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I graduated from college a semester early in December of last year, and even though I’m currently a junior writer at the Strategist, I just walked across the graduation stage this May. That means I’ve got plenty of insight about what makes a good college graduation gift for this year’s class (an air fryer and a Le Creuset butter dish were on my list). Every grad is different, though, and to supplement my insider knowledge, I chatted with class of 2024 graduates from schools around the country to hear about the gifts they’ve already received or have on their wish list currently. Many of the guys I spoke to for this story said they’d appreciate some cash for rent or a nice vacation with their friends. But if you’d prefer to give something tangible, below I’ve gathered 26 graduate-approved gifts, according to a handful of recent graduates.
Update on July 22, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Tech gifts
“I think practicality is one of the most important things for gift givers to focus on,” says Noah Grossman, a recent graduate of Columbia University. With this in mind, he recommends gifting an Anker power bank, which a graduate can use to keep their devices charged whether his postgrad plans involve traveling the world or starting his first job. This one, which is our favorite affordable power bank, is slim enough to put in a pocket, but Anker has tons of different options depending on the graduate’s needs.
If the graduate you’re shopping for already has a pair of AirPods, it might be time to upgrade to the AirPods Pro. “The AirPods Pro is just a great product,” says Jack Weissman, a recent graduate of Columbia University. “It’s worth the extra hundred bucks. Peace of mind. Better fit in your ears. Doesn’t look as weird. I wear them while running, and they don’t fall out.” Plus, the case has a tracking capability that’s not available on the regular AirPods, so your graduate won’t have to worry about misplacing his headphones before a meeting.
For the graduate who hit the gym before the ceremony, consider an Oura Ring. The high-tech accessory tracks everything from heart rate to sleep efficiency to step count, so he can make the most of his workouts every day. Plus, the ring has a subtle appearance, which makes it easy to wear with everything from a collared shirt to a tee.
While he may have always carried a portable speaker in his backpack throughout college (I recommended the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 in our college students gift guide), setting up a record player in his first (non-college) apartment can feel like a rite of passage. Weissman recommends this customizable record player, which he’s owned for more than six years. Weissman, who is a bass player, suggests choosing the Grado Green3 cartridge: “I really like listening to the bass in songs and getting to pick that apart, so the cartridge works really well for all the classic rock records that I have,” he says.
Subscriptions of any kind make a great gift for a recent graduate (one less bill!), but for the graduate who wants to stay up to date on the world around him, you really can’t go wrong with a New York subscription. He’ll get unlimited access to all New York websites, subscriber-only newsletters, and games. If he’d prefer print, the print and digital yearly subscription is just $20 more.
Home gifts
Moving out of the dorms and finally ditching those twin XL mattresses means that he’ll need some new (and hopefully larger) sheets for his first apartment. “I just opened — from my great-aunt and -uncle — a box of Boll & Branch sheets, which are organic and very luxurious,” Weissman says. He describes the sheets as “soft but crisp, very high quality, well structured, but with a nice, soft hand feel.”
As I spoke to graduates across the country, almost all of them mentioned needing a set of pots and pans for their first apartment. “If you can get solid cookware, it’s worth the initial investment,” says Noah Grossman, a recent graduate of Columbia University. Material makes our favorite affordable cookware set, which includes all the basics — a nonstick pan, sauté pan, and saucepot.
[Editor’s note: This set is currently out of stock, but you can sign up to be notified as soon as it’s back.]
John Morris, a recent graduate of Wheaton College, says that knives are “something that I would never really consider buying for myself because they’re expensive.” But he received a set this Christmas and was surprised by how much he loved the gift. “Having a set of knives that is yours, that you can cook with, and knowing that they’re always going to be sharp and nobody’s going to mess with them … was something I was really happy to get,” he told me. This is our favorite affordable set of knives.
While cooking tools are essential for stocking a new kitchen, the food can’t shine without a little spice. I recommend this spice set, which I received as a gift from my parents. It’s the base of my adult kitchen spice collection.
If he’s a smoothie person, he knows just how quickly the price of smoothies from his local spot can add up. But since a refreshing smoothie doesn’t need to break the bank, Elias Gerstein, a recent graduate of the University of Miami, and Grossman both recommend gifting a NutriBullet to recent graduates. “I work out frequently, and I think it’s great for making smoothies, especially during the summer when it gets hot,” Gerstein says. “There’s nothing better than finishing a workout and making a little strawberry-banana smoothie and just sitting out in the park and enjoying it”
In addition to this college-related gift guide, I’ve written two others, graduation gifts for her and gifts for college students, and interviewed 29 college students to gain intel. Air fryers have come up repeatedly in my interviews, and I’ve recommended this one in each guide because it’s our very favorite and comes recommended by three experts, including Bruce Weinstein, co-author of multiple air frying cookbooks.
Whether he’s on the hunt for his first job or taking some time to relax, quick-and-easy meals will be essential. So, if he’s cooking-curious but doesn’t know exactly where to begin, one of your best bets is a HelloFresh meal subscription, which Yuval Keren has been using since he graduated from Columbia University in December. He most recently cooked ginger soy beef rice bowls, and he recommends looking for promotional deals, which you can find on the home page of the website.
Since he can’t rely on dining-hall coffee anymore, an espresso machine makes crafting his perfect cup of coffee easy. This espresso machine makes espresso and coffee, so he’ll be able to have his drink of choice at the press of a button. It also happens to be our favorite pod coffee-maker.
“I think that once you graduate, it’s time to give up drinking straight out of the Tito’s handle and start spicing up your craft before you go out,” says Gerstein. “What easier way to do it than having the pods to make cocktails?” He has this Bartesian cocktail machine, which he describes as “a Keurig, but for making cocktails,” on his postgrad wish list.
Multiple graduates mentioned drinkware of different types as a non-cheesy college memorabilia gift. While shot glasses and whiskey glasses are safe options, you can also give them a pint glass, like this one, with their school’s name. “I think these are always a nice touch for someone’s first apartment,” Gerstein says.
Clothing and accessories gifts
Four of the guys I talked to for this story recommended gifting a watch, and as Stanford Li, a recent graduate of Columbia University, says, “It’s a very safe gift because it’s one of the only pieces of jewelry that men wear.” Weissman recommends this mechanical option from Tissot, which he says has an 80-hour power reserve and looks sporty. “It’s a great watch for someone who wants something that you can dress up or dress down,” he says.
Now that he’s entering the real world, he’ll need a sturdy wallet to hold all of his cards. Grossman recommends this option: “It’s got a pull tab, so you can put the credit cards or your IDs that you use the most often in that, and then you can access it without having to open up the wallet.”
Morris’s postgrad plans involve working as a seasonal cook at the Appalachian Mountain Club lodge at the base of the White Mountains. If your graduate is planning something similar, take note from Morris, who says he received these Salomon boots as a graduation gift and plans to use them for hiking in the area. They just so happen to be our top pick for men’s hiking boots as well.
The graduate who is planning a hiking trip will also appreciate this adjustable shoulder bag that Morris received as a gift for his outdoor treks. “They’re the perfect size for when you don’t need to bring a whole lot of stuff,” he says.
If he doesn’t have a signature scent, consider giving him his first cologne. Yes, picking out a scent for another person can be tricky — but I’ve included a few picks from different graduates that he’ll very likely appreciate (just include a gift receipt, in case). Danny Flores, a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha, recommends the Valentino Uomo Born in Roma Intense Eau de Parfum Spray, while Gerstein is eyeing the D.S. & Durga Cowboy Grass Eau de Parfum. Li’s girlfriend recently gifted him the Mistral Men’s Cologne in the scent Bourbon Vanilla. “I think most guys probably can’t really tell the difference anyway, so just having cologne is nice,” Li says.
Food and drink gifts
When Flores graduated, he received a mini-cake with the phrase “One degree down” on it — plus, some chocolate-covered strawberries, which he says “you can never go wrong with,” especially because you can usually find a local business or Instagram shop offering graduation specials. If you’re looking for some strawberries that will be shipped right to your door, consider these, which are hand-dipped in Belgian milk chocolate at the Chocolate Covered Company in Totowa, New Jersey.
Sticking with the chocolate theme, babka is an excellent option — especially when it’s from Breads Bakery, which Gerstein says makes the best babka in New York City. “It’s Martha Stewart–approved, so that should pretty much tell it as it is,” he told me.
While I recommended a Custom College Bling Bottle for women graduates, the male graduates I spoke to had lots of other ideas for alcohol-related graduation gifts. After all, Flores says, “I think college graduates still want to party.” He recommends decorating a Don Julio tequila bottle with glitter and a big bow. You can customize this bottle with a personalized engraving.
Grossman prefers Johnnie Walker Double Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky. “It’s just a really solid whiskey for the price,” he says. “It doesn’t burn going down, it feels really nice, and it’s got good complexity.” Like the Don Julio bottle, this bottle can also be engraved.
If he’s more of a wine guy, consider our favorite wine-subscription box service, which will keep the festivities going with four new bottles a month. Weissman would also appreciate a singular nice bottle of wine and says, “I’m going to let it age a few years, and then I’m gonna think back to graduation when I drink it.”
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