The best graduation gift ideas for every kind of graduate are nice enough to help usher them into their next phase of life, realistic to their needs, and ideally something slightly beyond the grasp of a cash-strapped student’s budget. Amazon or Ikea gift cards and wads of cash will never cease to be great gifts for the new grad you don’t want to shoehorn with personalized jewelry or a tie. And yet, it never hurts to turn up to a graduation party with something physical that you’ve thought out.
For grad gifts, now’s the time to shell out for an elevated version of something they need, like new linens and tech accessories, or some high-quality life investment that they may never have considered, like a souped-up steamer or charging device that they can pack up and carry from place to place. Celebratory niceties and life-enhancing subscriptions are also well-deserved for any graduate, especially if they’ve been footing the bill for student loans.
Here, we’ve assembled some of the best graduation gift ideas for everyone on your list, whether they’re leaving the nest after their high school graduation, a recent college grad who’s heading into the real world or back into school, or perhaps just toiled their way through a secondary degree—from travel essentials for post-grad gap years to useful home and cooking tools that can upgrade any dorm room or sad first sublet.
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