20 unique graduation gifts for 2023 graduates | CNN Underscored (2024)

A cozy throw is always a great gift, and this plush option from Etsy star seller TeamDDesigns is a sure bet. Available in three colors, the 50-by-60-inch blanket can bear any school’s logo alongside your graduate’s name — if you don’t see the school’s name among the options, send the seller a message and they’ll create the logo for you.

• Related: Give your congrats a personal touch with these customized graduation gifts

Fill their walls with some chic artwork while also commemorating the university they're heading to — or just graduated from! Highly customizable, the map comes in dozens of colors, two sizes and can include two lines of text highlighting the school, town and student’s name.

Correspondence is worth investing in! Ensure your graduate has a profesh set of personalized notecards with this handsome CurioPress set, which has more than 14,000 positive reviews. Available in two sizes and in dozens of ink colors, the sets can also come with blank or return-addressed envelopes.

Chic and meaningful, this beautifully engraved frame is a great gift for grads and grads’ parents alike. Perfect for displaying on a tabletop, the 7-by-8-inch frame can accommodate a 4-by-6-inch photo, as well as a custom note on the back, in addition to the student’s name, school and graduation date on the front.

A signet ring is something she’ll cherish forever, and there’s no better time to give one — or receive one! — than at a graduation. We love all ShopEvren’s high-quality jewelry, and that includes this substantial ring, which comes in sterling silver and 14-karat gold vermeil and can bear up to four initials.

Is there a more useful gift than a wallet? We think not! And this is a gorgeous one to give. Made from real leather, the wallet comes in four hues and has 11 card slots, one flip-up transparent slot, two cash rooms and two hidden card compartments. The wallet can be personalized with a name, initials, a monogram or personal notes on its exterior and interior.

Perfect for a college graduation party, these peel-and-stick wine labels will add to the celebration’s revelry. Water-resistant and repositionable, the labels come in four sizes and can be personalized with your graduate’s name or school.

Celebrate the graduate’s school of choice with this shadow box that can bear any institution’s logo and can be filled with hand-rolled paper flowers in the school’s colors. These boxes make for an eye-catching keepsake they’ll keep for years to come.

Celebrate their big day with a pair of these socks, which will let everyone know that they are, in fact, kind of a big deal.

Got a medical professional in the house? Celebrate all future nurses and doctors with this thoughtful (and handy!) stethoscope charm that comes in three metal options and can bear up to 15 characters and a cute little picture drawing.

Corral all the graduation memories into one space with this personalized album that can be used as a guest book on the day of the big party, or as a scrapbook for photos and keepsakes. Ultra-customizable, the book comes in two sizes; can be made with white, black or lined pages and can include anywhere from 30 to 60 pages.

Celebrate your graduate’s accomplishment with this gorgeous portrait of their school. Simply send PixelsandPaintArt a digital photo of the building or landscape you’d like commemorated, then choose from the four print sizes (5x7 to 11x16) and a slew of fonts you’d like your personalized text to appear in. The seller has 10 universities pre-drawn, which you can check out here.

Add to her jewelry collection with this simple, beautiful piece from TheSilverWren. Boasting more than 23,000 positive reviews, the necklace features a state charm and a disc bearing the school’s initials, and it comes in gold, silver or rose gold and three lengths (16, 18 or 20 inches).

Foster your graduate’s green thumb with this sweet pot that's perfect for housing a celebratory succulent plant.

One of Etsy’s top picks for grad gifts, this commemorative frame comes in both 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 sizes and portrait and landscape orientations. Simply add the year, plus two lines of text (with up to 40 characters each), and your frame will shape in a few days.

Completely customizable so you can get a personal message engraved on the inside and their name embossed on the outside, this heartfelt leather journal is the perfect home for their notes or daily thoughts.

A slew of unsightly cords simply won’t do for your grad — tidy up their charging station with this handsome leather valet that includes three compartments for their phone, smartwatch, AirPods and more. Cord slots make for easy charging, and a slew of personalization options are available, from initials and two lines of text to a custom monogram.

College kids are often on the move, which makes a durable cosmetic bag a clutch gift to give your grad this year. We love this one because it can be personalized with a name or monogram and because it’s lined with a leak-proof, wipeable vinyl. Available in nine colors, the bag comes in small and large sizes that can be ordered as a set for $46.

Boasting more than 30,000 positive reviews, this sweet keepsake box will keep your grad’s knickknacks safe alongside an inspirational message. Add your recipient’s name to the lid, and opt for the included inside message, or add your own custom memo.

She’s going to need all the caffeine during collegiate all-nighters! Set her up for success with this cute, personalized mug. Choose from dozens of hair colors and styles, not to mention cap and gown colors, and add both your grad’s name and a personalized message on the back of the mug.