Gift Registry for College Students: What You Need to Know
If you know someone who just graduated high school, then you might be wondering if that person has signed up for a gift registry for college students. Yes, college dorm registries are a thing, and they can be very helpful when buying gifts.
We set our daughter Annie up with a Target college registry after her senior year of high school. There were a couple of benefits to it.
One, it was a great way for us to keep her shopping organized. Two, it helped friends and family members who wanted to buy helpful gifts for graduation.
Three, it limited where we had to make returns, if any. Four, it helped Annie avoid getting items that might have been banned in her dorm (more about that later). Five, it gave Annie a shopping discount (more about that, too, in a bit).

What is a gift registry for college students
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Just like a wedding gift registry, a college registry allows college students to registry for gifts that theyโd like for their dorm. I mean, technically they could register for any kind of gift item. However, most families use a gift registry as a college dorm registry.
Iโve identified five companies with gift registries for college students that I think youโll want to check out. But, before getting to them, let me explain how college gift registries work and what you should register for, if you will.
What should you put on a college gift registry?
Hereโs how I recommend you handle a registry for college students. Get the list of recommended items from your childโs college or university. Then, use that as your guide for what you add to the dorm registry. You can include practical items as well as fun things.
For example, nearly every college and university that I know of has twin extra long beds. Therefore, you need to buy twin extra long or twin XL sheets for those beds. Youโre sure to see this on the collegeโs list of recommended items to bring to campus.
However, I would pay close attention to other items on that listโwhether they be recommended or prohibited.ย
Here is my article on college dorm must haves.
Electrical items on a gift registry for college students
For instance when my older Jane was shopping for her college dorm, we learned that certain kinds of power strips or surge protectors were not allowed in her dorm. Her school would allow power strip surge protectors with a head that plugged in flush to the wall only. No other kind was allowed. Also, no extension cords.
With Annieโs college, certain small electrical items were OK to bring. So, we happily added a Keurig coffee machine to her gift registry. However, even though she would have loved to have brought a mini microwave oven for midnight popcorn popping, it wasnโt allowed.
Again, having a college dorm registry to highlight approved items can help with gift buying. It canโt 100 percent prevent people from purchasing something not on the registry that the college doesnโt want students to bring. However, it can help guide people to approved items.
How do I create a college registry?
The best way to create a registry is to find a store that lets college students registry for gifts. I know of two brick-and-mortar retailers with well-known gift registries that include college students. These stores also have online components to make gift shopping easier.
In addition, there are three online companies and retailers that will also let college students create a gift registry. At least one has something called a universal gift registry.
What is a universal gift registry
Hereโs what a university gift registry means. You can register at multiple stores through the one site. This makes it easier for you to share shopping information with friends and family members who might want to buy you a gift.
Refer to your schoolโs dorm shopping list
Once youโve identified where you want to make your gift registry for going away to college, you can use the dorm shopping list from your school to add items to your registry. Then, once complete, youโll likely get a unique link to your registry page to share with well wishers.
Another benefit to creating this college dorm registry is it gives people an option for finding gift ideas beyond the start of the school year. That is, when the studentโs birthday comes up or the December gift holidays, youโll have a ready-made resource for purchasing presents for them.
Where can I create a college dorm registry
Like I said Iโve identified retailers that offer gift registries for college students. They are:
Iโve done a brief overview of each storeโs registry program so you can decide which one works the best for a college student in your life.ย
Target gift registry for college students
Like I mentioned above, we created a college dorm registry at Target for my daughter Annie. In fact, I wrote about our experience in this blog post review of the Target college dorm registry.
Some of the reasons we chose Target
Here are some reasons why we decided to shop at Target. One, we knew Annie would need twin XL sheets for her dorm. Having shopped for her sisterโs dorm two years earlier, we discovered that Target has one of the best selections of twin XL or extra long bed sheets.
Check out the jersey knit ones if youโre in the market. They feel like your favorite t-shirt.
Convenient shopping at Target
Two, Target stores are everywhere. So, registering and shopping at Target is always easy and convenient.
Three, thereโs always the option for shopping online at Target.com. It was our last resort when we realized weโd forgotten pillows to pack for her older sister to go to college. We ordered them online and then picked them up in store a few hours later.
Fourth, you earn points and discounts. The Target app has a reward program that gives you money off purchases. And, when you register at Target, you get a Target college registry discount promo code to spend on anything that remains on your registry.
College school supplies at Target
Another reason I like the idea of a Target college registry is simple. Not only can you buy supplies for a dorm but also you can find everything you need for college school supplies.
That means you can add everything from spiral notebooks to book bags to your registry. How convenient is that?
Target college gift registry favorites
Here are some of our favorite items and most recommended gift ideas from Target for a college dorm registry.
Click here to learn more about setting up a Target gift registry for college students.
This article outlines all stores with a price match policy.
MyRegistry gift registry for college students
I recently learned about MyRegistry. Then, I added it to my blog post about wedding registries with the best perks for brides and grooms. Now Iโve discovered that MyRegistry includes the option for college students.ย
This option is to create a bona fide gift registry or just a gift wish list. Whatโs the difference? Nothing really. Because either way youโre identifying items that your college student would like to receive before heading back to campus.
Universal gift registry
Rather than registering at just one store for gifts, MyRegistry offers college students (and everyone else) something called a universal gift registry. This means that you can add items from stores worldwide to your registry. Then, MyRegistry organizes them all in one place for easy shopping for gift givers.
You can visit the MyRegistry page here for a list of participating stores.
The company says it is always adding new ones, from major retailers like Target to small boutiques with a single location.ย
In visiting that store location page on MyRegistry.com, I saw retailers ranging from A to Z, literally. MyRegistry includes retailers ranging from Ace Hardware and the Apple Store (yes, the Apple Store) to Zappos and Zazzle. It even includes stores in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
MyRegistry college gift registry favorites
Here are some of our favorite items and most recommended gift ideas from MyRegistry for a college dorm registry.
Click here to learn more about setting up a MyRegistry gift registry for college students.
DormCo gift registry for college students
The products youโll find on the DormCo siteโand therefore can add to your gift registryโare wide ranging. There are items you can expect for college students, such as the often-mentioned twin extra long bed sheets. But youโll also find unexpected items, such as something called the bed post shelf.
I mention the bed post shelf, because itโs what the DormCo founder created when he was an undergraduate student in Ohio. He saw a need for a dorm product that didnโt existโa shelf to go on your bedside when you didnโt have room for a tableโand launched DormCo a few years later. (By the way, that bed post shelf is now available at big retailers like Amazon.)
Anyway, at DormCo you can register for dorm room decor that you might not find on other websites or other college gift registries. So, if youโre looking for unique items to furnish your dorm room, I would recommend setting up a gift registry on DormCo.
DormCo college gift registry
Here is one example of the unique items you can register for through the DormCo college dorm registry.
Click here to learn more about setting up a DormCo gift registry for college students.
Amazon gift registry for college students
When setting up an Amazon gift registry for college students, youโre actually creating a custom gift wish list on Amazon. Only wedding registries and baby registries on Amazon are legit registries. For any other occasion, Amazon calls it a gift list.
You can add any item you find on Amazon to your custom gift wish list. Once your list is created you can share with family and friends.ย
Starting your Amazon college gift wish list
Not sure where to get started on your Amazon college gift wish list? Then, check out this page called โOff to College.โ It includes all of the shopping categories a college student will want to hit up, from bedding to electronics.
In addition, donโt forget to sign your college student up for Amazon Prime Student. You can try Amazon Prime Student for free for six months.
Each of my daughters relied on Prime Student during their four years at college. It saved them money on everything from school books to snacks.
Finally, like with Target, you can add college school supplies to the Amazon gift registry list. Then, you can have everything shipped to your studentโs college mailbox.
Here is my blog post on ways for college students to save money.
Amazon college gift registry wish list favorites
Here are some of our favorite items and most recommended gift ideas from Amazon for a college dorm registry.
Click here to learn more about setting up an Amazon gift registry for college students.
Final thoughts on a gift registry for college students
I know that for some people, registering for gifts feels like begging for presents. Thatโs understandable.
So, if youโre not comfortable creating a college dorm registry officially, at least have a gift wish list ready. That way if people reach out and ask what your child needs for college, youโll have legit ideas to share with people.