They’ll feel appreciated, loved, and accomplished with these thoughtful graduation gifts.

New grads are a particularly picky lot, but it’s for a good reason. They’re on the cusp of great change, which often leaves them uncertain and hard to please. Gifting them an envelope full of cash can feel cold and impersonal – we know you’d rather get a little sentimental (it’s okay, we won’t tell!) and personal. For that reason, we’ve made a long list of graduation gifts for all types of scholars and every conceivable circumstance. Whether you want them to reminisce about the past, look forward to the future, or just revel in their achievements, you’ll find the perfect gift below!

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Noise-Canceling Headphones Perfect for studying in noisy environments.

Risky Business Messenger Bag Durable leather bag with plenty of space.

Uber Gift Card Coupons for free rides and meals from Uber and UberEats.

Life can get pretty hectic for graduates with new jobs and new responsibilities. At the very least, they deserve a steaming cup of coffee every morning to get them going. This countertop coffee maker will keep their morning java supply constant, allowing them to put their best foot forward each day!

‘I Will Teach You To Be Rich’ by Ramit Sethi

College can teach you a lot, but it doesn’t cover all the important stuff. This book is an excellent gift because it gives them a peek into the knowledge they’ll need to improve their skills and ensure their upcoming financial success lasts a lifetime.

With this gift card, your fresh college graduate can get a ride to work or order a hearty meal whenever they need to. It’s a really thoughtful way to show them that you’re rooting for their success as they transition into professionals. Just select any amount from $50 to $200, and the card is quickly dispatched to their email, ready for use!

Instant Pot Duo Electric Pressure Cooker

Cooking is one of the most important skills to possess; it becomes very apparent once you move out of your dorm and have to fend for yourself. This electric pressure cooker promises to make life easy for college graduates. With seven cooking settings, including a setting for making yogurt, it allows them to make tasty and nutritious meals fast.

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Noise-Canceling Headphones

Noise-canceling headphones are necessary for college students that wish to study wherever and whenever they choose. This set can reduce ambient sound by up to 90%, allowing students to block out noisy environments whenever they need to focus. Furthermore, it has a 40H playtime connected to Bluetooth, making it ideal for extensive daily use.

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker

This nifty espresso maker quickly churns out up to three cups of coffee per pressing, making it a must-have for the busy freshman with little time to spare. It can be used on the go to make hot and cold brews, so it’s versatile and extremely handy for making quick cappuccinos, lattes, and other espresso-style drinks.

Special Shit All Purpose Seasoning

We’ve all had to cook in a dorm at some point, and we can agree that ramen dinners get old quickly. Enter Special Shit, an all-purpose seasoning for chicken, steaks, vegetables, and potatoes. It adds so much flavor and spice to regular meals that it just might inspire them to cook more often!

Success in college mostly comes from personal effort, which is why college students must go above and beyond. With this portable lap desk, they can set up and study in a matter of minutes, allowing them to stay productive whether sitting at a park or grabbing a quick bite at a cafeteria.

Smarty Pants 1st Grade Card Set

This whimsical educational card set is perfect for engaging the curious minds of graduating kindergarteners. The cards contain trivia questions, logic puzzles, creative games, fun facts, and more! They use lighthearted tones to teach young minds in a way that’s fun and engaging.

This shirt lets you say, “Hey, you did it, congratulations!” That’s the only thing a successful graduate should hear on their day! Help them mark the milestone with this personalized graduation shirt, which allows you to customize the child’s name and their school’s name to make it as official as it needs to be!

This Grow n’ Glow terrarium satisfies their curiosity for nature, an educational gift that promises weeks of wholesome fun. With just a few splashes of water, your prospective first grader can transform this jar of dirt into a living ecosystem! It glows in the dark, too, so they can keep it by their bedside at night to watch as their little world comes to life.

Here’s a gift that will nurture their artistic gift and teach them how to express themselves through art. Packed neatly in this crazy colorful (and aptly named) Inspiration Art Case are 140 pieces of crayons, color pencils, and washable markers – all the coloring tools they need to turn their wildest imaginations into art. This art supply kit even includes large sheets of paper for their first few projects.

Gift Card in a Graduation Cap

Just because it’s a last-minute gift doesn’t mean it can’t be special! This one-size-fits-all graduation gift arrives in a specialty gift box that’s on-theme for the day. You can customize the gift card amount to be as low as $50 or higher than $500, which is redeemable indefinitely since there are no expiration dates or fees! 

As much as graduation day is a day of transition, it is also a day for making lifelong memories. The photos they take with friends and family on this special day are memories they’ll carry for the rest of their lives. This mini photo album has room for up to 256 Polaroid snaps and instant photo prints, enough to carry all the tiny personal moments they wish to remember forever.

Personalized M&Ms Jar

This  M&M jar makes an unforgettable gift because it’s fully customizable. You can choose from three different colors, add any message you want, and even choose a custom photo. Snacking on candy that says “Congratulations!” and “Way to Go!” is bound to make any grad feel special.

Get it from My M&M’s

As they enter the workforce, they’ll be looking to streamline their day-to-day for maximum productivity. We feel like this docking station can go a long way in making their mornings less stressful. It keeps cell phones, car keys, wallets, sunglasses, and other daily essentials organized and can be personalized in their name for that extra touch of exclusivity.

Waking up feels less stressful without a shrill alarm blaring you out of slumber. This Philips SmartSleep alarm gently wakes you up with natural sounds (it comes with five sounds) and a soothing artificial sunrise – there’s no gentler way to start your day. Whether starting their first internship or going to college, this gift allows them to start their day the best way they can!

Legend has it that owning a money tree can boost your financial success and prosperity. Heavens knows that graduates can use a little more in their bank accounts! This gorgeous greenery is not just lucky and pretty to look at; it is also very easy to care for. It can bring some life to a college dorm or add a touch of nature to their first living space!

Get it from Lively Root  

‘Things They Don’t Teach You in School’ Card Game

This box of cards contains 400 random factoids, fun facts, and trivia based on the things no one learns in school. There’s a lot of useless knowledge in here as well. Why, you ask? Because trivia! It’s a card game that provides hours of fun and nostalgia for graduates moving to the next learning phase.

Get it from Uncommon Goods  

‘Quarter Life Breakthrough’ by Adam Smiley Poswolsky

One of the greatest gifts you can give anyone is knowledge. Adam Smiley Poswolsky succinctly covers the process of finding work that’s meaningful, fulfilling, and lucrative work in this enlightening book. Trust us; any graduate you hand this to will be thankful for this book’s eye-opening truths and guidance. It’s a must-have for graduates.

This is a 32-page notebook, but before you scroll past it, hear this: every single page in it is reusable. That’s right; this book can be used endlessly because the pages can be wiped clean using a damp microfiber cloth. Believe it or not, you can even send your notes straight to cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox!

Custom Engraved Ball Point Pen

Law school graduates expect to do a lot of writing after law school – it’s pretty much the norm when your work involves combing through legal documents every day. This customizable pen is bound to be their best friend. You can add a personalized name or message to make it truly theirs!

Law school memorabilia doesn’t get any better than this Legally Blonde crewneck sweatshirt. We can talk about how cozy it is all day, but we think your law school graduate will be more thrilled about what’s on the sweater.

Lawyers constantly have to deal with know-it-alls, so we think any law school graduate would be happy to get this as a graduation gift. It’s got the perfect mix of wit, snark, and humor to make it a permanent fixture on their office desk.

Graduating middle school is an achievement worthy of reward, and any middle schooler who’s yet to own a Nintendo Switch would be over the moon for this gift. It comes with a 64GB SD card, which is enough to store all their favorite games, music, and videos.

Milk Bar treats need little introduction to this particular group of graduates. This sampler is a great choice to gift because it allows them to taste a bit of everything, including three-piece packs of rainbow-vanilla and chocolate B’Day Cake Truffles and a delectably gooey Milk Bar Pie.

Get it from Milk Bar

Black Series LED Bean Bag Toss Game

The classic game of bean bag toss just got better! With an LED-lit platform, this bean bag toss game can go on forever. It’s especially fun to play in the dark since both the beanbags and the platform are lit by blue and red LEDs. Talk about hours of fun!

Get it from Bed Bath & Beyond

‘The High School Survival Guide’ by Jessica Holsman

Let’s be honest; we all wish we had this book when we were joining high school. In this well-written survival guide, Jessica Holsman guides middle school graduates towards better grades, social skills, and a fun high school experience. It’s a powerful tool for learning how to navigate high school life.

Carrying packed lunch is a lot easier with this compartmentalized bento lunchbox. The lunchbox has a one-liter capacity and is completely leakproof – not even soups escape it! It’s also as practical as it gets because it’s microwave and freezer-safe, making it easy to keep your food fresh and warm it up when needed.

Our careers take us all over the world, so one of the most vital possessions one can have is a decent luggage suitcase. Whether they need something to carry their clothes to their college dorm or a reliable suitcase for all occasions, this durable hard shell luggage set should do the trick.

5-Piece Desk Organizer for Office

Their first job is always going to be a big deal, and it’s really important that they settle in quickly. This 5-piece desk organizer might help them settle in just a bit faster. It’s metallic, meaning it’s durable, and it includes a pen cup, file organizer, a sticky note holder, a hanging file holder, and a magazine file holder – everything they need to organize their first office.

Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum

As they pour all their efforts into establishing themselves in their career, graduates must remember to take care of themselves and their environment. This handheld vacuum will allow them to keep their home free of pet hair and dust particles. It’s especially good for cleaning upholstery.

The confidence to do well at their new jobs will mostly come from how good they look and feel. These suede Collete pumps empower graduates to look and feel the part so they can approach each day with confidence, professionalism, and style.

Get it from J.Crew

ANNA V-Neck Puff Sleeve Blouse

Every graduate needs at least one “grownup” outfit if they’re destined for an office. One of the staples of a working woman’s wardrobe is the button-down shirt. This one’s just a touch fancier with its vintage-inspired design, which features cute puff sleeves and gorgeous pearl buttons.

Get it from W Concept

So much gets lost in a working lady’s purse. We feel it’s necessary for the modern woman to own a separate credit card holder just to keep things simple. This makes an excellent gift because it doubles as an additional layer of credit card security thanks to its RFID blocker.

She’s had more than her fair share of crappy college bags – now’s the time to upgrade her to a bag that adequately reflects her transition from student to working-class professional. This leather bag has just enough room for her cell phone, keys, and all the essentials, is totally scratch-proof, and can protect personal belongings from water damage.

After a long day of interning or working his first job, he can sink into this soft and utterly comfortable terry cotton hoodie to unwind in style and comfort. It’s also very breathable, so it can as well serve as workout attire if he’s into physical fitness. It has a spacious kangaroo pocket if he needs to bring some music along!

Organic Cotton Percale Sheet Set

Shopping for decent sheets can be hard, so we recommend gifting this 400 thread count set of sheets so that they sleep in unparalleled comfort in their first apartment. The entire set consists of a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcases of a king, queen, and cal king bed – all of which are luxuriously soft!

Entertainment comes once a week when you’ve just graduated and are juggling jobs and internships. However, with this powerful Bluetooth speaker, every day is a chance to unwind with good music. It’s completely waterproof, so we think it would make a great shower stereo to sing along to!

Is there anything more practical than a nice messenger bag? Certainly not, especially if we’re talking about first job attire. This elegant crossbody bag has enough room for a laptop, a water bottle, and a few work documents, so we think it’ll do nicely as a graduation gift that prepares him for the next leg of his life.

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