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It’s been a long school year, but all those homework marathons and get-out-the-door routines are finally paying off. Cap and gown season is right around the corner, and your giddy high-school and college grads are no doubt stoked and ready to celebrate their accomplishments. And, of course, so are you. Luckily, you don’t have to break the bank to show how proud you are, so we’ve rounded up the best affordable graduation gifts that’ll still make them feel loved and rewarded.
Top 10 Affordable College Graduation Gifts, at a Glance
Best Overall: POP MART CRYBABY X Powerpuff Girls Series Blind Box Plushie Keychain, $18
Best Jewelry Gift: Fred Meyer Jewelers, Cubic Zirconia Sterling Silver Earring Set, $41
Most Clever Gift: Anecdote Cap and Gown Candle, $32
For the Kid at Heart: Jenga, $16
Best No-Brainer: Stanley 40oz. Tumbler, $45
For the Memory Maker: Fujifilm, Fujicolor QuickSnap Flash 400 35mm Camera, $18 (was $26)
Best Practical Gift: Uncommon Goods, Fix It Kit, $30
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Why affordable? Well, nailing a graduation gift requires a good deal of thought and healthy dose of heart, but it definitely doesn’t require breaking the bank. That’s why each of these graduation gifts is $50 or under.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
POP MART CRYBABY X Powerpuff Girls Series Blind Box Plushie Keychain
Your high school graduate will definitely love a new POP MART blind box, and they’ll adore you for knowing exactly what they want. This one is from the Powerpuff Girls collection and will make the perfect accessory to their new backpack when they head off to college.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Isla Charm Bracelet
If you’re looking to shower your recent grad with something shiny, consider getting some jewels from BaubleBar. This pretty charm bracelet has total seaside vibes and will look stunning on their wrist all summer long.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal UO Exclusive LP
Help them decorate their dorm with unique pieces, like a vinyl from their favorite artist. If they’re big Doechii fans, they’ll appreciate this Urban Outfitters exclusive LP. But if they’re not, no worries — Urban has a bunch of other vinyls from all sorts of artists, and they’re usually under $50.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Squishmallows Original 12-Inch Arella Brown Owl with Graduation Cap
Believe it or not, Squishmallows always make for a great gift. This sweet brown owl represents wisdom with its silky blue graduation cap. This will make a great add-on to any other grad gifts you’re planning on giving this season.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
M&Ms, Graduation Gift Bottle with Personalized M&Ms
The pressure’s behind them, so it’s time for your graduate to pop the cork on this champagne-inspired bottle filled with chocolate instead of bubbly. Design a custom assortment of personalized M&Ms using your student’s school colors (or any three colors of your choice) and have the candies themselves stamped with images like the school mascot or meaningful messages by uploading original images and text or choosing from clip art. Sweet success, indeed!
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Fred Meyer Jewelers, Cubic Zirconia Sterling Silver Earrings (3-Piece Set)
It’s tricky finding a balance between jewelry that’s high-quality and still affordable, but there are so many gorgeous pieces you can find on Fred Meyer Jewelers that you can easily check off both boxes and find something super special for your grad. We’re eyeing these (on-sale!) cubic zirconia (made with white cubic zirconia) sterling silver earrings that come in three shapes. Perfect for someone who has multiple piercings, or likes to regularly switch out their jewelry.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Anecdote Cap & Gown Blood Orange & Mangosteen Boxed Candle
This candle smells like “hard work and high hopes,” which really just means blood orange and mangosteen, which is a deliciously fruity scent that’s both optimistic and cheerful. We love a clever candle gift!
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Jenga Game
If you’re celebrating a kid who’s headed off to college this fall, believe us when we tell you they’ll be the toast of the dorm if they’ve got a game of Jenga on hand. This iconic game is consistently the life of the party and is responsible for endless hours of edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Jenga is simply a rite of passage!
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler – 40 oz.
Does your graduate stan the Stanley cup? Who doesn’t?! The famous 40-ouncer will keep them hydrated through a long, hot summer, and of course, it’s a stainless steel vacuum-insulated tumbler, so their water will stay refreshingly ice cold.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
JamesWax Look At You Graduating And Sh*t Custom Candle
If you’ve got a smartypants on your hands, they probably adore anything tongue-in-cheek, and this graduating candle is just too much pun! On a serious note, it’s also vegan and non-toxic, made of soy and without harmful phthalates, and it comes in four fragrance options ranging from floral to fruity.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Fujifilm Fujicolor QuickSnap Flash 400 35mm Camera
Remember this? Everything old is new again (well, more like everything old is eventually a novelty), but this Fujifilm disposable camera is a stark reminder for your grad that there was once a time when we couldn’t preview the picture after we took it — we just had to see what developed. A perfect metaphor for the future ahead…or just a cute way to capture the graduation party shenanigans.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Uncommon Goods Fix-It Kit
Life happens, but when they’ve got a hammer, screwdriver, LED light and more tools on hand, emergencies become a lot more manageable. This Fix-It Kit is a portable treasure trove inside of a compact vegan leather case.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Smathers & Branson Needlepoint Luggage Tag – Crossed Clubs
Celebrate their extracurricular activities and their thirst for travel with one precious gift: this golf-themed needlepoint luggage tag. The Italian leather accessory is hand-stitched using French cotton thread, and it’s monogrammable for an extra fee. American flag and White Lab designs are available too.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Mason Desktop Organizing Collection
We’re nothing short of obsessed with this minimalist stoneware desk organizing set from Pottery Barn, which looks expensive but is just $50. The kiln-fired pieces blend with any home office decor and help studious college kids or new remote workers feel organized and productive.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Beautiful Personal Blender Set
This compact personal blender set is just the thing for fitness and nutrition fans, letting them whip up a 16-ounce smoothie or protein shake with ease, either at home or in a dorm. They can also blend, mix, chop and pulse any number of snacks, like guacamole, soup and salad dressing.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Mermade Hair Heatless Style Kit
Getting a bouncy coif without using damaging heat tools is very in right now, and this effective heatless style kit is definitely on your graduate’s radar. All they do is wrap their hair around the flexible rod, secure it with a scrunchie, and voila! Not to mention, these accessories are all made of Mulberry silk, which goes oh-so-gently on delicate strands. This kit also includes a silk bonnet, pillowcase, and a claw clip. With this set, every day will be a good hair day.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen: A Cookbook by Molly Baz
Give your college grad their first grown-up cookbook. And this isn’t just any cookbook, it’s Bon Appétit alum Molly Baz’s More is More, a collection of impressive, not-super-hard-to-achieve twists on classics, like Drunken Cacio e Pepe, and The Only Meatloaf That Matters. Plus, it’ll look good on their new coffee table.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
Carpe Every Diem : The Best Graduation Advice from More Than 100 Commencement Speeches
This hardcover book that rallies all the best snippets from all the best commencement speeches from all the best speakers at all the best colleges and universities (whew!) includes pearls of wisdom from Barack Obama, Gloria Steinem, George Saunders and even Kermit the Frog! Gems like “make good art” and “be Santa Claus when you can” will encourage graduates to look at the world in new and bold ways.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
DASH Mini Waffle Maker
This mini waffle maker makes the best little waffles in a jiffy. It’s easy to use, and it’s small and kitchen-friendly. Thanks to its non-stick surface, you don’t have to worry a ton about clean-up, either. Make waffle, or get creative and cook up some hash browns, biscuits, or cookies.
affordable graduation gifts 2025
JBL Vibe Buds
These JBL ear buds are known for delivering top-notch audio, including deep bass, while sealing out external noise and protecting against water, sweat and dust. Grads can also call home hands-free, and if they need to be aware of their surroundings, they can quickly turn off the noise-canceling feature.
Before you go, check out these chic cookware brands that give Le Creuset a run for its money:
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