It’s graduation season, and we’re here to provide you with some diversion — our high school graduation gifts for her. We hope you’ll find inspiration in this list of best graduation gifts for young women with a mix of traditional and trendy.
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High school graduation gifts for girls
1. Luxe Makeup Storage (The Container Store)
From makeup to jewelry to skincare, she can keep all her essentials tidy in one place with this modular organizer. It’s ideal for a dorm room where small items can get lost easily.
2. Wonderboom 3 Portable Speaker (Amazon)
When your daughter wants to crank up the music in her dorm, she’ll love having this gift. The UE (“Ultimate Ears”) Portable Bluetooth Speaker has excellent audio quality and is waterproof and dustproof.
This is the #1 top choice for wireless speakers, according to the New York Times Wirecutter product reviewers, and is available in several vibrant colors. With this new model, the battery life on this durable speaker is 37% longer.
3. T-Shirt Quilt (Project Repat)
A T-shirt quilt from Project Repat is not only a practical throw blanket for chilly days ahead, but it’s also a wonderful reminder of home. Custom design a memorable quilt with her t-shirts from camp, class days, teams, and more; she will have a tangible way to remember all those memories of her early life.
This is a unique graduation gift and a great conversation starter at her NEW home at college.
NEW! Grown and Flown readers can save 50% (deadline May 30, 2024) with code grownandflown24 at checkout.
4. Laptop Backpack (lululemon)
If your daughter loves her lululemon leggings, she will be thrilled with a backpack from one of her favorite bands.
This durable, water-resistant backpack has a pocket for her laptop and an exterior pocket for her water bottle. Available in six colors. Perfect for her next adventure in life!
5. Makeup Mirror (The Container Store)
This makeup mirror is ideal for a dorm room because it is small and lightweight. She can bring this with her to college for the perfect setup to get ready in the mornings.
6. Personalized Note Cards (Minted)
We love giving your new grad personalized notecards and Minted is our favorite online site to order a box in her favorite color and that reflects her unique style. Take 20% off your first Graduation order at Minted with code GRAD20
7. College Apparel, College Gear (Fanatics)
There’s no better place to find a wide variety of officially-licensed NCAA merchandise than Fanatics. With 500+ college teams, you can find t-shirts, pajama pants, tote bags, and more with your daughter’s college logo. This is one of the most popular of all graduation gift ideas.
8. “Open When” Cards (Amazon)
It is inevitable that your daughter will need a little boost in spirits when she hits (inevitable) bumps in the road. Sending her off with a set of 16 cards to “open when” will remind her that you are ALWAYS there for her. Fill them with gift cards, special notes, or a tiny gift and you will both feel better.
9. The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College (Amazon)
This is THE guide your daughter will want to pack with her when she leaves for college. Author Harlan Cohen has written a comprehensive New York Times bestseller book, now in the 7th edition. This makes a great grad gift!
10. Do Your Laundry, Or You’ll Die Alone (Amazon)
This charming, amusing book offers advice for daughters before they leave home. It’s for anyone (really, everyone) who feels they have run out of time but still have plenty to teach.
11. Personal Safety Alarm (She’s Birdie)
This small personal alarm might help your daughter prepare for a situation where she feels frightened. Pull the pin to activate a loud alarm and flash the strobe light to create a diversion. The pin can be replaced and reused.
12. Anker Portable Charger (Amazon)
College students are often busy throughout the day, with little downtime to charge their phone. This small, light, high-speed phone charger by Anker is compatible with iPhone 14/13/12 Series, S10, Pixel 4, and more.
13. Belt Bag (lululemon)
This cute clear belt bag is great for watching sporting events or attending concerts, since many colleges now require clear bags to enter stadiums. There is enough space for a phone, wallet, portable charger, and more.
14. Nike Sneakers (Nike)
A pair of quality sneakers are essential for college. From working out to walking to class, she will use these very often. Nike has an almost endless selection for fashion taste to types optimized for her sport or preferred workout.
15. CALPAK Tote (The Container Store)
This adorable tote bag is both functional and stylish. Tote bags are useful in college and beyond — for class, workouts, grocery shopping, the beach, and more. The organizer pockets include a 15″ laptop sleeve and a zippered exterior side pocket. Plus, the expandable base unzips to create an extra four inches of packing space. Available in three versatile colors.
16. Grad Bracelet (Little Words Project)
Little Words is introducing a new graduation cap charm, making the perfect bracelet to give your grad to celebrate their hard work in high school. Little Words Project bracelets inspire people to be kind to themselves and to pay that kindness forward by sharing, one bracelet at a time.
17. Hydroflask Water Bottle (Amazon)
A durable and insulated water bottle is something your teen will use for all four years of college. Hydroflask insulation keeps beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours, and is available in 14 pretty colors.
18. Cozy Sherpa Robe (Pottery Barn Teen)
This cozy and comfy sherpa robe is available in four pretty colors. Machine washable makes it a practical choice, especially for women living in dorms with communal bathrooms.
19. Dimmable Desk Lamp — 5th Gen (Amazon)
Being a good roommate means keeping quiet and lowering the lights when your roomie tries to sleep. This LED Desk Lamp with a wireless high-speed charger and USB charging port has seven brightness levels and five lighting modes.
20. 3-Tier Cart (The Container Store)
For dorm or apartment storage, this 3-tier organizer is ready to roll. The slender design makes it easy to slide into a bathroom or closet. It’s an excellent way to keep things organized and the mesh bottoms provide ventilation. Available in seven pretty colors.
21. Laptop Lap Desk (Amazon)
Using a lap desk like this one while studying in a dorm bed (or apartment couch) will make juggling her laptop, phone, and notes much easier. A hard surface desk with dual bolster cushion gives this desk a comfortable and relaxed fit.
22. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Amazon)
From the book:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked the mole.
“Kind,” said the boy.
This slim volume of love and wisdom is a perfect send-off to any young woman in your life. Written and beautifully illustrated by Charlie Mackesy, this global bestseller offers hope and inspiration in celebrating friendship between four unforgettable characters.
23. Mattress Topper (ViscoSoft)
Most college dorm rooms have elevated twin XL-size beds with mattresses as firm as bricks and typically awful. A mattress topper is one of the most practical graduation gifts, and your daughter will thank you every day when she gets a better night’s sleep in a much more comfortable bed.
ViscoSoft mattress toppers are highly rated and now, for a limited time, use this Grown and Flown Exclusive Code for 20% Off ANY Select High Density Toppers on AMZ: GAF20VSSHD
24. Soundcore by Anker Headphones Headphones (Amazon)
Dorms are noisy and a gift of noise-cancelling headphones can help her create quieter space for studying. These headphones get the top marks for headphones under $100 by the New York Times Wirecutter reviewers.
25. Dorm Decor and Bedding (Pottery Barn Teen)
Has your daughter started looking for a comforter for her dorm room? Dozens of retailers offer twin XL bedding, but we think the selection and style choice at Pottery Barn Teen is excellent. She would love high-quality produced essentials and decor items.
26. Poppin Box Seat (The Container Store)
For storage and a seat all in one, this poppin seat box is the solution. It offers 4096 cubic inches of storage space, is strong enough to accommodate up to 275 pounds, and also collapses flat when not in use. It’s the perfect portable clutter control for a dorm room.
27. Clear Cross Body Bag for Game Day (Fanatics)
When your daughter gets ready for her first football game, she can use a clear cross body bag to comply with NCAA stadium regulations. Sometimes she may need more than a pants pocket for her phone, lip balm, card case, or wallet, and she’ll be ready with this tote.
28. Napkin Finance (Amazon)
In this Wall Street Journal bestseller, author Tina Hay covers financial literacy topics that all high school grads need. With illustrations and clear explanation, Napkin Finance has garnered excellent reviews, including this one: “An entertaining introduction to saving and investing. This is the best personal finance primer I have read in years.” (Paul M. Brown, The New York Times)
29. Engravable Necklaces (Kendra Scott)
Gift an engravable necklace with her grad year on it. This is something personalized and meaningful that she can wear to cherish her graduation accomplishment.
30. Rain Boots (Hunter)
If your daughter doesn’t already have a good pair of rain boots, now is the time to invest in some. (Photo credit Hunter boots: Lara V).
31. SentrySafe (Amazon)
The safe is small and has a cable that can be looped around a heavy piece of furniture. This is important if your daughter takes jewelry, a passport, or meds to college.
32. Woozoo Fan (Amazon)
Dorm rooms are stuffy, and good air circulation is beneficial in a small shared space. If your daughter attends school in a hot climate, the fall and spring months can be uncomfortable, especially in older dorms that lack air-conditioning. People love WOOZOO fans, now in five pretty colors.
33. Keurig Mini (Target)
Brewing coffee in your dorm room is a tiny luxury AND cost savings. This adorable coffee maker is only 5″ wide and is available in multiple colors. Sized to fit a travel mug, she will be on her way to class, coffee in hand, without the need to be tempted by an expensive Starbucks. Available in seven fantastic colors.
34. Scratch Off Map (Uncommon Goods)
From one of our favorite sites, Uncommon Goods, comes this scratch-off-where-you’ve-been map that gives your student a beautiful visual of all the places they have traveled to in a dynamic and eye-catching way.
35. Target Threshold Towels (Target)
A crucial part of setting up for a dorm room or an apartment means getting towels and these plush, 100% cotton Terry towels from Target are the top ones according to the New York Times Wirecutters reviews. They are available in many pretty colors with these sizes – oversized bath towel, bath towel, hand towel and wash cloth. Very affordable and durable.
Looking for more graduation gifts for her that she can use at college? Read 12 Things All Freshmen Need to Bring to College
If you’re still looking for additional ideas, check out our Great Graduation Gift Ideas for High School Seniors — Lots!
