Thoughtful Graduation Gifts at Any Budget
Looking for the perfect gift to celebrate your graduate's big day?
Looking for the perfect gift to celebrate your graduate's big day?
Whether they're marking the end of high school, college, graduate school, or technical training, you can help make this important life milestone even more memorable with just the right gift.
The good news is you don't have to spend a fortune—though you certainly can if you've got a large budget and a generous heart! From super-big-ticket to or small-yet-thoughtful, we're sharing 80+ ideas for a great graduation gift.
Probably the most classic graduation gift would be something to commemorate the special occasion, often displaying the school and year of graduation along with the graduate's name. Consider gifting one of these customized grad gifts:
Tip: Commemorative graduation gifts can serve as a great memento for the future, but it's still important to make sure that the item itself is something the graduate will actually like, want, or have space to display. Also consider whether or not the graduate has a lot of school pride. If they aren't a raving fan of their alma mater, then maybe go with a less-themed gift.
No matter how brave the graduate is, there's always a bit of anxiety and self-doubt around a major milestone like a graduation. To inspire confidence, consider one of these more motivational or symbolic gifts—perfect for putting the graduate into the right mindset to move forward in a new phase of life:
You can combine a bit of the commemorative spirit with an artisanal flair by going for something handmade! If you've got a crafty streak, you could even make the gift yourself. But if not, no shame, either—you can always support an artist, crafter, or small business owner on a site like Etsy or Redbubble.
Some thoughtful handmade gift ideas for a graduate could include:
If your graduate is about to leave school and enter the corporate world, these gifts are the ideal mix of inspirational, thoughtful, and practical. Even in our increasingly work-from-home world (or work from anywhere, really!), it's hard to get by without the staples:
For graduates who share your sense of slightly twisted humor, there's no time like the present to crack a joke! Here are some hilarious gifts that are sure to bring a smile—or maybe a little grimace—to the grad's face:
Just because school is officially over doesn't mean the learning should end! Graduates who continue to pursue educational opportunities after school may not only get ahead in their workplace but may discover a totally new passion or career path, too.
Great educational gifts for graduates include:
If the graduate is about to move away from home for the first time, then often the most appreciated gifts are practical in nature. Think about how many things you need just to survive on a daily basis as an adult on your own—or better yet, to actually feel comfortable—and then gift one of your absolute must-haves. This might be:
While these gifts may not be the most fun to receive, there's no better way to welcome the graduate into the "real world." After all, did anyone say that adulting is always fun?
Tip: If you want to give something useful but aren't quite sure which physical item would be best, then consider giving some kind of "coupon" instead! For example, you might give a coupon where you offer to pay for the graduate's first car repair (up to any amount of money within your budget). Or maybe you give a coupon to Venmo them to cover their first grocery store run or their first month of utilities.
We can't talk about practical graduation gifts without mentioning gift cards. Gift cards are so useful (and, let's face it, easy for the giver) that we thought they deserved their very own section. Here are a few ideas for gift cards that a graduate will certainly enjoy:
If you're comfortable with it, cold hard cash is always appreciated, too! You could also opt for a general gift card from Visa or another credit card provider if you don't like the thought of just giving cash.
Practical gifts can be greatly appreciated, but maybe you just want to give something special—something the graduate would never get for themselves. Or maybe the graduate isn't really in need of practical financial assistance, so you'd rather treat them to a gift that's purely for fun, even a little luxurious.
In that case, consider these graduation gift ideas:
Speaking of "luxurious" gifts…if you have a large-enough budget, the ultimate graduation gift could be an experience, not an item! After all, research consistently shows that people are happier with experiences than possessions.
And maybe you don't need that big of a budget after all. There's a whole list of experiences you could consider giving the graduate, ranging from small to large:
Have you read all the ideas above and are still not sure what might be the best? Then use these quick tips to brainstorm a great gift for the graduate in your life:
To send your card right away, check out Foxdog's selection of graduation cards! You can fill in your own message, and we'll send it directly to the graduate. Many cards ship the very same day!
Tweet
Pin
Share
