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27 Great Graduation Gift Ideas for College-Bound High Schoolers

Bikes are big on most campuses, but check on sharing programs before you buy. - David Aaron Troy—Getty Images
Bikes are big on most campuses, but check on sharing programs before you buy. David Aaron Troy—Getty Images

Searching for a great, personal, useful and affordable gift for a new high school graduate? Look no further. Here are gift ideas that were hits for many readers of Grown and Flown, a popular site for parents of teens, college students and recent college grads.

Send your student packing with a new backpack. - Hugh Threlfall—Alamy
Send your student packing with a new backpack. Hugh Threlfall—Alamy

1 College backpack

It's time to get rid of that disgusting, dirty, crumb-infested backpack that your teen has been carrying for four years. Great options from standard-bearers like Jansport or North Face start at $30, while trendier brands like Herschel or FjallRaven can run north of $150. Just remember that whatever you buy will be disgusting, dirty, and crumb-infested four years from now.

A duffel bag is easier to stow than a suitcase. This one is by Filson. - courtesy Filson
A duffel bag is easier to stow than a suitcase. This one is by Filson. courtesy Filson

2 Duffle bags

Luggage may seem like a great graduation gift, but it has real drawbacks for the college-bound. Teeny dorm rooms generally don’t have any place to store empty suitcases. Solution: A set of duffle bags that can be combined, compressed and stuffed under a bed when not in use. Students typically need at least one large bag for packing linens, towels and winter clothes, and a smaller one for weekend trips back home. Sturdy L.L. Bean, and Patagonia duffels start at less than $40. If you want to go high-end, stylish Filson bags start at $150.

Ask about student discounts at the [f500link]Apple[/f500link] Store and other retailers. - Astrid Stawiarz—Getty Images
Ask about student discounts at the [f500link]Apple[/f500link] Store and other retailers. Astrid Stawiarz—Getty Images

3 Laptops

Laptops are one of the most popular and useful gifts for graduating teens. Some college bookstores have deals that come with tech support but, before you make a final decision, see what student discounts you can get from Apple, Microsoft, and Best Buy. When shopping for laptops, or other items from national retailers, parents should be aware that they can generally use college student discounts even if their student does not yet have a college ID card. Retailers often ask for a college email address that many schools issue over the summer, and some will give discounts with a college acceptance letter. Consumer Reports recommends the Acer Spin 1 which retails for about $250. MacBooks with enough memory and computing power for undergraduates start at about $1,100.

Monogrammed towels are easy to track down. - Bill O'Leary—The Washington Post/Getty Images
Monogrammed towels are easy to track down. Bill O'Leary—The Washington Post/Getty Images

4 Monogrammed Towels

Every student goes off to college with towels. But few return with them. Solution: A set of towels with your student’s monogram is a personalized gift likely to survive the college years. Bed Bath & Beyond offers personalized bath towels for less than $25.

A tool kit will make your student the envy of the dorm. - Getty Images—iStockphoto
A tool kit will make your student the envy of the dorm. Getty Images—iStockphoto

5 Tiny toolbox

For students moving into a dorm or an apartment, a small tool kit for minor repairs or assembling flat-boxed furniture is a sought-after resource on the hall or in the apartment complex. Hardware stores sell tool kits starting at less than $30.

An attachable shelf keeps bedside essentials within easy reach. - courtesy Dormco
An attachable shelf keeps bedside essentials within easy reach. courtesy Dormco

6 Bed shelf

If your kid’s bed is on the top bunk, where will he or she store glasses or a phone? Solution: Attachable, portable shelves. Dormco sells plastic ones for just $13 apiece.

A tiny alarm, like the Robocopp seen here, can make a big racket when needed. - courtesy ROBOCOPP
A tiny alarm, like the Robocopp seen here, can make a big racket when needed. courtesy ROBOCOPP

7 Personal safety device

The top concern for parents sending their kids to college is personal safety. A number of new portable safety devices can help with those worries. Robocopp ($10) for example, is described by the company as a sound grenade. It is a small handheld device that is set off by pulling a plug, releasing a 130-decibel alarm, comparable to an ambulance siren. For a higher price, and small monthly fee, they offer a model that can contact 911. Revolar ($60) is one of a new breed of devices where users can “Check-in” with 1-click, ask for back-up with the 2-clicks (Yellow Alert), and signal an emergency with the 3-clicks (Red Alert). Revolar also has a “Ring Me” feature, which lets wearers call their own phones to provide an excuse to exit a situation.

Perk your student up with a personal coffeemaker (but make sure the dorm allows it). - John King—Alamy
Perk your student up with a personal coffeemaker (but make sure the dorm allows it). John King—Alamy

8 Coffee machine

Single serving coffee makers allow students to make a cup of coffee easily in a dorm room. Real Simple recommends the Mr. Coffee Single Serve for $72. This gift will save money if students skip expensive take-out coffee every morning. Important: check your student’s college website first to see if the appliance is allowed in their room.

Bed Bath & Beyond and other national retailers have aisles of dorm room essentials. - Diane Macdonald—Getty Images
Bed Bath & Beyond and other national retailers have aisles of dorm room essentials. Diane Macdonald—Getty Images

9 Gift card to a big-box retailer

The K-12 back-to-school shop may have seemed expensive, but the dorm room shop is the one that breaks the bank. The National Retail Federation estimates that families spend almost $900 a year outfitting their students for college. For high school graduates moving into a dorm or an apartment, a gift certificate to Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, or other national retailers will help them to outfit their room. Remind them to look for special in-store college evenings and deep discount coupons before they buy.

Create your own first-aid kit based on your kid's needs. - Paul Taylor—Getty Images
Create your own first-aid kit based on your kid's needs. Paul Taylor—Getty Images

10 First-aid/medicine kit

Here’s a gift that students will appreciate the first time they are sick at 2 a.m. Put together a kit that includes first aid supplies and over-the-counter medications that your teen is likely to need. Steer away from prepackaged kits; no one knows what your kid needs better than you. Consider: cough drops, cold remedies, eye drops, thermometer, hydrocortisone, antacids, analgesics, antibacterial creams, and other things your college kid will need.

An external battery, like the Mophie, can keep your student charged up. - courtesy Mophie
An external battery, like the Mophie, can keep your student charged up. courtesy Mophie

11 External battery

With days filled with classes, activities, socializing, and more, students may not have time to recharge their phones. A Mophie charging case starts at $20. And an external battery from Jackery (as little as $15) can extend the life of a cell phone battery by several hours.

Noise-canceling headphones give your student one less excuse to avoid studying. These are by Bose. - Squire Fox
Noise-canceling headphones give your student one less excuse to avoid studying. These are by Bose. Squire Fox

12 Noise (or roommate) canceling headphones

Life in dorms can be noisy. Solution: A pair of over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones will do double duty by allowing your college student to enjoy music or study in peace no matter what the circumstance. PC Magazine and CNET both recommend the $200 AKG N60 NC for overall value and quality.

S’ip by S’well - Jody Kivort 917-6760365 courtes
S’ip by S’well Jody Kivort 917-6760365 courtes

13 Fitness tracker

Once the daily PE classes or high school sports teams wind down, it becomes all too easy for college students to lower their level of physical activity. Sometimes it takes a bribe, in the form of a tech gadget they covet, to get them moving again. Some gift options include, a fitness tracker (Fitbits start at $100) Bluetooth earbuds (The Wirecutter recommends the $100 Jlab Epic 2), insulated water bottles like S’ip by S’Well ($25 each) or a new gym bag.

Items like this Bowdoin key fob from Smathers and Branson also make good gifts for friends' kids. - courtesy Smathers and Branson
Items like this Bowdoin key fob from Smathers and Branson also make good gifts for friends' kids. courtesy Smathers and Branson

14 College-logo pillow, belt, or key fob

Many useful items can be needlepointed with college logos or class year. Key fobs start at less than $30, and are a personalized, moderately priced gift for friends’ kids or your kid’s friends.

Give your student a break from the college cafeteria. - Marianna Massey—Getty Images
Give your student a break from the college cafeteria. Marianna Massey—Getty Images

15 Gift card to an off-campus eatery

Cafeteria meals wear thin very quickly. Most kids will be thrilled with the chance to splurge at a local restaurant.

Bikes are big on most campuses, but check on sharing programs before you buy. - David Aaron Troy—Getty Images
Bikes are big on most campuses, but check on sharing programs before you buy. David Aaron Troy—Getty Images

16 New bike

Biking is the best way to get around many college campuses. The gift of this cheap, healthy form of transportation should be much appreciated over all four years. Before splurging, however, check first if the campus has a bike-sharing program.

Give a gift that keeps giving, like this Republic of Tea monthly tea package. - courtesy The Republic of Tea
Give a gift that keeps giving, like this Republic of Tea monthly tea package. courtesy The Republic of Tea

17 You-name-it of the month club

What's more fun than finding a gift in your real-life mailbox every month? For kids going off to college, consider sock-of-the-month clubs like Soul Sock ($12/month) Harry’s shave plan (starting at $3/month) Mixcups (for that new coffee maker, starting at $13 a month), BustedTees monthly (3 months for $50), or hundreds of others.

- Courtesy of Lividini & Co.
Courtesy of Lividini & Co.

18 Jewelry

Whether it’s a family heirloom or a new gift, a piece of jewelry can be deeply personal, with meaning for both the recipient and the giver. Alex and Ani have a 2017 graduation charm bracelet ($28) and Monica Rich Kosann has beautiful necklaces with personal messages ($130 for sterling silver). Two ideas with a bit of home are jewelry personalized with the latitude and longitude of a special place, like Lat and Lo, and Dogeared for necklaces with a home state-shaped charm.

Expect your student to spend a lot of time (and money) at the college store. - Craig Warga—Bloomberg via Getty Images
Expect your student to spend a lot of time (and money) at the college store. Craig Warga—Bloomberg via Getty Images

19 Gift card to college store

On many campuses, the college bookstore is the go-to spot for far more than books. Whether buying gear to rep their new school or snacks for their dorm room, it is nice to start the year with a gift card to use on campus.

Watches are a timeless classic for graduation gifts. - Lynne Cameron—PA Wire/Press Association Images
Watches are a timeless classic for graduation gifts. Lynne Cameron—PA Wire/Press Association Images

20 Watch

This is the classic gift, but you can make it trendy with the purchase of a Timex (starting at about $30) Shinola (starting at $550), or Apple ($370).

Amazon Echo Dot - courtesy of Amazon
Amazon Echo Dot courtesy of Amazon

21 Digital Assistant

There is no more up-to-date gift than a digital assistant. This year Google came out with Google Home ($100) and Amazon with The Dot ($50). Both devices can give the weather report, offer calendar reminders, etc. Beware, though: these machines can also answer math questions. It’s probably just a matter of time before they can write essays too.

Wrap your student in memories with a T-shirt blanket. - courtesy Repat
Wrap your student in memories with a T-shirt blanket. courtesy Repat

22 T-shirt blanket

Saying goodbye to the teams, schools, and activities they loved is part of going away to college. But parents can take the stack of T-shirts kids earned over the years and have a quilt made for their new dorm. It is a way for kids to take a bit of home with them to college. One company that does this is Project Repat (starting at $75).

The ABCs of Adulthood was written for the author's own college-bound kids.
The ABCs of Adulthood was written for the author's own college-bound kids.

23 The ABCs of Adulthood

Literary and sentimental, this book is both. Author Deborah Copaken (with artist Randy Polumbo) wrote this volume as a missive to her son and daughter as she sent them off to college. It includes everything she wishes she had been told when she headed to college herself. ($9.19 at Amazon.)

Author Becky Blades' advice to her (and everybody else's) kids. - DO YOUR LAUNDRY OR YOU’LL DIE ALONE
Author Becky Blades' advice to her (and everybody else's) kids. DO YOUR LAUNDRY OR YOU’LL DIE ALONE

24 Do Your Laundry or You'll Die Alone

You want your kids to heed wise parental advice, but you’re not there to nag them about cleaning their clothes. Solution: a copy of “Do Your Laundry Or You’ll Die Alone.” This beautiful, clever little book by Becky Blades includes 270 wise, wry gems of parental advice, like “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats the server at Applebees.” (The newer hardback version is available for $9.29 on Amazon.)

The Girl's Guide offers insight and reassurance. - THE GIRL’S GUIDE
The Girl's Guide offers insight and reassurance. THE GIRL’S GUIDE

25 The Girl's Guide: Getting the Hang of Your Whole Complicated, Unpredictable, and Impossibly Amazing Life

While author Melissa Kirsch aims her clever and comprehensive book of advice at women entering the real world, any female undergrad will find insight, understanding, and reassurance among these pages. ($8 at Amazon.)

Harlan Cohen uncovers the bare facts of college life.
Harlan Cohen uncovers the bare facts of college life.

26 The Naked Roommate

Author Harlan Cohen, a familiar face on the Money College Planner website, has been in the college advice business since his own undergraduate days and has released six editions of this classic how-to and what-if guide to college. This is a reliable, practical, and up-to-date resource for both college women and men. ($9.26 at Amazon.)

Your college student will go through a lot of these in the laundry room alone. - George Diebold—Getty Images
Your college student will go through a lot of these in the laundry room alone. George Diebold—Getty Images

27 And everybody's favorite: Money

One of the most popular graduation gifts is simply money. Here are varied ways to give the gift of funds: rolls of quarters inside a laundry bag, a deposit in the college account that is linked to a student’s ID card, a check for $20.17, a check or cash slipped between the pages of a meaningful book. Lastly, a deposit in the student’s 529 Plan account works too.

Mary Dell Harrington and Lisa Heffernan are co-authors of Grown and Flown, where they write about all aspects of parenting kids 15-25 years old. Heffernan is also the author of three books, including the New York Times best seller Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success (Simon and Schuster, 2000).

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