10 Last Minute Graduation Gifts for Him That Get an A+

Want to add an extra surprise gift for him to celebrate all his hard work? We got you covered!

It’s that time of year again- the grass is getting greener, the air warmer, and the plans for graduation parties have started to get real. Your son, grandchild, friend, or loved one is graduating which is a huge deal! They’ve accomplished so much over the last 4+ years and you want to make sure all their hard work is appreciated, that’s why you’ve come here! You may have your big graduation gift planned all ready to go but if you’re looking for something extra to surprise them then have we got the guide for you. These last minute graduation gifts for him are quick and easy to get and you can send it to him when he leasts suspects it all through GiftYa.

GiftYa is a website and mobile app that sells thousands of digital gift cards to a number of famous retailers, restaurants, fast food chains, local businesses, online stores and subscription services, spas, hotels, airlines, and more. GiftYa gift cards make the best surprise gifts as it’s delivered electronically, meaning you can surprise him with these last minute gifts by sending it to him via text or email at any time of the day.

But how does it work? Well, go to the GiftYa website, type in a store you’d think he’d like- (but if you don’t have any ideas popping up immediately we will have a list for your below with a few ideas), select a value up to $250, decorate the card with a custom photo, video, and/or gift wrapping, choose a delivery date and time, and then prompt it to send! All in all it takes just a few minutes to buy and send these great “last minute” gifts.

Now that you’ve got the method, now’s the time to talk ideas:

** Tip: These gifts can work for high school graduates and college graduates, some more so than others. If your loved one plans to continue with more school we will have a couple gifts that will work for his future education and others for some fun and relaxation now that school is over because let’s be honest- they deserve it.

1 - REI

Get out from under those dim classroom lights and venture out into the great outdoors!

Buy an REI Gift Card

rei co op

Whether he’s about to go into school again in the fall or taking a much needed break from it before heading into the workforce, a summer full of outside adventures is definitely a great idea. And at REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.), one of the nation’s leading retailers when it comes to finding everything you need to explore the great outdoors, you can set him up with whatever he needs.

They’ve got stuff for hiking, camping, cycling, climbing, swimming, running, and even snow stuff in case he goes somewhere cold. And if you know he loves the great outdoors, but aren’t really sure exactly what he might need or like, you can get him a digital REI gift card that he can use at any of their locations, or online right at their website. That way he can pick out exactly what he will need for his next big outdoors adventure this summer!

Buy an REI Gift Card

2 - Barnes & Noble

Get books for school or better yet- get books now that you have free time to read!

Buy a Barnes & Noble gift card

barnes and noble

For our soon-to-be-again scholars the price of future education these days is already way out of hand and that’s before you get into the technical stuff like textbooks. Having a way to help with that cost would be greatly appreciated and with a Barnes & Noble gift card it can be used to get textbooks at great prices.

Barnes & Noble has tons of locations around the country and you can also order the books you need online. With this gift you will help them save some money for their first semester of college and you can help take some of the financial pressure off that first semester of college which we’re sure they will appreciate greatly.

But a Barnes & Noble gift card doesn’t need to work for scholars, they’ve got tons of books from all your favorite genres and if the recent grad is ready to crack open a book that isn’t a textbook then they’ve got hundreds, if not thousands, to choose from. Get a Young Adult guilty pleasure and read away with a Barnes & Noble gift card.

Buy a Barnes & Noble gift card

3 - Target

Get everything you could need for a new home or a regular grocery run all in one place!

Text a Target gift card

Target is one of the nation’s leading retail stores and the best thing about it is that they have a mix of everything- dorm room essentials here. For high school grads, a digital Target gift card can help reduce the cost of everything they’ll need to get their dorm room in tip top shape. They have everything from bedding and household essentials to clothes and electronics. This is another one of the gift cards that will help cut down on the overall cost that they’ll have to bear as they get ready for that first semester away from home!

And Target’s not just great for dorm room stuff, they also have cute outfits, books, movies, games, toys, self-care and beauty products, along with grocery aisles of food. They make shopping easy and whether you have a list or go in with no intention you’ll have a great time shopping at Target.

Text a Target gift card

4 - LongHorn Steakhouse

Splurge a bit and instead of going fast-food go steakhouse!

Grab a LongHorn Steakhouse gift card

Celebrate graduation with a nice juicy steak from one of the best restaurant chains in the country- Longhorn Steakhouse! This leading steakhouse chain makes a great option for a night out. They’ve got steak of course, along with ribs, chicken, chops, burgers, and seafood. And if you can’t be there in person to take him out to dinner yourself, you can always send him a digital LongHorn Steakhouse gift card that he can use at any time to go out and have a great celebratory meal with his favorite people!

If he’s not super into steak, don’t worry- GiftYa works with tons of national and local restaurants so you can just go to GiftYa itself and search the city he’s in or his zipcode and you can find all sorts of great restaurants that you can treat him to with one of our convenient gift cards. Then you can buy the gift card and text it directly to his phone while adding a custom message congratulating him on graduating!

Grab a LongHorn Steakhouse gift card

4 - Guitar Center

Is he a musician or an aspiring one? We’ve got the best last minute gift for you!

Grab a Guitar Center gift card

If you know he loves to play music, or is looking to get into learning, definitely give Guitar Center a look. As their name implies they have everything a guitarist might need, but as one of the nation’s leading music retailers, they also have plenty to offer for drummers, vocalists, DJs, and people who play classical instruments.

And since it can be really difficult to know exactly which guitar string a guitar player prefers, or what kind of reeds a saxophonist uses, you can always just send him a digital Guitar Center gift card and that way he can go pick out all his favorite stuff himself! Music is a great way to release stress after a particularly busy day in school or at work.

Grab a Guitar Center gift card

5. Amazon

Find Millions of Great Last Minute Gifts At the World’s Largest Online Retailer!

Email an Amazon gift card

If you really need a last minute gift and don’t have the time to make it to a store you should try doing some shopping on Amazon. They are the world’s largest online retailer and they feature millions of different items for sale. They also offer fast shipping on most of those items if you are one of the millions of people who have Amazon Prime. Usually you can get what you ordered sent to your home within 2 days!

But if you really don’t know what to get him, you can always send him a digital Amazon gift card. And that way he can use it to get anything and everything he may need or want- which makes this a super versatile last minute graduation gift for him because it allows him to get anything he might need that nobody thought to get him!

Email an Amazon gift card

6 - DoorDash

Make Sure He Can Get Himself A Great Meal During His Cramming Sessions!

Get a DoorDash gift card

DoorDash is an online food ordering and delivery service that works with tons of national chains and local restaurants. So if he is heading off to college this fall definitely consider getting him a gift card to DoorDash. With these cards he’ll be able to order himself something great for lunch or dinner. We would have loved the option to have a great meal delivered right to the door when cramming during midterms or finals week.

And if he’s done with school, a DoorDash gift card would still make for a rockin’ gift as he can get a great meal for himself when he doesn’t have the free time to cook for himself during busy hours of the week. DoorDash also delivered groceries and convenience store essentials which makes this delivery service one to download.

Get a DoorDash gift card

7. Best Buy

Upgrade those “old reliable” headphones and treat him to a new pair!

Text A Best Buy Gift Card

best buy

As with any student, previous or current, buying a new tech product can get expensive, especially since newer and better models are coming out all the time and those prices keep climbing higher and higher. We know that his old tech might no longer work as well as it once did. That’s why we’d recommend Best Buy for a last minute graduation gift for him.

Best Buy has any and all tech products you can think of- phones, headphones, Smartwatches, TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, cameras, appliances, and more. Get him a Best Buy gift card so he can buy what he wants- he deserves to have the best after all his hard work.

Text A Best Buy Gift Card

8 - Lyft

Make Sure He Has A Safe Ride Home!

Email A Lyft Gift Card

Ride sharing apps have become all the rage over the last few years and students in college and those in their early twenties are known to go out every once and a while to a variety of different parties and events. With some colleges not allowing freshmen to have cars on campus and those who can’t drive/aren’t able to not having a solid means of transportation- Lyft has been the place to go for a solid ride to get back home safely. Lyft gift cards are super useful and make for a great practical gift to get anyone, but especially a young recent grad ready to explore the world.

Email A Lyft Gift Card

9 - Bass Pro Shop

A Great Last Minute Graduation Gift for Any Outdoorsman!

Buy a Bass Pro Shop gift card

For all of that post-grad free time,  consider getting home something from Bass Pro Shop. Bass Pro Shop is one of the nation’s leading retailers when it comes to finding everything you need to explore the great outdoors. 

So whether he enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, camping, or even just exploring, you will be able to find him something great at Bass Pro Shop. And if you know he loves the great outdoors, but aren’t really sure exactly what he might need or like, you can get him a digital Bass Pro Shop gift card that he can use at any of their locations, or online right at their website. And that way he can pick out exactly what he will need for his next big outdoors adventure!

Buy a Bass Pro Shop gift card

10 - Visa

A gift card you can spend in not just one store- but almost any store in the country!

Build a custom Visa gift card

visa gift card

The absolute best thing about Visa gift cards is that they are accepted everywhere that accepts Visa. Which means that they are practically as good as cash. And on top of that, you can pick out a custom photo to make the front of the card. So you can pick out one of your favorite pictures of the two of you together and then he always has a nice memory when he goes to use it. Or you can pick a particular photo you like from his graduation and make it clear how proud you are of him.

These customizable Visa cards are basically as good as giving him cold hard cash, but their customizable nature, along with their practicality makes them a lot better. You can load up to $500 on this custom Visa Gift Card from Gift Card Granny and send it to him via snail mail (regular mail) or email.

Build a custom Visa gift card

And There You Have A List of Great Last Minute Graduation Gifts You Can Get for Him!

Hopefully something on the list today works for the graduate in your life. I tried to find gifts that I thought would help make his transition into college a bit easier. But if nothing looks right for you, be sure to check out all the national brands that GiftYa offers because for any business that works with GiftYa you can get a gift card in just a couple clicks and text it to him instantly. Which really makes them a great option when you are down to the last minute!

No items found.

Trae Bodge

Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.

Latest Posts

Gift Ideas
Score a Goal with These Gift Ideas for a Soccer Coach

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a soccer coach, we have 10 right here!

Gift Ideas
Uniquely Groovy Gift Ideas For Hippies

A perfect collage of gifts for the boho-chic person in your life!