With lots of graduates set to collect their scrolls at their graduation day in the coming months, you might be thinking about graduation gift ideas for the graduate in your life.
From personalised gifts to experiences, we’ve compiled a list of graduation gift ideas so you don’t have to!
Tech gifts
2026 graduates are more tech savvy than ever. In an increasingly tech driven world, here’s our pick of the best graduation gifts for the tech loving graduate.
Apple MacBook Neo
The new budget friendly MacBook Neo is the perfect gift for a graduate looking for a simple laptop without all the bells and whistles. Coming in at just under £600, it's the perfect laptop for everyday use.
Hardrives
Hard drives can come in super handy for transporting files or photos when your laptop or phone storage is running low, so could be a great budget friendly graduation gift idea.
Kindle
Kindles are a great idea for a book lover. Often in post university houseshares there isn’t a lot of room for keeping lots of books, so a kindle is a great way to get lots of reading done without worrying about book storage!
Headphones
Noise cancelling headphones can be great for commuting or the gym. Wireless headphones are the most versatile and will be sure to get used daily.
Bluetooth speaker
You can’t go wrong with a Bluetooth speaker. Bose have some great portable speakers.
Sentimental gifts
Looking for something a little more special? Here’s a few more sentimental gift ideas.
Graduation diploma tube
A leather graduation diploma tube can be a great gift as it keeps their diploma safe if they aren’t planning on displaying it just yet and is a nice keepsake.
Certificate display frame
After working hard for three years, graduates want to feel proud of their achievement. What better way to show off their achievement than a display frame for everyone to see. A lovely wooden or veneer frame and mount is a lovely gift idea, and you could even get one with a space for their graduation photo too.
Graduation bear
Go a little old school with a graduation bear. It’s a classic memento of their graduation ceremony and will probably sit on their office desk for years to come.
Cufflinks
A smart shirt is likely to be worn on graduation day, so why not gift them some graduation cuff links as a sentimental momento for the day. You could even make it a more personalised graduation gift by having cufflinks with their graduation year engraved on them.
Jewellery
A lovely way to mark this new chapter is to receive a piece of jewellery. You could opt for something simple but symbolic that they’ll want to wear everyday. It will always be a lovely reminder of their achievement.
Watches
You could opt for a more sentimental watch, like a classic Cassio that is both practical and stylish or a tech watch like a Fitbit or Garmin that can monitor step count, heart rate and log workouts.
Engraved fountain pen
An engraved fountain pen is a classic gift that will be sure to come in handy and will be a lovely reminder of their achievement.
Personalised leather bound notebook
You can never have too many notebooks! A leather notebook with personalised binding is a simple but thoughtful option for the graduate in your life.
Practical gifts
As lovely as sentimental gifts are, sometimes the best gifts are the practical ones!
Here’s some graduation gift ideas that will be super helpful in their next chapter.
E gift Voucher
Sometimes it’s easier to get a voucher as then they can buy something they really need or want. Lots of online retailers offer gift vouchers that can be sent via email.
Luggage
New luggage is the perfect practical gift idea. Now the world is their oyster, the graduate in your life might be thinking about booking that big trip before they begin working life. It’s always super handy to have a few different luggage options from a weekend bag, carry-on case or something for the big trips. You could even consider buying a luggage set.
Commuting bag
After three years, an everyday bag might be in need of a refresh. A new backpack or commuting bag with a laptop compartment is a great idea for a new graduate.
Here’s a pick of some brands that offer some cool options.
Olend:
Known for their classic Ona bag which can be worn as a crossover bag or backpack, this practical and stylish bag can house up to a 17” laptop, made from a water resistant fabric with plenty of pockets.
Stubble and Co:
Renowned for their best selling 20L roll top waterproof backpack with an internal laptop sleeve, this bag is both stylish and practical coming in an array of different colours.
Cotopaxi:
For the lover of bright colours, the cotopaxi chiquillo 26L backpack is a great choice for those who want a fun backpack for everyday use.
Weekly planner
Not everything has to be digital! Why not gift someone a weekly planner or journal.
Papier has some lovely journals that are not only practical but look great on your desk!
Experience gifts
Sometimes the best gifts are the things we wouldn’t buy for ourselves. Rather than a physical gift, why not buy an experience gift?
Spa Day Voucher
After a stressful time studying and finishing off what better way to wind down than a relaxing spa day. Many spas offer deals for a spa day with a treatment and a lunch or afternoon tea.
Theatre vouchers
Theatre vouchers are a great gift for someone who loves the arts. Theatre tickets can be expensive for a new graduate so by giving them vouchers, they get to pick a show they really want to see at a time that suits them.
Arts and craft workshops
Workshops are a great way to try something new. From a pottery workshop to a florists workshop, there are lots of options to choose from.
Homeware gifts
After finishing University graduates might be moving cities for jobs or moving into new house shares, so they’ll want to make a new place feel like home. Here’s some homeware graduation gift ideas.
Mocha pot
Mornings are a little easier with coffee, so why not get them a Mocha stove pot and some artisan coffee.
Artwork
Every home needs some nice artwork! Why not buy some cool artwork prints they can hang up to make somewhere feel a little more like home. For cool artwork prints try Drool or Dessino.
Fun Photoframes
Photo frames can instantly make a room more homely. Find something fun and colourful with these cool photo frames from Oliver Bonas.
New Bedding
New bedding can make a new room feel like home. Gift them some luxury new bedding from Piglet in bed.
Candle
Candles are the perfect homeware gift. For natural wax candles with earthy botanicals try St Eval candles hand made in Cornwall.
At Evess we sell a range of graduation gifts as well as selling and hiring Graduation attire.
