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Shop June 16, 2025

Unique graduation gifts for a high school or college grad

PHOTO: Graduation gift ideas 2025
Adidas, Calpak, Homesick, Insta360, Stanley, Shutterfly, Uncommon Goods, Adobe
Graduation gift ideas 2025

Graduation season is here, and if you're on the hunt for a unique gift to celebrate your favorite recent grad, we've got you covered.

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Depending on your graduate's plan for life after school, they may be prepping to travel, leave home, and take on college life or explore their chosen career path.

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Since they're likely being showered with gifts right now, stand out from the crowd with something personalized or unique that they're unlikely to receive elsewhere. A custom photo book from Shutterfly could be the perfect way to commemorate their school years.

For high school grads heading off to college, a pair of noise-canceling headphones could help them power through those late-night study sessions with the help of their favorite tunes, while an extra-cozy Footsac blanket could provide comfort when they're feeling homesick.

Scroll on to check out these options and more unique and thoughtful graduation gifts.

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Woven College Blankets

Price: $160 · From Uncommon Goods

How cool are these college blankets? Featuring college landmarks and symbols, it's a cozy gift for a high school graduate's new dorm room or for the nostalgic college graduate. 

homesick New Grad Candle

Price: $29.95 · From Nordstrom

This "New Grad" candle has notes of jasmine, rosemary and lemon flower, plus gardenia, cashmere and more. It's perfect for a college grad's new apartment!

Luka Expandable Laptop Tote

Price: $115 · From CALPAK

New job? Travel plans? This CALPAK expandable laptop tote has a 15-inch padded laptop sleeve, expands by up to 4 inches and features a luggage sleeve, so you can slip it onto your carry-on for easy travel. 

The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler

Price: $45 · From Stanley 1913

The beloved Stanley tumbler is a great, under-$50 gift for grads. Bonus: Get it in their school color for a themed gift. 

Dropset 3 Training Shoes

Price: $130 · From adidas

A fresh pair of sneakers for the athletic grad in your life.

Insta360 X5 - Waterproof 8K 360-degree Action Camera, Leading Low Light, Invisible Selfie Stick Effect, Rugged and Replaceable Lens, 3-Hour Battery, Built-in Wind Guard, Stabilization, Triple AI Chip Design

Price: $549.99 · From Amazon

For the tech-loving, content-creating grad, the brand new (as in just released this week) Insta360 camera will bowl them over. It shoots in 360 degrees and comes with built-in AI technology to help you block and edit your footage on the spot, and the invisible selfie stick technology works with any cylindrical object used to hold the camera, so you can always expect seamless shots. It also shoots easily in low or challenging lighting, so it's the perfect camera for capturing events as they happen on the go, while tough lenses prevent cracking and breakage throughout those adventures.

College Cityscape Rocks Glasses - Set of 2

Price: $38 · From Uncommon Goods

While college may be over, the memories they created will last a lifetime. Gift your favorite grad a set of rocks glasses so they can stir up a cocktail at home and reminisce as they acclimate to their new life.

Graduation Photo Album Photo Book

Price: $56.23 · From Shutterfly

For a totally customizable keepsake they'll cherish for life, Shutterfly's photo book created specifically for new grads is unbeatable. And for such a reasonable price, proud parents can buy one for themselves, too! You can select from a variety of sizes, cover types and page types, and the rest is simply uploading your favorite meaningful snapshots.

NEOM Wellbeing Pod Mini Essential Oil Diffuser

Price: $66 · From Nordstrom

Scent your new space with this NEOM essential oil diffuser that uses cold diffusion technology and "converts essential oils into a microfine vapor without using heat or water."

Armitron Eclipse 45mm, Black Smart Watch

Price: $55 · From Armitron

A Smart watch is a great investment for keeping organized, staying on top of key health indicators and much more, but the cost can be overwhelming. For a budget-friendly option to gift a new grad, try one from Armitron like the Eclipse, which has all the basics you want in a smart watch for just $55.

Monogram Necklace

Price: $110 · From Jenny Bird

Gift your grad a cute personalized necklace, like this one from Jenny Bird. Heading off to college? It's also a great gift for best friends or partners as a special reminder of their relationship. 

Footsac Blanket: Wombat Phur

Price: $200 · From Lovesac

This Footsac is cozy beyond compare thanks to its impeccably soft faux fur and a built-in pocket for keeping your feet warm. A nice blanket is always a welcome gift, but these extra details make take this one to a whole new level.

Era 100 Smart Speaker

Price: $199 · From Sonos

This highly rated, portable smart speaker can play audio content with WiFi or Bluetooth, so they can fill their new space with their favorite music, podcasts and more. 

Signature Look 12-Piece brush set

Price: $98 · From Morphe

A set of 12 face and eye brushes for the makeup-obsessed grad. 

Baggallini Large Carryall Tote

Price: $90 · 25% Savings
From Zappos

Original: $120

Baggallini makes bags built for organization. Laptop sleeves, interior pockets, travel straps and more -- you name it, they've thought of it! That makes it perfect for a high school grad entering college or a college grad entering the workforce. Plus, this deep Mulberry shade is perfectly in style with the burgundy/red trend that's still going strong in 2025.

Sticky Dates Gift

Price: $53 · From Lush

Post-grad stress can elevate when young adults are confronted with life's new challenges without the structure of school. Giving them a self-care tool like Lush's bestselling Sticky Dates-scented gift set with body spray, shower gel and body lotion is a great way to remind them to take time to relax as they transition into this new phase.

MAISON de SABRÉ Sabrémoj Fruit Charm

Price: $75 · From REVOLVE

A great way to shop for gifts is to buy someone a small luxury that won't break the bank but still offers an elevated look and feel, and that's what Maison de Sabre's bag charms do best. The trendy accessory gets a luxe touch thanks to high-quality leather construction and stitching, while the tiny compartment is the perfect size for holding an AirTag.

Morgan Wine Glasses, Set of 4

Price: $56 · From Anthropologie

For college grads specifically, these wine glasses are the perfect bridge between drinking beer out of red plastic cups and a more grown-up option, while the colorful mix-and-match style adds a whimsical feel. Due to the handcrafted nature of these glasses, each has a slightly different shape and feel for a totally unique sipping experience.

Bowers & Wilkins Limited Edition Px7 S2e Over-Ear Headphones - Enhanced Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode, Crystal-Clear Calls, Bluetooth, 30-Hour Playback, Ruby Red

Price: $390 · From Amazon

Music majors and everyday audiophiles alike will appreciate the top-notch engineering, built-in features and stylish appearance (seriously the best looking out there) of a pair of Bowers & Wilkins headphones. If a David Beckham endorsement isn't enough to convince you, let the basics do the trick: The Px7 S2e model offers excellent noise cancellation for when you need to block out the world, 30 hours of battery time and crystal-clear telephone calls with the tap of a button.

Forget About It Bag - Cocoa

Price: $279.95 · From Status Anxiety

Timeless, made from high-quality shrunken pebble leather and rendered in one of the year's hottest colors -- deep cocoa brown -- this bag is a keep-for-life type investment that looks amazing while holding everything necessary to get through a long day.

Customizable Covers (For Logos) - Holds Diplomas or Certificates

Price: $40 to $45 · From Etsy

Help a new grad protect and display the diploma they worked so hard for with a custom cover like this one from Etsy that lets you choose the layout orientation, foil color and any relevant text you'd like to include, such as a name or university.

Collegiate Pouches

Price: $36 · From Uncommon Goods

For a cute, handy pouch that celebrates their alma mater pride, select one of these Uncommon Goods pouches that showcases a fun collage of imagery that will evoke their time at school.

MasterClass membership, per month

Price: $10 to $20 · From MasterClass

The learning doesn't have to stop just because school is over! Give them the gift of continuing education with a Masterclass membership.

Long Distance Touch Bracelet Set

Price: $12 to $138 · From Uncommon Goods

Text messages and phone calls are great, but there's nothing that can replace the feeling of hugging someone you love. Give them the next best thing with these touch bracelets that, when both wearers have them on, can send and receive up to 10 taps, allowing for you to create your own series of coded messaging that buzz on your wrist when your loved one misses you.