20 Best College Care Package Ideas Every Student Will Love

If you know a friend or someone in college and want to show them you care, sending a college care package is the perfect way to do that. Whether you’re sending it to a friend, brother, sister, daughter, or son, a college care package is a thoughtful and sweet gesture that every student will love! These are the best college care package ideas that students will actually want!

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This post is all about the best college care package ideas

What goes in a college care package?

If you plan to send a college care package, you’re probably asking what you should put in it. First, let’s go over what not to put in a college care package.

It’s pretty much a no-brainer, but perishable food items that need to be kept cold really shouldn’t go in a college care package if you’re sending it via mail. This doesn’t include cookies or desserts that can last a while if packaged correctly. We’re talking no fruits, vegetables, or home-cooked meals that will spoil.

So what do you put in a college care package? Well, two things you can’t go wrong with are money and food. Pretty much any college student will be happy to receive those as a gift. But regarding other items, you’ll want to think about what the student you’re sending it to likes. Maybe they enjoy a certain lotion or perfume, lip balm, or snack. You’ll want to include their favorite small items in your care package.

You could also include a thoughtful note with your package and items that fit a particular theme. Some themes include a self-care college care package or holiday themed college care package. Other items might consist of gift cards and dorm room essentials they might be running out of. Think small items, yet things they’ll actually use or need.

20 Best College Care Package Ideas

#1 Snack Care Package

First up on the list of best college care package ideas is including loads of snacks. Every student will love to receive their favorite snacks and foods they can munch on in their dorm room or while studying. Snacks are something they’ll both want and need and are perfect for when they’re on the go all day at college.

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#2 Exam Survival Kit

Next on the list of best college package ideas is a final exam survival kit. You can send snacks, yummy candy or desserts, and encouraging messages to accompany them as they study. You could even get a stress-relief care package to help them relax during finals week. It’s a cute way to encourage them and make finals week or midterms less dreadful.

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#3 Movie Night College Care Package

Another fun college care package idea that students will love is a movie night box. Send them popcorn, candy, and yummy movie night snacks for them to chill out and use when they watch their favorite movies while away at college.

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#4 Favorites Basket

Another great college care package to give is a favorites box. Include their favorite drinks, gum, beauty products, snacks, etc. This is a thoughtful care package idea that’ll make them feel special and make them know how much you love them and miss them.

#5 Holiday Themed

Part of college is missing some holidays. If you want to show the college student you love that you’re thinking of them, make a fun holiday-themed care package. Decorate a box with cute holiday-themed paper, stickers, or decorations, and fill it with snacks that fit the holiday season.

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#6 Feel Better Care Package

If you know a college student who’s sick, make them a “feel better” box. You can fill this box with extra medicine, tissues, tea, cough drops, and snacks to help them feel better while sick at college.

#7 Seasonal Care Package

A cute care package idea to help college students celebrate the changing seasons is a seasonal care package. You can make one with seasonal decorations or paper. For winter you could fill your box with hot cocoa, while in fall you could fill it with pumpkin spice flavored snacks or tea. During spring you might includes items such as sunglasses and games for a rainy day.

#8 Midnight Munchies Box

This midnight munchies-themed care package for college is adorable. Fill this themed care package with late-night candy and snacks. I can’t even count the amount of times my friends and I made runs to the gas station for late-night snacks in college. This care package with loads of snacks would have been a lifesaver when I was in college. These midnight munchies will go fast for sure.

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#9 Something Out of the Blue College Care Package

Another cute and thoughtful care package idea is to write “Something out of the blue because we love you.” It’s a cute and caring message that’ll make any college student feel cared for. You can fill it with snacks that come in blue packages to lean into the theme even more.

#10 Just BEE-Cause We Love You Box

This care package idea is absolutely adorable. It says “Just Bee-cause we love you.” Fill this box with yellow packaged items such as Burt’s Bees chapstick, granola bars, yellow Oreos, etc. It’s a great little pick-me-up, especially if they’re feeling homesick while at college.

#11 A Box of Sunshine

Sticking with the yellow theme is this college care package idea that says “Sending you a box of sunshine.” It’s an adorable message that will make college students feel loved and will let them know you’re thinking of them and miss them. To stick with the theme, fill it with yellow packaged products such as yellow nail polish, yellow fuzzy socks, and other cute snacks or self-care items. You could also make your life easier and get a pre-assembled box of sunshine care package.

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#12 Life is Ruff Without You

This is easily one of the best college care package ideas every student will love. If you have dogs at home, it’s likely college students miss them while they’re away at school. Make a college care package that is from your family dogs that says, “Life is RUFF without you.” Fill it with sweet goodies and pictures of your family dogs to make any college student smile.

#13 Self-Care Package

This is such a cute college care package idea for any time of the year. A self-care college gift box filled with cute face masks, beauty products, nail polish, and their favorite desserts will show them you care. It’s a great way to help college students prioritize self-care throughout the year which can easily be neglected as they get stressed-out and busy with work and exams.

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#14 I’m Pinking of You Box

A super cute care package for college students that you can put together quickly is a pink-themed box that says, “I’m Pinking of you.” Obviously a play on words and totally adorable. Fill it up with pink items and pink packaged snacks to fit the theme. It’s cute, girly, and a themed care package that every student will appreciate.

#15 We Miss You a Choco-LOT

Another one of the best college care package ideas that you can easily replicate is a care package that says “We miss you a choco-LOT.” It’s a sweet message (no pun intended) that’ll make every student smile when they receive it. Fill it up with chocolate desserts and chocolate-flavored snacks to satisfy their sweet tooth while away at school.

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#16 Lucky Box

One of the most difficult parts of college is taking exams. Send a college student you love a lucky-themed care package before major exams to make them feel more encouraged. It’s a fun way to wish them good luck on their tests while showing them how much you care for and love them.

#17 This is the Whey Box

If you know a college student who loves to work out or is an athlete, this is the perfect care package idea for them. Fill the box with whey protein snacks such as snack bars, protein powder, or even protein chips. It’s a fun way to help them restock on all their protein food items and fuel your college workout lover or athlete.

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#18 I Love You Care Package

If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend at college, this is such a cute care package to send. Write a simple “I love you” with Hershey Kisses, chocolates, and heart-shaped candy. It’s simple but such a cute and wholesome gesture that will show your boyfriend or girlfriend at college that you miss them.

#19 Sending You a Whole Llama Love

Another adorable idea for a college student care package is this “Sending you a whole llama love.” It’s such a cute play on words and will help show any college student that you love them. If they’re a bit homesick, this will make them feel comforted and cared for.

#20 Game Day College Care Package

No one can miss college game day, which is why this is one of the best college care package ideas! Send them everything they’ll need to prepare for tailgates and include loads of college game day accessories. This can include scrunchies or headbands in their school colors, a tumbler, a can cooler, a clear bag, a mini handheld fan, temporary tattoos in their school’s colors or mascot, or lots of yummy snacks.

If you want to send someone a college care package, be creative and have fun with it. It’s a sweet way to show any college student that you care about them and miss them while they’re at school. Use these best college care package ideas to assemble a box and add some personalized messages to make them even more special!

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20 Best College Care Package Ideas Every Student Will Love

This post is all about the best college care package ideas

What goes in a college care package?