Graduation Gift Ideas for High School and College Grads

Giving a graduation gift is a meaningful and loving way to show someone you care and to also let them know how proud you are of them for accomplishing so much in high school or college. Getting through either of those is no easy feat, and a party or gift is a must for any recent graduate! If you’re stuck on any ideas on what to give that college or high school graduate in your life, below are some great ideas, ranging from virtually free to a little more pricey depending on your budget!

COLLEGE TOWN MAPS

A map of a college town is a thoughtful and sentimental gift for any recent college grad who lived away from home. Chances are, this college town was considered their home away from home for at least four years! Giving them a personalized map of the town they spent four years of their life growing and learning to always remember where they came from. You can find so many templates and prints on Etsy, like this personalized UGA Athens campus one here!

NEW TECHNOLOGY

This might be on the pricier side of graduation presents, but if you are close with the graduate, or are able to provide them with something that will help them with their future endeavors, consider giving them any sort of new technology. A new laptop, a handy iPad, or even a new set of headphones would be a great help for any new graduate with plans to work or study more in the future. Just make sure to talk to them or their parents to ensure your gift is well within a reasonable budget and will also be something they will use. You can even provide a gift card for Apple or other brands that offer student discounts so the new graduate can decide what to get for themselves.

PERSONALIZED GIFTS

A personalized gift like a special graduation frame, a special and personalized graduation cap or tassel, or even some jewelry like a class ring to commemorate the year is a great gift idea! Personalized gifts are a thoughtful way to take a regular gift and go the extra mile by adding a personal and genuine touch to it, and it usually only costs an additional $7 – $15 to do so. If your graduate is a traveler or has plans to travel after graduation, you can personalize their luggage or bags or even a custom passport holder.

PHOTO ALBUM/SCRAPBOOK

This is a much less expensive gift, but still meaningful regardless. Find any sort of album or notebook you have laying around and fill it with as many memories and mementos from their years in high school or college. This is a great gift idea if you are a close friend or roommate of someone who is graduating and was able to experience so many life events with them. You can rekindle their memory of different memories and experiences that you shared together. Find some great and creative ideas here. You can even make collages and scrapbooks online and print them out, too!

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

As silly as this non-traditional gift might sound, subscription services are great for any new high school or college graduate. Graduating means it’s time to move out and start paying for your own things, and that includes subscription services. If mom and dad won’t offer to pay them anymore, a great gift idea is setting up a payment plan or gift cards to pay for, say, a whole year’s worth of subscriptions until they’re able to get completely settled into their new life. TV providers have created so many different platforms, so choose your favorite(s) and help out your favorite new graduate!