The Best Gifts for College Students, According to College Students

This article was first published in Elle on May 22, 2025

In their perpetual process of discovering themselves and the new interests that crop up along the way, college students are notoriously hard to shop for. I would know, because I was one until I graduated last year. Of course, everyone has different interests, but after talking with dozens of college students from across the country during my time as a writer at the Strategist, I’ve found that a few brands — Apple, Hydro Flask, and Summer Fridays — come up over and over, but also that college kids appreciate receiving nicer items they can use every day, as well as gifts that will help them make the most of their limited free time.

Whether you’re shopping for a newly matriculated freshman or an about-to-graduate senior, here, you’ll find the headphones that dominate classrooms, the status water bottle on many campuses, the portable Bluetooth speaker for group hangouts, and the instant camera perfect for capturing senior memories. I’ve organized the gifts by category for easy perusing.

Étoile Collective Duo Vanity Case

For the student who’s always FaceTiming you while getting ready in a friend’s dorm, I recommend this structured vanity case that’s on Harris’s wish list. But don’t just take her word for it: Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen said it’s the best thing she bought in 2023. “The case also allows me to take my entire beauty regime from my bathroom at home to gym locker rooms, road trips up North, and even across international borders,” she says.

 

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