28 Amazing Gifts for College Students | Useful Gifts for College Students
This post is about gifts for college students.
Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. See our full disclaimer here.
Its holiday season, and shopping for college age students is probably the hardest. Do they just want money? Giftcards? To where? There’s a ton of questions, but I guarantee I can help answer them.
Every year my grandparents and close family members ask what to get college age students for the Holidays. Their grandkids are growing up, and it’s hard to keep in touch with the kind of things they would want!
This guide is a great way to spark some gift ideas, show you exact gifts, and answer some questions you have about giving gifts to this age group of people.
Here’s 28 super Christmas gifts for college students.
COLLEGE STUDENT GIFT IDEAS
1. AIRPODS
Airpods are basically an essential for college students now. Everyone has them, and they’re super useful! I really love having mine, and they were totally worth the price.
2. PHONE CHARGERS
Extra phone chargers are a must for every college student. I lose mine constantly, and I’m so thankful that I have backups!
These phone chargers are my favorite. They’re super affordable, come in different lengths, and they’ve lasted me a long time.
3. HYDROFLASK
I am in LOVE with my hydroflask. It was an investment, but one that was well worth it for me. I have a multitude of other water bottles and completely stopped using them when I started using my hydroflask!
Plus, almost every college student has one, and it’s a sure thing to be on someone’s wishlist.
Here’s the one I have –
4. POWER BANK
A power bank is a college student ESSENTIAL. There’s so many times when I realize my phone wasn’t charging all night, or I was on it way too long and the battery is almost dead and it’s only one in the afternoon. I am SO thankful for my portable charger! I just keep it in my backpack and I thankfully don’t even need to charge it that frequently since it holds so much power.
5. AMAZON GIFT CARD
Amazon is a college student’s favorite shopping place. I mean Amazon and Target. But mostly Amazon.
Amazon just has everything a college student could need, and they deliver it right to their door. An Amazon gift card is perfect for every college student!
6. MEMORY FOAM PILLOW
Dorm beds are notorious for being some pretty awful beds. A memory foam mattress pad makes things a little better, but the pillows are what really make the dorm room bearable!
I really love this memory foam pillow, and I highly recommend it for all college dorm rooms.
7. THROW BLANKET
A throw blanket is so nice to have, especially in the winter! For the Holiday season, this is the perfect gift to help bear the cold weather.
8. MAKEUP MIRROR
Odds are the lighting at college is pretty awful. Have a makeup guru in the family? This is the perfect gift for them! A lighted makeup mirror makes the problem of poor lighting completely irrelevant.
9. SMALL VACUUM
I didn’t have a small vacuum in my dorm room until Christmas break, and oh my gosh it was so annoying. I lived pretty far away from the housing center, and had to constantly drag a vacuum back and forth anytime something spilled or we just needed some general cleaning done.
I have this vacuum, and it’s a life saver! It’s super easy to use, and I love the detachable part to clean out drawers and bags. Perfect for college.
10. TILE KEY FINDER
The only thing that makes your day worse after failing a test or quiz is if you can’t get into your room to cry about it because you forgot your keys.
While the failing tests and quizzes might not be relevant for all college students, losing your keys can definitely be a problem. They can fall out of your pocket, you can leave them on a counter when paying for food, someone can take them, etc.
A tile is a life saver for exactly this problem! There’s a reason so many people use them, and it’s because everyone loses their keys and needs to know where they are.
11. YETI TRAVEL MUG
I LOVE my Yeti. I use it to fill with coffee at the coffee shop, and I get a discount for using a reusable cup.
I’ve used a lot of other coffee tumblers, and really nothing compares to my Yeti. Plus, they’re super trendy, and everyone at school is bound to have one.
12. HAMMOCK
If you’ve read my recommendations page, you’ll know that hammocking has a super special place in my heart. This is what my boyfriend took us to do on our first date, and it was the best first date I’ve ever had in my life.Here’s the hammock we have, it’s even in this red and gray! It’s super light and packs really small, so you can just keep it in your backpack.
13. BEDSIDE TABLE
Know a college student that needs some more organization in their bedroom? Get them a bedside table! This is a relatively inexpensive piece of furniture, and is guaranteed to make sure they are more organized.
14. MICROWAVE PASTA COOKER
If the college student you are shopping for lives in a dorm, odds are their only means of cooking anything is in a microwave. Get them a microwave pasta cooker! They can make themselves spaghetti or any other kind of pasta whenever they feel like it, since they can keep the sauce in their fridge. A must have!
15. MICROWAVE POPCORN MAKER
Popcorn was one of my favorite snacks for my freshman year. I could make it in the microwave, and it was super fast and simple. The only problem is, microwave popcorn can get a little pricey, and it’s not good for you!
I wish I would have had this microwave popcorn maker when I was living in a dorm, since it would have been so convenient! Plus, it pops in a bowl, that you can eat it right out of.
16. MINI SAFE
Yes, dorm rooms and houses lock but sometimes it’s a good idea to keep a small safe at college. I would recommend keeping things like a passport, social security cards, etc in it! This makes a perfect college gift, since a lot of students most likely would not invest in one on their own.
17. AMAZON ECHO
Echo’s are getting a lot more popular, and they’re pretty freaking useful. I really love having one around my apartment!
Echo’s are relatively inexpensive considering the wide range of things they can do, and they’re a pretty incredible speaker to have around the house.
18. TWIN XL SHEETS
Every college student loves a new pair of sheets. I know that I have two, and I change them frequently and need new ones faster than I did when I was at home.
Twin XL sheets are a pretty safe bet for a college bed, and are the forsure size if they live on campus.
19. CASH AND OTHER MONETARY OFFERS
College students need money. Really really badly. Trust me, I am a college student who needs money really really badly. I am so thankful when I get some cash from family members!
Another really cool option if you want to help out monetarily without giving money is offering to pay for something that you know the college student needs. Pay for a class, buy some required textbooks, or ask them what they need help paying for.
20. INSTANT POT
Crockpots are honestly old news since this hit the market. Instant pots are pressure cookers, but kind of like rice cookers, and kind of like crock pots? They’re this super cool all in one tool that makes cooking super fast and easy, especially when you have a busy lifestyle.
21. KEURIG
Just like money, college students also really need caffeine. No one has time to actually make coffee in a coffee pot, and you especially don’t if you’re in college.
Keurig’s are so handy, and they’re bound to be utilized for a lot more than just coffee!
Here’s a few at different price points and sizes, and some organization tools. Plus, my favorite compostable k-cups. Environmentally friendly!
22. POLAROID CAMERA
Polaroids are so popular, and college is the perfect time to take tons of polaroid pictures.
Actual polaroid cameras are pretty pricey, but are super aesthetically pleasing. I included the brand name polaroid camera and a budget-friendly version below.
23. WAX WARMER
Candles aren’t allowed in most dorm rooms and apartments, but that doesn’t mean that your student won’t want the same smells as their favorite candle.
A wax warmer is the perfect in between, and won’t set off any smoke alarms!
24. LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Laundry detergent was a lot more expensive than I was ready for. This makes a perfect gift! Buying students stuff that they need is key to getting the perfect gift. They’ll be super thankful for you!
Here’s my favorite laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets. They’re super environmentally friendly and smell amazing.
25. SNACK BOX SUBSCRIPTION
Students love snacks! Get them the gift that keeps on giving by getting a snack subscription box in their name with their address. This is perfect for a semester of snacks, or making sure that your student has everything they need during exams or finals week.
26. CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY
Cards Against Humanity is a super popular card game in college. It’s really funny, and is great to get new groups of people together to bond.
27. ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
If you switch to an electric toothbrush, odds are you won’t switch back. My mouth feels so much cleaner when I use mine, and it’s not super bulky. I can travel with it really easily!
Here’s the toothbrush I have –
28. SUCCULENTS
Have a plant lover you need to get a gift for? Succulents are the perfect plant for college students. They require little upkeep, and are super trendy and cute!
