Favorite Christmas Gifts For College Students

If you’re wondering what to get the college student in your life for Christmas, look no further.  Here are 25+ of our favorite Christmas gifts for college students.

Shopping for Christmas gifts for college students isn’t easy. Trust me, I have two kids in college and two that have already graduated and it’s hard to come up with gift ideas.

I asked for some Christmas gift suggestions on my Facebook page and boy, did I get some great responses! So many of the items my readers told me about, I’d never even considered. From a cookbook of family recipes created on Shutterfly to noise cancelling headphones from Bose, you’re sure to find something wonderful to give for Christmas.

1.  Emergency Kit –  Because you never know when there will be an emergency situation, it’s wise to be prepared. This Grab ‘n Go 3-day, 2-person backpack  can help you avoid being caught without necessary supplies. Each kit contains food, water, and emergency blankets, one 33-piece first aid kit, two safety light sticks and a backpack to keep supplies together. (around $46)

2.  Roadside Assistance Kit – This particular 76-Piece Road Kit from AAA comes with a heavy duty booster cable, 250 PSI air compressor, flashlight and a 45 piece First Aid Kit. (around $60)

3.  New Backpack – a new backpack will always be useful, especially one that has room to hold a laptop. (From $25)

4.  A Basket Filled With “The Basics” – fill an attractive wicker basket with essentials such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps, pasta, pasta sauce and anything else your college student might love.

5.  Books on job hunting such as, “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0” or a practical manual for job hunters and career changers such as, “What Color Is Your Parachute”.

6.  New Bath Towels

7.  Laptop Sleeve – a nice, padded and zippered pouch to safely hold a laptop. (From $25)

8.  iHome Stereo FM Clock Radio with Lighting Dock for iPhones. (About $60)

9.  Magnetic strip for holding papers and pictures.  Hang on the wall and use one of the included magnets to hold important papers and photographs. (About $20)

10.  Popcorn Maker and Serving Set (From $20 – $40)

11.  Nintendo Switch (Around $299)

12.  Fitness Tracker – Fitbit tracks steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes.  It can also track you sleep cycle and wake you with a silent wake alarm. (About $90)

13.  Planner – keep track of homework and important dates with a planner/organizer.  I’m a big fan of Erin Condren planners (From about $50) and have one that I use daily.  They’re pretty, functional and easy to use. (From $25)

14.  Hulu – subscription service so they can keep up with the latest television shows without having to watch it live or if they only have access to internet.

15.  Electric Kettle – An easy way to boil water quickly without use of a stove.  Great for coffee or tea, instant soup or instant oatmeal. (From $15)

16.  Noise Cancelling Headphones – Although pricey, these Bose headphones have gotten very high ratings from Consumer Reports.  The new folding design allows the headphones to fit in a smaller carrying case and if the battery dies, the music continues to play. (About $200)

17.  Portable External Battery Charger for Smartphones  (About $20)

18.  Insulated Thermos (About $25)

19.  Expandable Shelves – dorm rooms and college apartments are small.  Create more space in cluttered cabinets with an expandable shelf organizer. (About $18)

20.  Blankets or Throws – Warm and soft blankets that not only look nice but will keep them comfortably warm. (About $25 – $50)

21.  Cards Against Humanity Game – Think “Apples To Apples” but with a raunchy twist.  One of the hottest games for this age group. (About $25)

22.  Sodastream Fountain Jet Home Soda and Sparkling Water Maker – transform ordinary tap water into soda or sparkling water in less than 30 seconds. Doesn’t need electricity or batteries. (About $50)

23.  Gifts From The Kitchen – put together a basket of homemade salted caramel, cookies, protein bars and other favorite goodies.

24.  Create your own cookbook from Shutterfly – organize a book of favorite family recipes. (From $12)

25.  Spotify Membership – Allows you to listen to any music you want without purchasing the music.  Access to unlimited music and artists and there are no commercials.  Unlike Pandora, you don’t run out of “skips”. (About $10/month)

27.  Toaster Oven

26.  Cash – you can never go wrong with cash.  It’s very appreciated by almost every college student I’ve talked with.

27.  Gift Cards

Let’s keep this conversation going.  What items have I left off this list?  Leave your suggestions for other gift ideas that would be great to give a college student in the comment section below.

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