Coming up with gift ideas for college guys can feel like an impossible task. You’ve probably already asked them for input, but Their tastes shift quickly, and staying on top of what’s practical, trendy, or simply cool can leave you guessing.

As a mom of two college-aged boys, I understand how hard it can be! And whether you’re shopping for your son, nephew, or a family friend, it’s all about striking the right balance between useful and exciting.

This guide is packed with more than 70 gift ideas that are sure to impress. From gadgets that make dorm life easier to splurge-worthy items they’ll actually use, you’ll find everything you need to make holiday shopping a breeze—and maybe even fun!

Looking for smaller items that are perfect for stockings? Check out our 75 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for College Students for more ideas for both College Guys and College Girls.

If you’re also shopping for college daughters, families or girlfriends of your college sons, please see our Gift Guide For College Girls.

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Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas For College GUYS | Under $50

Fun & Games

• Pickleball Set – Get social at the intramural fields with this set that comes with 2 paddles, grip tape, balls, and a case. 
• Pop Darts – No set up needed for this indoor, outdoor suction cup throwing game.
• Indoor Putting Green – Fun for the apartment and dorm hallway.
• Over the Door Basketball Hoop – This one glows in the dark!
• Poker Set – 300-piece poker set with carrying case and cards perfect for game night.
• What Do You Meme Game – such a fun game to play with roommates and friends.
• JBL Portable Bluetooth Speaker – big sound from a small speaker! Everyone raves about this one.
• College Logo Gear – FansEdge has the longest list of schools (over 500!) and a good selection of game day, lounge wear, accessories and more. All students love fan gear! Click on the College Teams filter (be sure to View All Teams) to find his team.
• Flag of his University or favorite sports team – It is no secret that men are usually minimalist when it comes to decorating their dorm rooms. However, students will eagerly hang their school flag or favorite sports team flag on the wall.
• Beer Flags – The fancy decor must-have of many college guys.

Clothing & Shoes

• Fleece Sleep Pants – Under $10, super soft, my boys love these!
• Adidas Shower Shoes – A more durable brand name step up from the thin thong flip flops, and a good likelihood he will wear them more than just to shower.

Travel

• Toiletry Bag – Are they using zip locks or worse? Upgrade their travel game with this water resistant toiletry bag.
• Duffel Bag – For weekend trips or longer trips by airplane, this highly rated bag makes a great option. Comes in 5 sizes and several colors. My favorite feature is the trolley sleeve in the back allowing it to be carried over the telescoping handle of a rolling suitcase.
• Collapsible Trunk Organizer – This is perfect for the car enthusiast who can’t imagine heading to college without his car. You can add to the caddy with helpful products such as Armor All Wipes, a Portable Jump Starter & Tire Inflator, Emergency Sleeping Bag, Small First Aid Kit.

Food & Drink

• 20-Piece Grill Set With Case – For the guys with a grill or access to one in their apartment complex. Alternatively, this NCAA Grill Tool Set is a 3-piece essentials set with their college logo. Several schools available.
• YETI with Chug Cap – Holds 26 oz of their favorite beverage. Dishwasher safe and BPA free.
• Loud Cup – How fun is this to get noisy while tailgating on game day or in the stadium (if allowed of course). In lots of school colors.
• Whiskey Glasses – Set includes 2 Glasses and 2 Round Big Ice Ball Molds. Or choose a set of 6 whiskey glasses for the ‘neat’ drinkers.
• Bottle Opener – Have a little fun with this credit card size opener that looks like a playing card, or this keychain version or classic opener with their school logo.
• Tru Power Shot – A little pick me up for before their workout.
• Pasta Microwave Cooker – With built-in strainer, this makes cooking easy and removes some of their excuses to cook for themselves!
• HELIMIX Vortex Blender Shaker – No blender or electricity needed to blend up protein drinks or even cocktails.

Practical

• Dr Squatch Soap – 3-Pack of masculine scents like Wood Barrel Bourbon, Pine Tar, Gold Moss and more made from natural ingredients.
• Tool Kit – Our favorite tool set for dorm or apartment.
• Cleaning Brush for Electronics – Keep that keyboard clean with this brush that gets particles out of those hard-to-reach places.
• RFID Super Slim Wallet – This is a great graduation gift for any young man. Moreover, it is RFID-protected against scammers, and it’s not the bulky leather wallet that his grandfather carried for years. A slim option but still easy access to his cash, ID, and his debit card. It also has a place for two IDs to be easily carried (his student ID and driver’s license). In addition to the wallet, you may want to place a dollar bill (or a few) into the wallet so the “wallet will never be without money.”
• Bluetooth Beanie – Bluetooth Wireless Knit Hat with built-in microphone and stereo speakers.
• Surprise Gift Box for Money – A fun way to gift your student the cash that is on all of their lists!

Books

• Mindfulness For Teens In 10 Minutes A Day
• How To Adult – Personal Finance For The Real World
• The Gift Of Fear
• The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook

Just Because

• Custom Pet Pillow – Take 25% off with the code found on this page in our Dorm Shopping Group – it changes every month! All About Vibe is a leader in custom pet pillows which are handmade in the USA (Chicago) and come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee – they will remake until you are 100% pleased.

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Gift Ideas For College GUYS | Under $100

Fun & Games

• Spikeball – A great game set for spring break or to play around campus.
• Corn Hole – Great for spring break, tailgates, parties.
• Tailgating Table – Available in a few patterns, great to use for beer pong in the yard or at the game.
• Golf Cart Heater – Great for staying warm while playing golf in the winter months.
• Custom College + Name Embroidered Plush Blanket – These 50″x60″ throw blankets are customized with your college name or logo plus the student’s name. These make the perfect throw blanket for the foot of the bed and some great college naps!

Clothing & Shoes

• Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger – Super soft and highly rated! This Strato Tech hoodie is another hit with the guys.
• Men’s Moccasins – This L.L. Bean classic is cozy and durable. Just what the guys need.
• Nike Kilshot 2 – A super stylish tennis shoe that work with most every outfit. Fantastic ratings.

Gadgets & Technology

• AirTags – Use AirTags to track your backpack, wallet, keys, gym bag, luggage, car, bike, scooter, etc.
• Wonderboom 2 Portable Waterproof Speaker – Small and portable, this speaker is great to throw into their backpack or even keep in the shower. Get multiple speakers and link for a surround sound experience.
• Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 100dB Loud Stereo Sound for outdoor party or tailgating. W-King Bluetooth Speaker 90W Waterproof speaker.
• Mini Projector – Project all your favorite movies, sporting events and shows onto the wall or use the included projector screen. Fun for gatherings!
• Theragun Prime Massage Gun – For the athlete or the avid exerciser, these work miracles on sore muscles.

Practical

• Leatherman Multipurpose Tool – 14 tools in 1. An essential to have handy.
• Portable Car Jump Starter & Tire Inflator – A valuable device for older kids with cars. A small but powerful charging block easily jumpstarts a car and even comes with smart jumper cables to protect from over-charging, sparks and short circuits. These newer models even have portable air compressors with multiple nozzles allowing you to easily properly inflate tires as well as other items such as footballs, pool floats and bike tires.
• ICEMULE Backpack Cooler – Available in multiple sizes and colors, this slim, soft-sided backpack cooler holds from 10 to 20 cans with ice (depending on which size you choose).

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splurge worthy gift ideas for college guys | over $100

Clothing & Shoes

• DudeRobe– Stylish, soft, hooded with pockets – absorbent cotton for easy drying. A highly rated splurge!
• Adidas Samba OG – The “can’t go wrong” shoe for guys.
• New Balance 960 – An updated version of an iconic New Balance shoe trending with the guys.
• Under Armour Unstoppable Cargo Pants – A hot must-have this season!

Gadgets & Technology

• Beats Solo 4 – Over the head, wireless favorite headphones in fun colors.
• Dash Cam – If your student has a car at college, this is a must-have. Protect them against scammers, vandals and angry adults who are quick to blame teens even when not at fault.
• Ninja Creami – A fun splurge for their college apartment kitchen. 
• iRobot Roomba – This Roomba can be controlled from your phone. Although it is on the pricier side, it is perfect for a busy college student who may forget to consistently vacuum and sweep. It is a multi-surface cleaner and has powerlifting suction. 
• Airpod Pros 2nd Gen – Need a new pair, or looking to upgrade? Apple’s noise cancelling headphones are a go to favorite.
• Apple Ipad 9th Gen – Great for note-taking (such fun apps out there!),  researching, reading textbooks, and watching their favorite shows. Protect it with a highly rated cover.
• Apple Pencil (2st Generation) – The must-have accessory for the iPad for note-taking apps like Goodnotes that allows them to draw and take handwritten notes and can even convert to typewritten text.
• Monster Portable Speaker – Go big with this speaker version with 200 W and 100 hours of playtime, with wheels and weather resistant. Perfect for the intramural fields or tailgate!

Practical

• Manscaped ‘The Tool Box’ – This set contains it ALL of their grooming needs including ‘The Lawnmower’, ‘The Weed Whacker’, ‘The Plow’ and ‘The Shed’.

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looking for more college student holiday gift ideas? visit our other gift guides:

• 75 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for College Students
• Dorm Gifts You Can Safely Buy Before You Know Your Dorm Assignment
• Gifts for College Girls
• Gifts for College Apartments (coming soon!)
• Gifts for Travel
• White Elephant Gifts (coming soon!)

If you’re the parent of a college student, join us in the After The Drop Off | Parenting Through The College Years Facebook group. Lots of great ideas being shared there by parents!

Have a student moving into a dorm? Our over 100k member Dorm Shopping Recommendations & Deal Alerts Facebook group will guide you through non-toxic, practical and reusable items to consider and keep you up to date on what you don’t need or probably aren’t allowed to bring!

Other unique gift ideas: PREMIUM RETAILER MEMBERSHIPS

Want a ‘free’, quick and easy gift? Give your student the gift of an Amazon Prime Young Adult membership! The first 6-months are free and then $7.49/month. Verify with proof of age or college enrollment. 

You could also consider Target Circle 360 which is Target’s premium membership for shipping as well as same-day deliveries from the store.

Walmart’s Walmart+ Student is similar to Target Circle 360 aYou’d need to go through the verification process first which looks like the same 3rd party process as Target’s. Like Target, this includes premium shipping plus same-day delivery from the store. While this only includes Walmart, there are additional benefits such as 25% off Burger King everyday, saving 10 cents per gallon at Exxon, Mobile and Walmart gas stations, and a free Paramount+ streaming membership.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

For all of our college parenting ideas, please join us in our helpful and supportive After The Drop Off: Parenting Through The College Years Facebook Community and/or follow us on Instagram!

For great deals on great brands that young adults AND moms love, follow our Positively Great Deals For Savvy Moms Facebook group.

Of course we’d love it if you’d share this list of ideas with your family and others who are shopping for college-aged guys. Thank you!