Is your bestie graduating this semester from college or high school? Here are some of the best and most sentimental best friend graduating gifts you can give!
After spending years working hard to earn their degree, your friend deserves an amazing gift to celebrate their academic achievements.
I know that this semester one of my best friends is graduating from graduate school for her Master’s, and I’ve been cheering her on since we graduated undergrad. I can’t wait to give her a sentimental graduation gift!
This blog post will give best friend graduation gifts for both high school and college. There is also a more specific gift guide on the blog about what to gift a college girl here.
Here are best friend graduation gifts you can give to your bestie!
30 Best Friend College Graduation Gifts For College Grads and High School Seniors
10 Best Friend College Graduation Gifts
1. Graduation Teddy Bear
This was one of the cutest best friend graduation gifts I loved. I love stuffed animals and getting this gift was so sweet. The bear has a cute matching cap and gown!
Buy from Build-a-Bear Workshop!
2. Planner
You can’t go wrong with a planner, especially if your best friend loves organizing and being productive. My to-go planner post-grad is the Ban.do Weekly Planner.
3. DASH Mini Rice Cooker
Hear me out. My friend bought me one because I couldn’t cook rice correctly. It was seriously one of the best useful gifts someone could give me. I use it every week during meal prep. My life is so much easier now. The Dash Mini Rice Cooker comes with a recipe guide, too, with tons of easy recipes.
I recommend that you give your friend a rice cooker, especially if they can’t cook rice OR are moving into their first apartment.
4. New Luggage
After graduating most seniors are off to move away to a new city or go back to school for a graduate degree or attend law or medical school. A set of new luggage is one of the most useful graduation gifts you can give your best friend.
I love my SwissGear Trunk Luggage, but it’s always sold out nowadays. Here is another set of luggage from the same company:
5. Personalized Desk Lamp
This personalized graduation gift is a nice gift for anyone heading off to college or graduate school or loves her home office.
Related: 21 Ways on How to Make Your Desk Look Aesthetic
6. Funny Graduation Candle
This funny candle on Etsy is a great gift for your best friend whose graduating college. It comes in 9 different scents and is vegan and eco-friendly!
7. Work Tote Bag or NorthFace Backpack
After graduating, you’ll likely upgrade to you’re new bag. So will your friend. A nice work bag is needed. This one from Amazon by Missnine also works as a laptop bag.
I still use my NorthFace Backpack when going into my job’s office. It’s a great backpack for anyone who works a lot with computers or laptops.
8. Travel Organizer
This is a useful graduation gift you can give your best friend if they are always traveling.
Related: The 10 Best Travel Makeup Bag Essentials To Always Pack
9. Cocktail Book
A great gift for you best friend graduation college is a cocktail book. Mixology is a hobby that they can take up after finishing their degree, especially if they love trying new drinks.
10. AirFryer
Airfryers are on the rise and aren’t stopping. I recommend this as a best friend graduation gift because moving into an apartment and to a city after college is expensive. This is a useful graduation gift that your friend will use.
5 Sentimental Graduation Gifts for Best Friends
1. Custom Protrait from Etsy
One of the most sentimental best friend graduation gifts that I received was a painting of my friend I at one of my birthday parties. It was so sweet. Etsy shop owners also have similar paintings that you can order like this one.
2. Matching Bracelets/Graduation Charm
Friendship bracelets are back in style but never went away for the closet of BFFs. This a sentimental graduation gift that you can give. Whether it’s giving a cap for their charm bracelet or a best friend bracelet, this will be a gift they’ll always remember. I love this one from Etsy that has butterfly wings.
3. Fujifilm Camera Instax Mini
What’s a better way to capture moments with a camera? During the day of graduation or at the graduation party, take photos that you all can look back on. The Fujifilm Camera Instax Mini is the cutest camera out there and I loved using mine.
4. Song Plaque
This best friend graduation gift is one I will probably give my friend. We’re always talking about music and have been close since undergrad. This cute music plague is customized with a photo you selected and a Spotify code for the song that you select. You can scan the code and it’ll play on Spotify. This is truly one of the most sentimental best friend graduation gifts that I can think of honestly.
5. Memory Board
One thing that was sentimental for me was having a memory board after high school. I placed all my photos of my graduation day, movie tickets when my friends I hung out, drawings from my nieces, and my cat’s photos. A memory board would be a great gift for your friend to look back on and add whatever photos or cards they want.
I still use mine after graduation.
10 Best Friend High School Graduation Gifts
Are you a high school senior graduating? Here are some gifts you can give to your bestie.
1. College Sweatshirt
Support your friend’s college decision with a collegiate sweatshirt this one from Amazon.
2. Water Bottle
In college, it’s you, your backpack, and your water bottle against the world. A nice graduation gift for your high school friend can be a S’well Bottle. You can find more college water bottles in this blog post.
Related: 11 Examples of the Perfect Water Bottle for College Students
3. Pillow
Pillows are always a must need, especially in a dorm room! Give a nice graduation gift to give your best friend would be a cute stuffed animal pillow or a fluffy one.
4. Adulting Book
I have this journal/adulting book and wished I had it after graduating high school. It’s truly one of the BEST planners/adulting things I’ve bought. I’d recommend it for any high school graduate whose about to start their adulting journey.
5. Class of ___ Tumbler [link]
The “Class of __” cups and mugs were so popular when I graduated. You saw them everywhere that year. You can give your friend one of these as a cute best friend graduation gift by also getting one that matches.
This tumbler from PrettyDesignbyKary on Etsy is so cute!
6. DASH Mini Waffle Maker
These mini appliances by DASH are one of the best gifts you can give EVER, especially the Mini Waffle Maker. They’re small and compact and make amazing fluffy waffles. I recommend that you give your friend one so it can fit in their dorm room or small apartment after graduation. I had one when they first came out and loved it.
7. Flowers of Your School’s Colors
Simple and classic. You can give them flowers of your high school or their future college’s colors!
8. Blanket
Gifting a useful graduation gift like a blanket is always a great way to go. This blanket from Amazon is warm and perfect for staying warm.
9. Lap Desk
One of the best things I had when I went off to college and even when I was at home on my laptop the summer before freshman year was a laptop desk. These types of desks are portable and perfect for anyone who wants to be on a laptop while not at a desk.
10. Personalized Leather Phone Case
This cute phone case from Etsy is so cool for any of your friends as a best friend graduation gift. I love how you can change the style of it no matter what.
Cheap graduation gifts ideas for friends (Under $20)
1. Card
A simple and classic gift that any graduate would appreciate. You can add money inside to help the graduate out if you want.
2. Beauty Gift Sets
Beauty gift sets are always the go-to option for gifts, especially if your best friend loves beauty. This one from Pacifica is nice for anyone interested in skincare.
3. Mugs
Graduation mugs like this one from Etsy are always a nice cheap gift to give! You can customize it with the graduate’s name.
4. Desk Humidifier
A cute small humidifier will come in handy!
5. Collegiate Socks
Finally, the last best friend graduation gift is collegiate socks. Most socks with college logos on them typically are under $20. They’re perfect to wear around to represent their future college or alumna mater.
This blog post gave 30 best friend graduation gift ideas and university graduation gifts!
Check out more blog posts about gift-giving or college:
