We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A compact mini Keurig to grant them access to quick and convenient coffee, tea, and cocoa right in the dorm without taking up a ton of space.
If you want convenient coffee but don't want to create more plastic waste with disposable K-cups, try this reusable K-cup for brewing regular ground coffee.
Promising review: "This Keurig was the perfect size for my son's dorm room. Great for making coffee, tea, or just hot water for some ramen noodles. I've been a Keurig owner since they first launched and never had any complaints. Take care of the unit, and it will last a long time." —Mark P
Get it from Amazon for $69.99 (available in six colors).
2. A Lego flower bouquet because real flowers die, and these will never. Plus, they make for some top-tier dorm decor without any of the responsibility required of real plants.
The bouquet includes 15 stems with a mix of flower and leaf varieties, including roses, snapdragons, and poppies, and it uses elements made from plant-based plastic.
Promising reviews: "My niece loved them!! It was a perfect graduation gift." —selena chairez
"My daughter still loves Lego and was so excited to have a new set to put together! It turned out beautifully. It’s a great gift idea for the Lego fan in your life!!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $47.99.
3. A hilarious congratulatory graduation card that matches their dry sense of humor and won't be totally forgotten the minute they spot the money inside.
Five Dot Post is an small business based in Long Beach, California creating the most delightful cards for all life's wild moments.
Promising review: "Fast delivery! Great card and quality." —Linda A Wick
Get it from Five Dot Post on Etsy for $6 (also available in a five-pack).
4. A small but well-stocked 39-piece tool set so they're always prepared to assemble a futon, fix broken eyeglasses, make bike repairs, and do any other quick-fix tasks that come up.
This is the toolkit my wiser-than-me mom sent along with me to college. I never thought I would have a use for it, but, of course, I was wrong. It's great for move-in day construction (and assembling anything you might buy throughout the year). You'll be shocked by the random instances you'll want a tape measure, and if you plan to bike or skate around campus, it's nice to have your own toolkit for repairs. It's tiny, not heavy, and has all the basics covered! It survived four years of college and beyond.
Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in eight colors).
5. A Taylor Swift Little Golden Book with beautiful illustrations for sharing what you two have in common — being a ride-or-die Swiftie.
6. A sleek MacBook Air if they need a new laptop for school and you want to be the one to gift it to them. This ultra-sleek model won't weigh them down while trekking across campus, and the up to 18-hour battery life can withstand a full day of class and a full night of homework on a single charge.
Promising review: "This laptop is great for high school students and for students in college who don’t need a top-end Mac. This is one of the best purchases I have ever made!" —Susan Schultz
Get it from Amazon for $849+ (available in four colors, two storage capacities, and with or without AppleCare+).
7. Or a more budget-friendly HP 14-inch laptop to send them off with a dependable model that boasts a powerful Intel processor, SUPER fast charging, several types of USB ports, and a built-in SD card reader.
Promising review: "I got this for my new-to-college student, and she loves its portability and long battery life for school. She says it does great with streaming movies and music for entertainment as well. It's a classic and trusted name brand, and for the price, I don't think you can really beat it." —Guilco
Get it from Amazon for $259.99+ (available in five RAM and storage styles)
8. A set of eye-popping fine point pens because why settle for just black and blue pens when they could make note-taking fun (and easier to reference later) by having all the colors of the rainbow at their disposal?
These are designed to not bleed through thin pages, so all your planners and journals can get the flair pen treatment.
Promising review: "These pens are absolutely perfect for how I take notes in college. There is a variety of colors, which is so great for organization. They are fine tips, and they don't smudge at all. The pens look really nice and are very comfortable to hold. And getting 18 pens for this cheap...WOW!! You really can't go wrong with them. ... I would 10/10 recommend these pens to anybody. They're affordable and really good quality!!" —Joy Mahowald
Get a set of 18 from Amazon for $8.99 (also available in black).
9. A dreamy dimmable candle warmer lamp that'll let them enjoy the sweet smell of their favorite candle without living through the shame of accidentally setting off the building's fire alarm.
Promising review: "Serves a double duty. Turn the lamp on and put a candle in a glass on the base, and as it melts, it gives off a wonderful scent of your choice. VERY charming to the eye, and the light itself is glowing. Would definitely recommend buying this item." —Destiny fate
Get it from Amazon for $29.98+ (available in 10 styles).
10. A custom-dyed graduation keepsake vault so they have a safe place to stash all their favorite school mementos, from diplomas and awards to tassels and photos, that'll be easy to access later when the nostalgia hits.
Savor The Library is a small business based in Sag Harbor, New York, that creates attractive organizational boxes for all your keepsakes!
Promising review: "This organizer went above and beyond my expectations and made a great graduation gift." —Sandra Reitz
Get it from Savor The Library on Etsy for $65+ (available in blue and gray and two personalization styles).
11. An Instax instant camera for capturing all their special moments in a retro format that's easy to give away to friends or hang up in their dorm as decor. Let the memory-making commence!
The camera has an LED flash, "High Key" mode to take brighter pics, and a selfie mirror!
Promising reviews: "Bought for my daughter's graduation. She loves it, and it takes good pictures" —Kimberly Scott
"Such a fun camera! I got it at the end of the summer to take to college with me and document my adventures. It worked great all semester; I never had any problems with it! The picture quality isn’t as good as my phone, but my iPhone is pretty hard to beat. Overall, it’s a great camera!" —Hannah
Get it from Amazon for $64.99+ (available in six colors).
12. A handmade microwave egg maker if you know there is a 0% chance they'll be able to get up and to the dining hall before their first class of the day. With this, they can whip up some brain fuel in under a minute from the comfort of their dorm.
Promising review: "This was a gift for my sister, and after she told me how much she loves it (and she's a cook) — I'm going to get one, too (I'm not a cook!). It cooks one egg in a matter of seconds in the micro and then slides right out when you tip it. Could not be easier!" —the LUCKY sister
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $38.
13. A reusable smart notebook to digitize every pen stroke with the Rocketbook app. Finally, the ease and satisfaction of handwritten notes, combined with the organization and convenience of digital notes in a reusable format that can be used for every single class.
This set includes the notebook, a Pilot Frixion pen, and a microfiber cloth to wipe it all away. Then, you can beam notes to a medley of popular note-sharing and cloud services with the Rocketbook app, which is available for both iOS and Android.
Promising review: "I love using mine for note-taking for my college courses. It's nice being able to scan and organize them to my Google Drive and never lose them. And, of course, being able to use the notebook an infinite amount of time saves on so much paper! Win-win!" —Miranda Woodward
Get it from Amazon for $30+ (available in two sizes and 16 colors).
14. A thrilling graduation money box because you know it's what they really want (and need!) but you'd rather make them work for it juuusssttt a little. Assemble the box, insert bills into the included sleeves, and watch their delight as they pull out a seemingly never-ending stream of cash.
Promising review: "Giving the gift of money has been elevated with clever design. I bought a couple, and each time my gift was opened, it was a big hit. Good quality and value for the money." —Christina H. Weiss
Get it from Amazon for $9.98 (available in black and white and in a birthday edition).
15. Or a wooden graduation cash holder that's engraved with a personalized message of your choice to add that extra special sentimentality to your (much appreciated) money gift.
Personalized Gift Land is an Irvine, California-based small business that does what the name implies — creates personalized gifts for any occasion.
Promising review: "Such a nice way to celebrate a graduation with this lovely keepsake." —Maureen
Get it from Personalized Gift Land on Etsy for $14.88+ (available in 12 colors).
16. A compact handheld steamer so they don't have to choose between trying to store an ironing board in their teeny tiny dorm or going all semester wearing wrinkly 'fits to every class, date, and party.
Promising review: "Gave 10 of these as grad gifts to all of the girls on my list. Got seven 'Best Gift Ever' and three 'already using it and love it.'" —Elizabeth Hetrick
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in three colors).
17. A 52-sheet to-do list pad for when they're inevitably overwhelmed with all the things that need doing and you're no longer physically there to help them figure out just where to start.
18. A minimalist son celebration bracelet if you don't feel like this momentous occasion can pass without you getting more than a little sentimental about how your little boy is all grown up.
Give Joy Co is a small business creating special pieces of jewelry to celebrate the most important people and moments in your life.
Get it from Give Joy Co on Etsy for $52.20 (available in three colors).
19. Or a detailed compass necklace to ~symbolically~ guide them into the next chapter of this great big life adventure that they'll love wearing long after graduation day is done.
Tiny Cottage Treasures is an Etsy shop that creates fanciful, personalized jewelry in ready-to-gift packaging.
Promising review: "Great gift for a grad — nice quality and great presentation due to the way it was packaged." —Dwayne Melancon
Get it from Tiny Cottage Treasures on Etsy for $82 (available in six lengths and also in silver).
20. An all-in-one wireless Canon printer because it's one of those things they don't think about needing until it's 30 minutes before class and they *just* remembered their assignment needs to be physically printed. Good thing you were thinking ahead for them!
Promising review: "Great for college student's dorm room." —Kate
"Love this printer! The ink life on this is pretty good. I am a nursing student and do a lot of printing, and I haven't had to replace the ink what seems like every other week like I used to with my old printers. Highly recommend! —Lace
Get it from Amazon for $57.81+ (available in black and white).
21. A spacious travel backpack that pushes the spatial limits of what a personal item can carry, making it the perfect companion for their post-graduation travels and all the outfits they couldn't cram in the carry-on.
Reviewers say it meets even Spirit and JetBlue's personal item rules and fits under airplane seats!
Promising review: "This is a perfect size backpack for traveling on a plane as your personal item, especially to international destinations. You could fit rolled-up clothes in here for another week, and it has a very handy shoe bag and tons of places for your electronics. This will be an excellent addition to my carry-on suitcase. Best purchase all year. I consider myself an expert on travel bags. I have way too many. It’s smaller than it looks but so roomy." —AP
Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in three sizes and 17 colors).
22. A plush skyline throw pillow so they can adorn their bed with a comforting reminder of home or celebrate their new home-away-from-home!
Anne Cate is a Cleveland-based, woman-owned small business creating minimalist keepsakes to commemorate your favorite locations, with over 100 hand-designed skylines depicting cities and colleges from around the world!
Get it from Anne Cate for $40 (available with or without personalization and in a wide range of other college town skylines)
23. A nonstick mini electric pot with an included spatula for quickly whipping up delicious pasta, oatmeal, eggs, and so much more without making the long walk to the dining hall.
Promising review: "Got this as a gift for my sister-in-law who’s in college. She absolutely LOVES it! It’s truly perfect for a dorm room. Perfect size, cute color, easy to use. She’s been sending us videos of her cooking noodles, hard-boiling eggs, and even frying chicken!" —Ann
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in five colors and with or without a steamer basket).
24. Iconic Dr. Martens Chelsea boots with slip-resistant soles that will make them feel like their coolest self whether they lean toward frilly frocks or distressed denim. The season-less staple is comfortable enough for long walks to class, and chic enough for everything else.
FYI, this is included in Prime Try Before You Buy so you can give them a trial run if you're a member! ALSO, many reviewers say these run big, so consider sizing down!
Promising review: "I have been wearing Docs for years now, and this pair has to take first place for comfort. They're incredibly cute and versatile, can be dressed up or down, and just like any other pair of Docs are faithfully durable. Docs always run big so I sized a full size down and still comfortably wear them with thin–thick socks. I brought them on a long trip, wore them in various weather conditions like rain/snow/forest trails, and they worked great." —Stacy Cruz
Get it from Amazon for $108.52+ (available in sizes 5–11 and in three styles).
25. An undated Five Minute Journal so they can foster a journaling habit even when they have basically no time to spare. Each page is filled with guided prompts to help them document daily highlights, reflections, and affirmations that will be a welcome dumping ground for all those new experiences and the feelings that come along with them.
By the way, this journal is made from 100% recycled paper!
Promising review: "I'm a college student and love this journal for right when I wake up and go to bed. It's a super easy and an organized way to practice gratitude and intentions!! I also love that each page includes a very short/sweet quote or message for the day. I was gifted this and have also gifted it to others and it's loved by all!! 10/10 worth it." —Karen
Get it from Amazon for $28.99 (available in seven colors).
26. A digital sunrise alarm clock to help them wake up on the right side of the bed every morning. This clock gradually fills the room with programable light and natural sounds for a gentle, sun-soaked wakeup routine whether they've got to be up before the sun or not.
This can be programmed with seven different light settings, seven different calming "wake up" noises and to start gradually lighting up at 30, 20, or 10 minutes before they wake.
Promising review: "I have a hard time waking up in the morning early when it's still dark out, and this alarm works great. Slowly brightens up over a few minutes and mimics the sun shining in. I really like the sound options, and I'm happy with my purchase." —Danica Cunningham
Get it from Amazon for $38.99+ (available in three colors).
27. A two-piece satin pajama set because rocking this matching set on walks to the communal bathroom will instantly make it feel like they've got their life together, and that's the best gift of all.
Promising review: "These pajamas are IT. They are cozy. They are silky. They have a waistband that doesn't cut off circulation but feels like a gentle hug. They aren't restrictive. You can sleep with one leg up and one leg down. You'll have no issues sleeping like a sea star in the middle of your bed. You can curl up like the world is ending, no problem. And honestly, I've also worn these pajamas all day at times. They make me feel like my life is put together. Like I am a functioning human in society who can order as many lattes as she wants. I feel like maybe someday my initials could be monogrammed into my pillows, and I could own more cars than there are humans in my household." —Toria
Get it from Amazon for $25.99 (available in women's sizes XS–3XL and so many colors and patterns).
28. A plug-in 14" laptop screen extender that works like an extra monitor to prevent a lot of hassle when they're forced to constantly cycle between tabs while copying notes from the online slides.
Promising review: "I’m a college student, and this is absolutely fantastic. I mainly use a laptop for most of my technology needs, and having an extra screen boosts my efficiency in multitasking. I used to only take notes by hand on Zoom classes because I can’t take good notes switching back and forth between screens, and dual screen perfectly solved this problem." —Wilson Liu
Get it from Amazon for $179.99+ (available in four styles).
29. A souped-up lap desk with a built-in mouse pad, wrist supports, and phone/tablet holders so they can comfortably work and study from bed when they can't stand to sit at their desk for another moment.
Promising review: "Bought this for my daughter in college. She loves to do schoolwork on her bed. She says this desk is a 'game changer.'" —super awsome person
Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in four colors).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.