51 Graduation Gifts That Will Ease Them Into Whatever’s Next (2024)

An absurdly good deal on one set of chunky, durable glasses that even the most hamfisted college students (or recent grads) can use to serve beers, wine, or mixed drinks.

Oh, the places they'll go!

Even big time chefs like David Chang embrace the microwave lifestyle. With this, they'll know how to actually use it to their best advantage without getting scurvy by the end of the first semester.

It's less anxiety for everyone involved that has to drop them off at the airport dangerously close to their boarding time.

Nothing screams "I'm an adult now" more than your first bottle of fancy hand wash.

It symbolizes good luck and fortune, while being extremely low-maintenance for youths who are unaccustomed to taking care of things.

Pop a monogram on it so they'll know it's not just another planner.

You can't give them a hug in person all the time, but you certainly can gift them the sensation of one.

Mazel tov to your incoming liberal arts student. May their impending student loans never keep them down!

So they can upgrade all their mismatched utensils in one fell swoop and become the roommate that everyone else in the house is beholden to.

The handsomest of mini tech kits that'll come in handy long after their school days are over.

High-speed internet for the recent grad who would perish (spiritually, at least) without WiFi access.

A three-parter gift that polishes up a desk or entryway, plus provides them with some important (and sleek) survival tools. So many layers!!

Keep their minds sharp and their fits even sharper.

It certainly adds some polish where a basic manila folder fails. Just, uh, make sure that they're not handing this over willy-nilly to hiring managers when they present their resume.

Subtext: "Protect your noggin, we are paying so much for your tuition!!"

Anyone can look the part of the trusted TA, after all, with our favorite laptop bag. An early life lesson: Fake it 'til you make it.

Upgrade their dodgy linens with one luxe sateen bundle.

A cookware twofer that handles most of the cooking needs you could conceivably have in a tiny apartment.

In theory, ergonomic desk enhancements will come in handy from their dorm room to their first desk job, or even just their new WFH situation.

For setting up (or disassembling) that clunky futon, hanging up the heady new wave film posters, and measuring out for a new shelf in their first apartment without getting mom and pop involved.

"Wishing you the best of luck on whatever's next," is the fine print on this gift.

The coolest dorm room desk chair, hand's down. Now, the biggest issue will be figuring out where to store that ugly pre-issued version for the remainder of the term.

Something quick, easy, and embellished with a tassel (!) to throw them as a physical token (with a monogram, perhaps?), as you send them along with a digital gift card or some cash into their next few years of academia.

The perfect gift for the kid you're putting through film school, once you throw in a Mubi or Criterion subscription.

Give their new apartment an aromatic makeover.

Upgrade their old crusty earbuds to this noise-cancelling audio powerhouse.

The best smoothie, we've always maintained, is the one you make at home. Beast's blender can do it all—its compact build takes up less counter space than its competitors, it's powerful enough to chop any food ingredients you throw its way, and it boasts a portable bottle to take the finished product on the go. Oh, and the super photogenic design doesn't hurt either.

Air fryers are super convenient, affordable, and can cook most foods—from chicken to salmon to veggies—in no time. In other words: they're perfect for your already-harried graduate.

Ember's miracle-working mug controls the temperature of their cup of joe, giving them one less thing to worry about in the morning.

So they can document it all.

A sentimental keepsake to slip them as you drop them off at the airport for their big New York City job, or move them into their downtown dorm.

The culinary subscription gift that lovingly says, "You can't rely on our own cooking anymore. You're on your own now," then gives you the tools to master the kitchen.

Now that they're out of the house, they can play their music as loud as they want to.

The high-quality duffel you'd never think to get them, but that they actually really want.

The polished graduation present they need to tote their tech into the real world.

The right time to gift your kid a VR gaming system is after their studies are over. It's a gesture that says “Congratulations for all the hard work, you deserve to blow off some steam.”

For those last minute deadlines and adrenaline-fueled days, they'll always need more coffee. This subscription of the good stuff ensures that their bean supplies are always topped up.

Useful whether they're tacking it onto their first cubicle, or adding space to a tiny dorm room desk.

A check-signing, smooth gliding roller pen for the recent grad who just landed their first big time job.

For all of the stamps they'll rack up on their post-grad adventures.

Dorm room instant noodles, but not the ones your college student is used to.

A set of wheels (maybe not the ones they've envisioned) to get them to class or the new job on time.

If you're going the sentimental route, Artifact Uprising makes some of the best-looking scrapbooks for stuffing with all the school photos and memorabilia.

Noise-cancelling to block out noisy roommates, with Bluetooth connectivity for easy pairing, and small and slim for transport.

The blacked-out carry-on they'll have for years after their gap year is over.

All of the sleek ceramics that a person wants to pad out their dorm or first sublet.

The lazy person's alternative to ironing lets them steam wrinkles into submission, without taking up too much real estate in the closet (and transfers into an iron when needed).

A sustainable way to burn the midnight oil, that's fully transportable, dimmable, and rechargeable.

Some would say it's life-changing for getting your sh*t together.

The perfect balance of practical and "a helluva lot better looking than standard power strips" that a new apartment needs. For easy charger options, it also comes with a built-in USB slot for lightning cables.