff enjoy an extra discount.