Best Gifts College Students
The time spent at college is often considered to be the best time of one’s life. Students focus on their chosen field of interest while meeting new friends who share their same passions. It’s not only a time for learning and making best friends, but also the first taste of independence and the ability to fully embrace self-expression.
Best Gifts College Students
While college student life can bring amazing fun, it also comes with plenty of challenges too. Students are figuring out new life skills like cooking (and cleaning) for themselves, household budgeting, interpersonal skills (life with roommates), time management, and balancing personal health and wellness.
There is no shortage of things that a college student needs (and wants), but they often have very little cash to spend on things. Continue reading to find ideas of good gift college students and gifts for young adults.
Quick Article Navigation:
50+ of the Best Gift Ideas for College Students
Surprise the bird lovers in your life with these bird-themed gifts. Whether they tend to their own flocks or admire birds from a distance, these bird gift ideas include something for everyone.
Accessory Gifts for College Students
These accessory items offer helpful and stylish solutions for students as they navigate their studies and always make a good gift college student.
Novelty Socks
Most everyone wears socks, but not everyone gets to wear socks as fun as these! Show a flash of personality with these unique designs.
Cozy Lounging Socks
Keep chills from drafty spaces away with a set (or two) of cozy lounge socks.
Travel Neck Pillows
These adorable travel pillows bring a little more fun to a road trip, train ride, or flight home. Snuggle up in cute comfort with these animal-themed neck support pillows.
Book and Tablet Rests
These book and tablet rests come in a fun variety of colors and styles and provide more comfortable reading over long periods. Great both at home and on the go!
Sleep Masks
Get more restful sleep at any time with these blackout sleep masks in a variety of colors and styles.
Men’s UGG Slippers
High-quality UGG slippers for men are available in stylish colors and a variety of fits!
Women’s UGG Slippers
A pair of high-quality UGG slippers are sought-after choices that are made to last for years!
Bathroom Gifts for College Students
College students sharing bathrooms with others need to be able to transport their toiletries to and from the bathroom with each shower. These products can help.
Shower Caddies
A quick-drying shower caddy is a must-have everyday item for anyone sharing a shower space with roommates or dormmates. These sturdy shower caddies make it easy to carry a good selection of toiletries to the shower and back.
Shower Shoes
A fast-drying pair of shower shoes will help keep feet from making contact with shared shower floors.
Bathrobes
A plush bathrobe is an essential item for students to warmly get from shared bathrooms back to their private bedrooms.
Tech Gifts for College Students
The right tools can make a world of difference in productivity.
Adjustable Phone and Tablet Stands
These foldable tech holders are sturdy enough to hold smartphones and tablets, plus the pivoting sections adjust fully to provide a comfortable viewing angle every time!
Webcam Privacy Covers
Make sure that videos are only broadcast at the desired times with these stick-on webcam privacy covers.
USB-Powered Fans
These highly-rated USB-powered fans provide a cooling breeze with an easy-to-find USB power source.
Lighted Charging Cables
Add some fun to electronics with a light up charging cable in a variety of colors and lengths.
Extra-Long Charging Cables
These extra-long charging cables will help make it possible to work on devices while they are still plugged in and charging.
Portable BlueTooth Speakers
Enjoy great sound anywhere with a highly-rated portable BlueTooth speaker.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
The large over-ear style headphones provide a comfortable fit, while the noise-canceling technology helps to reduce audible distractions.
White Noise Machines
Relax with soothing sounds that help reduce noisy distractions and help to fall asleep faster.
Silent Mouse Devices
Enjoy a quieter work environment with a quiet mouse that almost completely eliminates the physical clicking sound of mouse buttons. Roommates love these! 😉
Laptop Cooling Pads
Use a laptop cooling pad to protect the lap from too much heat and to cool laptop hardware to help it last longer.
Power Surge Protecting Power Strips
Modern technology has changed our lives, but our homes rarely include enough power outlets to run it all. Add much-needed power outlets with these heavy gauge extension cords that include surge protecting power strips.
Everyday Essentials for College Students
Some things are always needed in a college student’s life – these student gift ideas make sure they’ve got all the day-to-day essentials. These are some of the best gifts for a college freshman as they start off on their own!
Snack Samplers
Snacks are almost always a welcome addition to the pantry for every college student! These sampler boxes include plenty to share with friends and study groups.
Drink Samplers
Stay refreshed with drinks that provide electrolytes, vitamins, and much-needed hydration.
Reusable Water Bottles
It’s easier to stay hydrated with large reusable water bottles that can travel from school to home.
Ink Pens
Keep plenty of pens where they are needed with these multi-packs of highly-rated Pilot Precise pens.
Sturdy Laundry Bags
These high-quality, highly-rated laundry bags are a godsend when toting heavy loads around on laundry days!
First Aid Kits
Be ready for surprises and always keep a basic first aid kit on hand.
Home Furnishing Gifts for College Students
Add personal touches to any space to instantly make it feel like home. These furnishings and décor items fit in perfectly in small spaces and make great college dorm gifts.
Slim Hangers
These slim hangers have a skinny profile that takes up less space per item in the closet.
Underbed Storage Containers
Living in a small space like a dorm room requires every possible square inch of storage space to be utilized. This definitely includes the space under the bed!
Bedside Caddy
Add bedside storage to keep a small selection of items close by for easy access at night.
Bedside Shelf
Add a bedside shelf to keep essential items close to the bed – perfect for students in dorm rooms!
Reading Pillow Wedge
Get comfortable when reading in bed with a highly-rated pillow to support your head, neck, back, and arms.
Portable Tray Desk
Set up shop almost anywhere with an adjustable tray desk to fit your laptop, mouse, and more!
Lighted Mirrors
Great lighting for grooming is tough to find no matter where you live but can be especially so for college students. A lighted mirror and magnifier can help to provide light right where it’s needed.
Cosmetic and Beauty Storage
Caboodles cosmetic cases have been around for decades and are not showing any signs of losing popularity points. Multiple compartments and a portable design allow ladies to easily keep track of and carry their beauty essentials wherever life takes them!
Dimmable Desk Lamps with USB Charging Ports
These versatile desk lamps provide the perfect amount of light for work, study, or relaxing while also offering convenient USB charging ports!
Memo Boards
Get back to the original social media in dorms — leaving a written or pinned memo on the door of your friend’s room!
Neon Sign Lamps
Inspire and encourage the passion of dreams with a brightly lit, glowing neon lamp.
Diversion Safes
These diversion safes offer discrete and safer storage of valuable and sensitive items.
Storage Ottomans
These smart solutions provide a bit of extra storage space, plus the ottoman can double as seating or a table when needed!
Air Purifiers
Clean and sanitize the air with a small air purifier for medium-sized rooms.
Electric Fans
The breeze from these electric fans can help a warm room feel much more comfortable.
Vornado Fans
Choose a stylish and highly-rated Vornado fan to help circulate air and help a room feel cooler.
Heated Blankets
Ensure personal comfort with an electric heated blanket and stay cozy all year long!
Kitchen Gifts for College Students
Encourage young cooks to explore the food they love with kitchen products suitable for small spaces. These quality kitchen investments are easy to use and are designed to last for many years!
Kitchen Mitt and Towel Sets
Make sure they have these kitchen essentials on hand when they need them. Matching sets include oven mitts, pot holders, and more!
Collapsible Popcorn Poppers
These BPA-free microwave popcorn makers offer an amazing way to make a quick bowl of popcorn — the quintessential student snack! Add kernels, stir with a small amount of oil, and microwave for a few minutes for a perfect bowl of popped corn! The silicone bowls fold down for compact storage when not in use.
Collapsible Kitchen Tools
Find room in small spaces for these versatile and collapsible kitchen tools.
Collapsible Kitchen Appliances
These kitchen appliances already have a small footprint, but they also collapse for easier storage in small spaces.
Kitchen Utensil Sets
Start them off with these kitchen sets that include the basics needed to make the most popular meals!
Nesting Kitchen Tools
These nesting kitchen tools provide compact solutions that are perfect for small spaces.
Nesting Food Storage Containers
These highly-rated food storage containers provide lots of storage space when needed but nest inside each other for compact storage when not in use.
Kitchen Thermometers
No one should leave food safety up to chance. These kitchen thermometers provide a quick reading to indicate when food is ready.
Electric Kettles
Help them quickly boil water for fresh coffee, tea, or cooking with a highly-rated electric kettle.
Ninja Kitchen Appliances
The professional power of Ninja kitchen appliances makes it easy to crush ice, blend smoothies, and create hundreds of great recipes.
***
Best Gifts College Students
If you are still looking for additional gift ideas, check out these other great posts with gift ideas:
- 63 of the Best Gift Ideas Under $10
- 65+ Cheap Amazon Gift Ideas Under $5 Each
- Best Housewarming Gifts and Host Gifts / Hostess Gifts
- Best Cooking Gifts and Unique Kitchen Gadgets Under $25
***
What were some of your favorite things that helped make student life easier?
Thank for sharing this information about the best gift for college students, just the other day my nephew was talking to us and he mentioned the his girlfriend is starting college this year and he’s wondering what gifts are good for her, and she may need in college, I shared this post with him and I know he will be very great full for this many ideas.
I already make my notes too because soon I will need this list for my daughter soon she will be enrolling to college. This list is a must have items for college students.
Great post thank you very much.
God Bless You
Hi GVporras, thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words. I wish your family all the best in their pursuits!
This is a great list of practical gifts for college aged students! My little sister is about to start college out in Tennessee and I know she would appreciate most of these! Thanks for doing the research and putting the time in to put all of this together for people who are looking for great gift ideas.
Hi Jordan, what an exciting time for your sister! I hope she enjoys the practical surprises that you find for her!!
More great gift ideas! My son is about ready to start his training academy and live on the campus. So he will need a few things for his room, and you have a LOT of great ideas I can use for him. I will look through all the ideas, and find something…maybe more the thing.. essentials that he will need.
Hi Leahrae, I remember being thrilled at the thoughtful and practical gifts that I received when I moved out of my parent’s home and onto campus. Congrats to him and best wishes for this exciting chapter in his life!
Wow, this is a huge list of gift ideas for college students and most are very useful and must-haves. I ran into a problem though, cannot just decide on one or two gifts but instead multiple gifts from your list. Some of the gifts on your list can be bought multiple times as the college student needs to update instead of reusing. I’m going to share this list with my daughter to pick out what she needs and buy for her.
LOL, I’ll bet that the college students in your life wouldn’t mind getting more than one gift if you are feeling so inspired. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing the list with your daughter!
Hi Alyce, Latest trends change at an incredible pace. Choosing the right gifts for college students may seem daunting. We all know, it’s not easy to find a gift that balances what a student needs and will actually use.
Your Best Gifts College Students list contains all basic, sensible helpful living necessities at a variety of price points. Chances are college students will find something that fits their budget.
Thanks for sharing a helpful article with us. Much appreciated.
Hi Bushra, Trends do change very quickly, and no one is more at the front of these changing tides than today’s college students! I’m glad to hear that you found the list of gifts for college students to be up-to-date and a helpful shopping aid!
Hey thanks for this article!
You don’t know how useful it is, I found getting gifts for college age range a little hard, I’m not sure if it’s because I overthink it. But just by going through this it definitely has jogged my memory or at least opened my mind.
What I try to think when gifting someone is what would I like to be given if I was in that age, and it helps a lot!
Hi Sariyah, Thanks for sharing. It’s also helpful for me to see a range of gift ideas from different categories — it makes it so much easier to pick out something perfect. Enjoy!
Great gift ideas for college students! Christmas is around the corner and this list is really helping me finding a gift for my daughter who is in college! I think I am gonna get her some kitchen tools. Thanks for this research! Makes shopping a lot more practical and easier!
Hello! These days (as an adult), I enjoy finding helpful kitchen tools, and those are easy purchases to make. However, during college and without my own kitchen, it was not fun to spend money on household items like things for the kitchen — even though those items were very much needed! I’m sure your daughter will love the thoughtful kitchen gifts!
Hi Alyce :
Great selection of items and ideas, I’ve just finished my daughters’ college adventure, and I am surprised how many things are required. As parents, you want them to stay focused on their studies not go through any shortage that could interrupt their busy schedules. I am sure you’ve covered and at the same time provided an excellent list to have in mind;for valuable,useful presents to be offered with their limited budgets.
thanks
Cesar M
Hi Cesar, College is such an exciting time, but it’s very common for student budgets to be stretched extremely thin during those years. It’s definitely a good time to gift college students with things that they want, need, and will use!
What a great list of gifts for college bound students! I think about what I took to college, and it was more like “Survivor” with a toothbrush and a comb. You really put together a group of gifts that have real value to a student going off to college. I think some of these gifts would work well for my wife and brother-in-law, who are both big fans of “Survivor” living. I ordered the Dinosaur Memo and the Adjustable Phone Stand for my granddaughter, who just went off to college. Not only that, but I am going to keep this page in my favorite places for when my other grandkids get ready to go for the college experience. Thanks for the great gift ideas.
Hello, terriching! Thank you so much for adding Best Rewards Programs to your favorites!
The college years are such a wonderful time of life – making lifelong friends, learning more about your field of study, and learning how to live as an adult. Quite a bit gets packed into those years!
Alyce – You clearly put a lot of effort into this post with all the items that might meet a student’s wish list at Christmas. At this time of year, I am usually wracking my brains as to what people of student age would actually want, and hate buying things that may be just ignored or passed on. With that in mind, this post was very useful in presenting products to buy that will be welcomed by them. The post has also given me some other ideas based on the products you show. Thanks
You are most welcome — I’m very happy that you found a few gift ideas for Christmas presents!
The Cellphone stand and the LED desk lamp is really important I’d say, I remember back when I was studying, I was arranging books and sometimes look for boxes or even polystyrene foam boxes to make my own phone holder to help me read some files as I don’t have an iPad haha. Definitely getting those for my nephew, great suggestions, thanks 😀
It’s amazing how items that seem to little and inexpensive can be so wonderfully useful! It’s very thoughtful of you to think of gifting these items to your nephew.
This is a really sensible list. College is underrated in England, but I still know many who would love the Adult in training socks (my husband for example) and many many more who would appreciate all those practical gifts. College is a time when young ones find out how expensive it is just to live and practical gifts are really appreciated at that age.
LOL – I definitely know a few adults who are still “in training” as well! 🙂
Good article. You have really brought out some good gifts. I would have thought about like sheets, towels. I like the squirrel pillow, the dinosaur that holds post notes. Always food any kind of food. My daughter went and she needed a popcorn popper definitely. She wanted the magic bullet. So everything you have is on point. Alicia
Thanks so much for the feedback Alicia — it’s always great to find a gift that someone will love and value!
As much as you have varieties of what you can buy for them, you can also make mistakes when buying gifts for them because they might not have interest in what you’ve gotten. What you should do is just study the person you want to get a gift for, know what he/she would like. I personally love the Adjustable Phone / Tablet Stand, it is something that college students use generally. I’ll bookmark this website so I don’t lost it.
I suppose that gift cards are so popular because it can be a challenge to pick something out — even when you truly want to delight someone with a great gift. Hopefully this article can help you to find some gift items that work for the people in your life!
This is a very good post, it’s true that college students never run out of things to buy but the issue of limit cash gets it all down the “can’t” list, this list is full of stuffs they’ll definitely love because they all have that you h and feeling of tenderness, fun and youthfulness. The LED lamps is what I love most here, who knows, I might get one for my cousin. Thanks for sharing such an informative article, it is useful.
Awesome, I’m happy to hear that this list of gift ideas has helped you with your shopping list!
How many things nice and fun! I passed a lot of college-age, but I would like to have most of these things in the house. I studied each one and in the end, I felt suddenly a better mood. I have no family members in college but I have a child who will go to school next year. But I do not think you have to wait to enter the school to provide some of these objects.
Irina, these gift ideas are great because they absolutely work for lots of different situations!! Go ahead and pick up the things that you would like in your house — they will be enjoyable and useful whether you are a student or not!
What cool gift ideas! I never went to college, but a lot of these gifts are good for first-time apartment dwellers. The TaoTronix desk lamp sounds so awesome I want one now! The adjustable phone stand looks so simple, but it seems so handy when you think about it. Who wants to hold the phone while they’re trying to read from it or watch videos? Having a stand makes the experience much more fun. Charging ports aren’t as expensive as they used to be, and they are handy in any living situation. I love your suggestions. People with college-bound kids should definitely read this!
I agree Cathy – most of these gift ideas are good for anyone who is moving out on their own for the first time!
How fun is this post! I thoroughly enjoyed this post about the best gifts for college students! Some of my favorite people are currently learning in a university setting right now! With Christmas right around the corner, you offer several great options! I would have never thought of these if not for your sharing them! You’ve categorized the options between gender, dorm necessities, kitchen gadgets, technology, and others! I’m impressed by this great list! Thank you so much!
Awesome – I hope those favorite people enjoy the student gifts that you pick out for them!!
As I browsed around your site it seems you have great insight as to what a college student really needs. I really like the led lamp with USB port and the power strip with multiple USB ports. Since we live “The age of Technology” I think these and other items related to device charging are super Gifts for most any college student.
I agree! Chargers (and even cords) have always been popular gifts for the students in my life!
Thank you for your post. It is a nice idea to have a gifts for college students. My son is in college now and I usually give him cash, but I think it is good idea to give him gift as a inspiration and motivation token.
I am surprised that my son loves cooking and he seldom eat at school cafeteria, instead he makes his own food. Kitchen gifts are certainly the best gifts for my son. I see that you suggest Ninja Mega Kitchen Blender / Food Processor. My loves smoothies and will like the Ninja blender.
My son certainly like other kitchen utensils. I guess Ninja Mega Kitchen should have the all of them and I am going to order one sets of stuff for my son.
It is kind of you sharing this helpful idea with us.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article and found a fun idea to inspire your son in the kitchen.
Really cool post. You have lots of good ideas of gifts for a college student. The Dino memo holder is so cute and the pop corn popper would be a hit for a gift:) My daughter is in college and I will definitely use some of your ideas for her. My youngest son starts colleges next fall, so will be coming back to your site for more ideas then. 🙂
Thanks Renea! I’m sure your kids will appreciate your thoughtfulness!!
I had most of the practical gifs you mentioned when I was in college. I got it all by myself though because I didn’t had anyone to help me with anything. Really wish I could’ve seen an article like this back in the days. It would’ve saved me so much time and unnecessary headaches.
It’s wonderful to have someone who will surprise you with a gift, especially in those college years when funds can be tight. I’m glad to hear that you were able to get some of these items on your own and that you found them to be practical as well!
College is a great experience and often remembered by all the good times had with friends. We just tend to forget that that was the time of our lives where we felt the poorest. We never had any money and we were always looking to save a buck or two.
You have come up with some very useful gifts for students here. I am sure they will appreciate something like the power strip surge protector, especially with all the gadgets and technology that they walk around with nowadays.
Hi Michel, those were definitely some cash-strapped times, and practical gifts were very much welcomed and appreciated!!!
Hello!!
Searching on the internet I found your site where you promote different products all very useful by the way. Within a few days I have my lady’s birthday I am looking for something to give her.
I think you may like the cosmetic case, the last one that appears. I will save your site to show it to my lady before making the purchase. Thank you!
I’m sure your lady will love the cosmetic case gift that you have picked out!
Thank you! These are great gift ideas. I like how you always put together so many helpful things within an article to create a full picture. I like the dinosaur memo pad, because of course I like dinosaurs. And the squirrel neck pillow. That’s a good idea to include practical gifts, for example the first aid kit is really practical and could be really helpful.
maybe a doorway pull-up bar could be good for college students, so they could do some pull-ups in their dorm room if they are too busy to go to the gym for a full workout. They just have to make sure that they’re allowed to put it up in their dorm. Also, gift cards for the grocery store, that way they can always get whatever food they need.
Great article and I look forward to reading your next one.
C, you are most correct about students needing money for food, so gift cards for the grocery store are always a great idea! Check out this post on How To Save Money On Everyday Purchases to learn more about how to buy gift cards at a discount!
These are by fat a wide variety of stuffs any college student would ask for. Looking a the lots of things these students would need when they ate going to school, one would certainly need some discount to help reduce the expenses that would go with it. Currently I don’t have a kid in college buy i know just the right person that needs to see these offers. Thanks for sharing this wonderful information.
Thank you Chloe, I appreciate you sharing this with someone who can use the information about things a college student might need!
For what is worth, this post has come very handy to me and I must say that I picked up quite a couple of things from this list. My cousin is in college and I know that he would definitely be in need of a couple of these things listed on this list and I’m surely going to get a couple in line with my budget. To be honest, this list has some very basic things that most college students lack and they would be very appreciative if they can get some our of this. Thumbs up to you for sharing this
Thank you Tracy, I’m happy to hear that you found these gift ideas to be good choices for students!
When I was in college,I used to love it when I receive good gifts. Seeing this list is very awesome because I have a nephew who is going to college soon and I want to give him something nice as well. I like that dinosaur memo holder and those last few tips you have are also very good and I think I know now what to give him. Is there a set of gifts you can recommend?
Hi John, The gifts on this page are all recommendations for college students, but as they are also likely to be cooking for themselves for the first time, you may also find some great gift ideas on the post about Best Cooking Gifts Under $25.
Thanks, beautiful!!! I will wait with all the faith in the world for those 3 miracle boxes!
Good luck on your journey. You are the best!