Best graduation gifts for her: 50 gift ideas for college grads

Echo Show

Best for the home

Help your grad upgrade her house or apartment with a smart home device. The Echo Show has a screen, meaning in addition to voice commands it can also show lyrics, weather forecasts, to-do lists, and more. She can use the Show to play music, request a rideshare, order a pizza, and more.

MacBook Air

Best for productivity

Laptops tend to degrade after a few years and your graduate has likely been using the same one for the last four. Upgrade her to a new MacBook Air. It’s thin and lightweight and features a Retina display, Touch ID, the latest keyboard, and has all-day battery life.

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SPONSORED | Hardside luggage at Walmart

Best for post-graduation travel

She’s spent the last four years writing term papers and pulling all-nighters studying. Now it’s time to get out of town. Encourage her to step away from campus and see the world with this hardside luggage trio available at Walmart. Each has multidirectional spinner wheels and the on-trend rose gold color will make them easy to spot at baggage claim.

Anker portable charger

Best for the grad on the go

Phones are a necessity at this point — don’t let your favorite grad be left with a dead one. This portable charger from Anker can juice up her phone all the way multiple times on just one of its own charges. It’s small enough that she can slip it into her bag and keep it on hand wherever she goes.

50-inch 4K smart TV

Best for home entertainment

Another home upgrade here in case the grad has been watching Netflix on her laptop or a less-than-stellar TV. This smart TV is 50 inches, which is a really decent size for a new apartment living room or bedroom. It displays 4K Ultra HD content and has video streaming apps built in.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Best for streaming

If a whole new TV is out of your budget, you can still *kind of* give the gift of a smart TV. The Amazon Fire TV Stick plugs into the HDMI port and gives standard televisions smart capabilities with access to streaming services and internet browsing.

Apple Watch

Best for the tech-obsessed

With an Apple Watch, the new graduate will be able to monitor her health, track workouts, and access apps and notifications. You can go for the model that just connects to WiFi or dish out a little more for the one with cellular connection.

Apple iPad

Best for on-the-go

A new laptop might not be the most feasible gift, but you can still surprise her with some new technology. This iPad has a 10.9-inch Retina display with up to 10 hours of battery life. It’s available with either 64GB or 256GB of storage, with or without cellular, and in several different color options.

Kindle Paperwhite e-reader

Best for the reader

Buying a Kindle as a grad gift is basically like gifting someone an entire library since she’ll now be able to access millions of titles and listen to books with Audible. If you’re not sure what genre your grad likes, get her all of them. The Kindle Paperwhite is thin, lightweight, and even waterproof.

Backpack

Best for a bag upgrade

We know that a recent college grad has been carrying a backpack for most of her life, but this is the perfect time to upgrade to a more professional style. Depending on the line of work your grad is going into, she might need a good, put-together bag. This one comes in three color options.

Photo book

Best for saving memories

If the grad has a bunch of senior photos she doesn’t know what to do with, pop them into a photo book. This is a great, thoughtful way to display all those photos that might otherwise be lost to a Facebook album. Plus, you can write captions and sentimental notes throughout the book.

Boombox custom keepsake box

Best sentimental gift

Similar to a photo book, this one pulls at the heartstrings a bit. It’s a box filled with letters and photos all dedicated to the graduate. You can gift this alone or have collaborators work on it with you to give the grad a special keepsake box of memories.

Shari’s Berries

Best for the sweet tooth

Chocolate-covered strawberries are a gift that can be enjoyed immediately. They’re often something people crave but don’t buy themselves. Treat your favorite grad to some decadent treats to celebrate her accomplishments.

Flowers from The Bouqs Co

Best for saying congrats

Nothing says “special event” quite like a bouquet of flowers. The Bouqs Company offers a huge selection of flowers from farmers across the country, so you’re sure to find some that fit your grad’s style no matter her favorite flower. There’s even a whole section of “congratulations” bouquets.

Visa gift card

Best for the grad with debt

Everyone talks about the broke college student, but what about the broke graduate in an entry-level job with student loan payments? That’s who really needs some monetary help. Provide a little cushion for your grad as she enters the real world.

Restaurant gift card

Best for a free meal

After four years of campus food and ramen, treat the grad to some restaurant food. Okay, she’s definitely eaten out at some point in the last four years, but it’s still nice to have a reason to eat at a restaurant. And adult life doesn’t come with a meal plan.

Bed Bath & Beyond gift card

Best for a new apartment

Graduating college often means moving to a new place. And stocking a new home with furniture and other essentials is not cheap. Help the grad out with a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond where she can pick up some items to get her new house feeling like home.

Weighted blanket

Best for relaxation

One tough adjustment from college to adult life is transitioning to a regular sleep schedule. Weighted blankets are designed to help people sleep better by making them feel swaddled (like a hug) and may even help with the release of dopamine (the happy hormone.)

ClassPass credits

Best for the active grad

ClassPass gives your grad the ability to get a workout at different gyms, so she can try out locations without the commitment. This also gives her more freedom to attend different types of fitness classes around her city. Speaking of cities, ClassPass isn’t available everywhere, so make sure your grad’s location is on the participating list.

Casper pillow

For great sleep

As your grad is stocking her new home, one of the last things she’s going to want to drop a lot of money on is a pillow. This luxury pillow from Casper supports all sleeping positions and responds to movement throughout the night. Plus, it’s super comfortable.

Towel set

Best for the home

Give your new grad’s bathroom a fresh start with a set of matching towels. This set comes with two bath towels, two hand towels, and four washcloths. There’s something so adult about having matching sets, and this one comes in lots of different color choices.

Two-way coffee maker

Best for daily energy boosts

This coffee maker can handle a grad who can run on one cup or needs a whole pot of joe to make it through the morning. It acts as a single-serve with a spout tall enough to fit a travel mug and can also fill a 12-cup carafe, which is included with the machine.

Roomba robot vacuum

Best for a tidy home

Give the gift of convenience with a vacuum that takes the work out of cleaning. The Roomba 694 allows your grad to schedule cleaning across multiple floor types. The robot vacuum can even sense concentrated areas of dirt and work harder in those sections.

Portable steamer

Best for neat clothes

If you know a new grad who hangs her clothes in the bathroom while they shower to combat wrinkles, upgrade her to a real steamer. This one is ready to use in two to three minutes and works with tap water. Plus, it’s powerful enough to straighten out stiff cotton, linen, and denim.

Essential oil diffuser

Best for aromatherapy

Add some zen to the graduate’s life with an essential oil diffuser. This one cycles through seven colored lights and has multiple mist diffuse modes and timer settings. It also comes with a set of six aromatherapy oils to bring calming or invigorating scents to any room.

Instant Pot

Best for making easy meals

Even if your grad isn’t the best cook, she’ll be able to make some pretty stellar meals with an Instant Pot. It’s seven appliances in one, including a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and sauté pan. She’s able to set the Instant Pot on a timer and come back to it when her food is ready. It’s a great gift for someone who wants to meal prep for one.

Shaving kit

Best for personal care

Sometimes the best gifts are the things your girl would buy for herself anyway. By gifting an everyday item like a razor, you take some of the financial burden off her regular expenses. With Billie, you’re able to get a one-time kit or gift monthly refills for a gift that keeps giving.

Ipsy subscription

Best for makeup mavens

Makeup is expensive and even the cheap stuff adds up quickly. Ipsy is a monthly subscription service that delivers five sample beauty products in the mail for $13 per month. You’ll help the grad discover new products and save some money by not having to restock her collection as often.

Luggage set

Best for the grad on the go

Get your graduate ready for any post-grad vacations or trips home with a hard side luggage set. This one comes with 20-inch, 24-inch, and 28-inch suitcases with spinner wheels. The set is available in four different colors.

Tool kit

Best for the handywoman

Everyone should have a good toolbox readily available, whether that’s to hang up wall decor, build furniture, or perform some minor home improvements. This kit comes with 39 pieces, including a hammer, interchangeable screwdriver, scissors, pliers, and more.

Google WiFi system

Best for staying connected

The Google WiFi system eliminates your grad’s need for a router. It provides seamless coverage throughout the home, eliminating dead zones and buffering. And it’s easier than going through a provider to set up a router.

Blue Apron

Best for making life easier

Blue Apron takes the guesswork out of the question, “What’s for dinner tonight?” The service sends everything your grad needs to make a full meal and will allow her to try new foods that she might not seek out on her own. The number of meals she gets depends on the amount you put on the gift card.

Spotify gift card

Best for the music lover

Graduating college is an exciting time, until you realize you lose all your student discounts. Help ease the transition of paying full price for music by gifting a Spotify gift card. The card only has one value option of $60, which should cover six months of the service.

Sheet set

Best for a good night’s sleep

New sheets make sleeping even more enjoyable than it already is. This set comes with a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases that have the comfort and softness of 1,500 thread count Egyptian Cotton. The fitted sheet also has reinforced elastic to help it stay in place. This sheet set comes in a variety of colors and sizes to fit your grad’s needs.

48-piece dinnerware set

Best for entertaining

Home items are not the most exciting gifts, but they are appreciated. You’ll give the grad the ability to pocket money she would have spent on dishes to spend on something else. Plus, dinnerware sets don’t come cheap, so you’re doing her a solid by taking care of it.

18-piece cookware set

Best for fledgling chefs

Along with dinnerware, cookware is essential to a home, but not the most fun thing to buy for yourself. Which is why it makes such a good graduation gift. This set from T-fal includes different sized pots and pans as well as a few kitchen utensils.

Cast iron skillet

Best for intermediate cooks

In addition to a standard cookware set, it’s nice to have a cast iron skillet to handle some bacon or a morning frittata. This pan especially comes in handy if your grad doesn’t have access to a grill but wants to whip up steaks or burgers. This skillet is pre-seasoned and comes with a silicone handle cover.

Planner

Best for getting organized

If organization is important to your grad (or you wish it were), this planner will come in handy. It’s undated, so she can start using it right away, and its monthly and weekly views will help her get all her to-dos sorted neatly. Plus, it comes with stickers and 20 additional pages for reflection, including a habit tracker and finance trackers.

“In the Company of Women”

Best for inspiration

This book looks great on a shelf or coffee table, but it’s also full of inspirational interviews with more than 100 influential women. These women from different creative fields discuss their paths to following their dreams and chasing passions. The book acts as a good source of motivation for women at any stage in their lives, but especially for young women entering their careers.

What Do You Meme?

Best for fun

Just because she’s graduating college, doesn’t mean she has to leave games behind. This Cards Against Humanity style game tasks players with creating the funniest meme with photo and caption cards. This game is an especially hilarious gift for anyone who has spent the better half of their life with the internet.

Winc

Best for the wine drinker

A college graduate has likely spent the last couple of years drinking cheap, shitty alcohol. Give her a reason to indulge in some nice wine by giving her a gift card to Winc. The wine delivery service will have the grad take a palate quiz to figure out the types of wine she might like and then suggests selections based on the results. She’s then able to purchase up to four bottles at a time.

Personalized stationery

Best for the professional

After receiving gifts, the grad is going to have some thank you notes to write. Equip her with some fancy, personalized stationery to do so. Or have her save it for any handwritten notes and letters she might send in the future. Either way, she’ll feel grown up with her own letterhead stationery.

MVMT watch

Best for adding style

A good-looking watch can make a person’s style feel more cohesive and can add a level of sophistication when needed. If your grad is on the hunt for a job, a professional watch is a great gift to wear for interviews. MVMT watches are solid everyday accessories but also work well for special occasion dressing.

Smart plugs

Best for voice-controlled convenience

These plugs will give your grad’s house or apartment smart home functionality. She can plug in everyday items and power them on and off through a mobile app or using Alexa or Google Assistant. She can also set timers for the plugs to turn on and off at specific times, which can actually help lower her electricity bill.

High-quality hair dryer

Best for epic tresses

Hot Tools is a brand often used by professional hair stylists, so you can trust that you’re gifting the grad a good-quality hair dryer. If she’s entering a 9-to-5 job, a good hair dryer can significantly improve her morning routine as it cuts down drying time while leaving her hair feeling healthier.

Diamond necklace

Best for a touch of class

You really can’t go wrong with diamond jewelry when it comes to celebrating big milestones. This gorgeous pendant will act as a reminder of her accomplishments *and* the awesome person who got it for her (AKA you).

A witty candle

Best for a laugh

Remind her what a brainy babe she is with this punny candle. Not only does it celebrate her awesome achievement, but it also encourages her to slow down, relax, and relish in her accomplishment with its soothing “Caribbean Retreat” scent. Plus, it has a burn time of 50-60 hours so she can enjoy lots of those little moments.

A stylish laptop tote

Best for the chic commuter

If she’s off to start a new job, this chic, faux-leather laptop tote will help her commute in style. It has plenty of space for her laptop, tablet, notebooks, and all her daily essentials. It’s also available in a bunch of different colors so you can get it in her favorite hue.

Hatch sunrise alarm clock

Best for creating a routine

Help her get a handle on her post-grad routine with this sunrise alarm clock and sound machine. She can unwind at night with the soft-glow reading light, white noise, and nature sounds, then wake up naturally with the “sunrise” — no matter what her work schedule may be.

Carry-on luggage

Best for expanding her horizons

Whether she’s making a big move, planning some celebratory travels, or starting a job where she’ll be taking lots of business trips, this pretty carry-on suitcase will help her do it all in style. It’s hard-sided to keep her stuff safe, and expandable to suit her needs. Plus, it comes in lots of different colors.