Between dining dollars and syllabi to frat formals and bar crawls, the life of a college student is a unique experience unlike any other. So when it comes time to buy your scholar a gift, it can be a struggle to find something they actually want or need. Snacks and money for laundry? Yes, always, but you can do better than that. From dorm decor to study buddies and mess hall must-haves, there are plenty of goodies ripe for the care package picking that are sure to go to good use by your beloved student.
Here, we’ve done the research to compile the best gifts for women and men studying hard this semester. From popular tech gadgets to stylish loungewear and beauty favorites that will upgrade their stash instantly, find 50 of the best gifts for college students to unwrap this year—including the best Amazon Prime gifts and crowd-pleasing gift ideas under $50. Shop them all below, and if you’re shopping for a Christmas gift, double-check each item’s shipping deadline to make sure it will arrive on time!
A Mini Projector
CiBest
Mini Video Projector
A Lap Desk
LapGear
Lap Desk with Device Ledge
A Chic Charging Kit
Mulittasky
On-the-Go Charging Kit
A Must Read
The School of Life
What They Forgot To Teach You At School
A Bluetooth Tracker
Tile
Mate (2022)
An Alarm Clock-Sound Machine Duo
Hatch
Restore
Airpods
Apple
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) with Lightning Charging Case
A Video-Enabled Digital Camera
Canon
PowerShot Digital Camera
A Cookbook for Beginners
Andrea Lynn
The I Love Trader Joe’s College Cookbook
An iPad
Apple
2022 Apple 10.9-inch iPad (10th Generation)
A Fabric Steamer
Conair
Turbo Extreme Steam Hand Held Fabric Steamer
A Sleek Tote
Cuyana
System Tote
A Faux Fur Throw Blanket
Beautyrest
Malea Shaggy Faux Fur Weighted Blanket
A Waterproof Speaker
JBL
Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker
A Helpful Poster
Society6
Laundry Symbols Care Guide Poster
Internet-Famous Pimple Patches
Star Face World
Hydro-Stars®
A Vintage Makeup Mirror
Chende
Hollywood Lighted Makeup Vanity Mirror
Over-Ear Headphones
Bose
QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
A Hanging Shower Caddy
Terra Home
Portable Shower Caddy
An Apple Watch
Apple
Apple Watch Series 8 [GPS + Cellular 45mm]
A 2-in-1 Laptop Sleeve
Moft
Laptop Carry Sleeve
An Instant Camera
Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera
A Trusty Planner
Papier
Le Classique
A Sophisticated Cardholder
Charles & Keith
Chain Link Card Holder
A Makeup Brush Set
Sephora Collection
Deluxe Brush Set
Cozy Ugg Slippers
Ugg
Fluff Yeah Slide
A Massage Gun
Sonic
Handheld Percussion Massage Gun
Samsung
M8 Series 32-Inch 4K UHD Smart Monitor & Streaming TV
A Dorm-Friendly Candle
Simply Collected
Flickering Flameless Candles
A Funky Projector Light
Brilliant Ideas
Stars And Moon Projector Light
A Versatile Dress
Skims
Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress
A Pretty Weekender Bag
Dagne Dover
Landon Carryall Bag
A Phone Sanitizer
PhoneSoap
Smartphone Sanitizer
An Air Fryer
DZ201 Foodi 8-Quart Air Fryer
Stylish Leggings
Gymshark
Vital Seamless 2.0 Leggings
A Mini Keurig
Keurig
K-Mini Coffee Maker
A Multipurpose Pot
Our Place
Char Perfect Pot
A Luggage Scale
Etekcity
Portable Luggage Scale
Trendy Crocs
Crocs
Classic Clog
A Rihanna-Approved Skincare Bundle
Fenty Skin
Start’rs Bundle
Hydration Boosters
Cure
Hydrating Electrolyte Mix
A Fire Stick
Amazon
Fire TV Stick
Running Sneakers
Nike
Air Max 270 Premium Sneaker
A Rich Candle
Blk Sunflower
The Blacker The Berry Candle
A Ring Light Kit
Neewer
Ring Light Kit
Teeth Whitening Strips
Crest
3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips
A Chic Desk Organizer
Spacrea
Office Accessories Organizer
Google Earbuds
Google
Pixel Buds
A Dreamy Duvet Cover
Brooklinen
Classic Duvet Cover
An All-in-One Beauty Kit
The Lip Bar
Easy Beauty Bundle
Crisp Sheets
Brooklinen
Classic Core Sheet Set
Nerisha Penrose
Beauty Commerce Editor
Nerisha is the beauty commerce editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty (and fashion and music).
Meg Donohue
Associate Fashion Commerce Editor
Meg Donohue is the Associate Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com.
Sam Peters
Commerce Editor
Sam Peters is a Commerce Editor at Hearst covering fashion, beauty and more.
