Microsoft Windows 11 Education – Lifetime License Key (1 PC)

Windows 11 Education license key for 1 PC: Enterprise features for academic use

Windows 11 Education is the edition Microsoft provides to schools, colleges and universities. Feature for feature it matches Windows 11 Enterprise: the same Credential Guard, AppLocker, Windows Defender Application Control, DirectAccess and BranchCache that large companies rely on, plus everything in Pro such as BitLocker, Hyper-V, Remote Desktop hosting, Group Policy and domain or Microsoft Entra ID join. Microsoft positions it for academic environments, where computers are shared, students are curious, and IT staff need to lock devices down without buying a corporate volume agreement.

This listing gives you one genuine Windows 11 Education key for one PC. It is a perpetual license, paid once, with no subscription. The key activates a clean installation from official media and can also switch an existing Windows 11 Home or Pro installation to Education through Change product key, keeping files and applications in place. Because Education is an academic edition, we describe the intended audience honestly below so you can decide whether it fits your situation.

Who buys the Education edition

• K-12 schools and districts equipping classroom desktops and computer labs
• Colleges and universities licensing faculty laptops and departmental PCs
• Teachers and lecturers who need the same secure image at home as at school
• Students who want the Enterprise-grade edition their institution uses on a personal PC
• Home-schooling families building a controlled learning computer with AppLocker and parental limits
• Tutoring centers, libraries and training rooms where shared PCs need Assigned Access and strict app control

If your use is a regular business rather than academic, Windows 11 Enterprise is the equivalent edition for companies, and Windows 11 Pro covers most small-business needs without the Enterprise extras.

Key features

• AppLocker: allow only approved apps to run on shared or student PCs
• Credential Guard: isolates domain credentials with virtualization-based security to defeat pass-the-hash attacks
• Windows Defender Application Control for code integrity policies on lab machines
• DirectAccess and Always On VPN for faculty devices that connect to campus resources from home
• BranchCache to reduce WAN traffic when many PCs download the same updates or files
• BitLocker and BitLocker To Go, Windows Hello for Business, and Windows Sandbox from the Pro feature set
• Hyper-V for computer science classes that need Linux or older Windows virtual machines
• Domain join, Microsoft Entra ID join, Group Policy, Intune enrollment, Assigned Access (kiosk mode) and Windows Update for Business
• Support for up to 2 TB of RAM and two physical processors

Setting up a classroom or lab PC

A typical school build starts with a clean Windows 11 Education install, then uses the features above to make the machine safe to share. Shared PC mode, configured through Intune or a provisioning package, creates temporary accounts for each student and cleans them up automatically. AppLocker rules restrict the PC to the browser, Office and the learning software the curriculum requires, so a downloaded game or an unapproved installer simply does not run. Assigned Access can turn a library or reception PC into a single-app kiosk. BitLocker protects staff laptops that carry grades and student records, with recovery keys stored in Microsoft Entra ID. Windows Update for Business lets IT staff hold feature updates until the summer break. Every one of these controls is included in the edition; there is nothing extra to license on the Windows side.

Education vs Pro Education vs Pro vs Enterprise

Microsoft sells two academic editions, and the names confuse many buyers. Pro Education is Windows 11 Pro with a few defaults changed for schools; Education is the full Enterprise feature set. The table shows how they differ and how each compares with the mainstream editions.

System requirements

The Education edition uses the standard Windows 11 hardware requirements. School fleets often include older machines, so check every PC before you order keys for it; devices that fail the TPM 2.0 or processor check can continue on a Windows 10 Education key instead, linked under Related products below.

• 1 GHz or faster 64-bit processor with two or more cores on Microsoft's supported list
• 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage as minimums
• UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability and TPM 2.0
• DirectX 12 compatible graphics with a WDDM 2.0 driver, 720p display larger than 9 inches
• Internet connection for activation and updates
• For Credential Guard and Application Control: virtualization support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) enabled in firmware

Windows 10 Education after end of support

Windows 10, including Windows 10 Education, reached the end of support on October 14, 2025. Machines that stay on it continue to boot but no longer receive security updates, which is a difficult position for a school that handles student data and is subject to privacy rules. The realistic plan for most districts is a split: devices that meet the Windows 11 requirements move to Windows 11 Education with a key like this one, keeping files and settings through an in-place upgrade, and devices that fail the hardware checks are scheduled for replacement while running Windows 10 Education in the meantime. Because the two editions share the same management features, Group Policy objects and Intune profiles written for Windows 10 Education carry over with little change.

Licensing explained

The Education license is perpetual. One payment covers one PC for the life of the installation, with no subscription and no renewal. Microsoft intends the Education edition for academic institutions and their staff and students; we describe it as such and leave the eligibility judgement to you. Transfer rights follow the license type: retail keys can move to a new PC after removal from the old one, OEM keys stay with the first PC, and volume (MAK) keys have a limited number of activations designed for organizations. The license type for this key is stated in the Product Overview table on this page.

Switching from Home or Pro to Education

A PC that already runs activated Windows 11 Home or Pro can be moved to Education by entering this key under Settings, System, Activation, Change product key. Windows enables the additional components and restarts once, keeping files, settings and programs. This is the usual path for a student laptop that came with Home. For a clean install, choose Windows 11 Education from the edition list when you create the installation media.

Education on a student's own laptop

Students often want the same edition their campus uses so that university-issued security policies, VPN profiles and lab software behave identically at home. Entering the Education key on a personal laptop gives them Hyper-V for computer science coursework, BitLocker for a device that travels between dorm and lecture hall, and Windows Sandbox for opening files from unfamiliar sources. Nothing about the edition ties the laptop to the school; it remains the student's own device, managed only if they choose to enroll it. After graduation the license continues to work, since it is perpetual and does not check enrollment status.

Why buy a Windows 11 Education key from Software in Store

We are Software in Store, an independent US reseller operated by MAKERS UNITY LLC in Sheridan, Wyoming. We sell genuine Microsoft product keys, deliver them by email and support them with real people. Schools and families ordering academic editions often have questions about what the edition includes, and we answer them before and after the sale.

• Key, official Microsoft download link and installation guide by email within minutes of payment, seven days a week
• Written guidance for both a clean install and the Home or Pro to Education switch
• Support by a person every day of the week, including phone activation with Installation and Confirmation IDs
• 30-day money-back guarantee with replacement or full refund if the key cannot be activated and we cannot fix it
• Secure, PCI-compliant checkout with card, Apple Pay and Google Pay

If you are ordering for a school, tell us the number of devices and we will make sure the delivery format suits your rollout.

Related products

Companies rather than schools should look at Windows 11 Enterprise, and small offices at Windows 11 Pro. Older lab PCs that fail the Windows 11 checks can stay supported with a Windows 10 Education product key for now. For classroom productivity software, Office 2024 Home and Business and Office 2021 Professional Plus are perpetual licenses that pair well with an Education PC. See all editions in our Windows 11 category.

Set up your Education PC today

Order the Windows 11 Education key, check your email within minutes, and activate the same day. Our how it works page explains delivery and activation, and the FAQ covers transfers, refunds and common error codes. Our team answers questions about editions seven days a week.