The best college swag ideas are here and perfect for getting noticed and promoting your university!
In the competitive landscape of higher education, attracting the brightest minds and athletes to your institution is vital. Luckily, with eye-catching personalized giveaways for college students you can market your logo with gear that gets noticed.
Types of College Swag
Universities have lots of options when it comes time to invest in memorable recruiting swag. Best of all, the following college promotional products offer prime ways to show off your college name.
Accessories
Accessories cover a wide range of items, and for companies looking for lightweight items for transporting to college fairs, you can’t go wrong with branded items like hats, beanies, scrunchies, totes, keychains, stickers, patches, and the like. With so many options available, discovering the perfect swag in your budget just got easier.
Decor + Home Goods
For college students who are going away for the first time, having cool decor to show off their college is exciting! Consider items like custom towels, branded game balls, pennant flags, and more.
Clothing
Custom apparel remains a top gift for universities since recruits look forward to showing off their college spirit. If you’re looking for college swag ideas that won’t disappoint, look at tees, hoodies, jackets, joggers, shorts, socks, and more!
Tips for designing trendy college swag for recruitment
For swag-worthy promotional items on-brand, professional customization is a must! To get the awe-inspiring designs your students want, consider the following.
1. Use school colors
While it may seem like branding 101, having your logo isn’t enough, you want recruiting swag that’s easy to identify.
2. Include school logo
It goes without saying but your recipients want to show off their future alma mater. So when it comes to giveaways for college students put your marketing efforts front and center!
3. Consider Budget
While being limited to a budget isn't always fun, it does help narrow your selection! And, when it comes to college swag ideas, there are many ways to make your investment go farther. Talk to your Gemnote rep for ways you can save on customization, bulk orders and more.
4. Research items that are popular among students
When it comes to knowing what your college students want, just look to your Gemnote rep for the best ideas. They can even create a curated idea board featuring the best in branded college promotional items—all within your budget!
Impact of College Swag
You can’t underestimate the impact on trends college promotional items make!
Connecting students through a shared school spirit
College promotional products create a sense of unity among students, fostering a shared school spirit.
Supporting your college’s athletics program
Swag for college students can play a crucial role in supporting and boosting the visibility of your college's athletics program.
Promoting a positive association with the university
With recruiting swag items, you have the opportunity to promote a positive and lasting association with the university and a strong sense of loyalty among alumni and current students alike.
24 Ideas for College Swag and Promotional Items
Needing a little recruiting swag inspiration? Look no further than our list of trend-worthy faves!
1. Mesh Shorts
Mesh shorts are an easy favorite for marketing your school’s logo and school colors. Plus, when it comes to college promotional products students want, mesh shorts are a relaxed favorite on and off campus.
2. Varsity Jackets
Really looking to impress your recruits? You can’t go wrong with a custom varsity jacket that delivers the ultimate warmth on cold days and unrivaled college spirit!
3. Pen Holder
Unforgettable swag for college students doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel! Case in point, custom pencil holders that score major points for fun and functionality. Talk to your Gemnote rep for even more ideas.
4. Pencils
This old-school basic remains a favorite! And, when it comes to personalizing, ensuring your branding stays sharp is where Gemnote excels.
5. Eraser Pack with Logo
Everyone makes mistakes, but when it comes to college swag ideas your recruits will actually use, branded erasers make for inexpensive college promotional items. They’re the everyday essential that helps everything flow just right.
6. Custom Backpack
Quite possibly the most important college essential after a laptop, help your college get the recognition it deserves by standing out at college fairs and on campus!
7. Game Towel
Are you representing your school at numerous college fairs this year to promote your university’s sports and academia? Game towels are perfect for showing off your logo!
8. Rugby Shirt
A little retro, a lot of cool. The classic rugby shirt is back and with it comes lots of great branding options. Rugby shirts make excellent swag for college students as well as uniforms for your university’s events.
9. Nylon Pullover
Pullovers offer an easy-to-care-for, on-the-go style students love. Plus, with fabrications like polyester that won’t shrink or wrinkle, a nylon pullover, could easily become their favorite staple.
10. Branded Wool Hat
A collegiate-style wool hat is perfect for maintaining a crisp look in cooler weather. Plus, they offer the perfect backdrop for showing off your school vibes with embroidery or a patch too!
11. Pennant Flag
For easy, inexpensive college swag ideas, think personalized pennants! They’re fun for showing off that college spirit on game days and using as decor.
12. Corduroy Hat
Hats come in all shapes, sizes, and fabrications, so if you’re looking for an upgrade to the common baseball style, corduroy is a great option. Talk to your Gemnote rep about options for design, customization, and even bulk orders!
13. Branded Basketball
You don’t have to be recruiting athletes to provide sports-themed giveaways for college students, and your recipients will be glad you did!
In the market for great fitness swag? Gemnote can help there too.
14. Wide Mouth Water Bottle
To keep your students hydrated while promoting your college, what’s better than a wide-mouth bottle that’s perfect for holding ice too? Mugs and tumblers are known to stand out amongst college promotional items.
15. Customized Velour Jackets
For a jacket that turns heads, you can’t go wrong with the silky soft velour that’s on trend and pairs perfectly with custom labels, patches, or embroidery.
16. Reusable Tote Bags
If you’re looking for giveaways for college students, eco-friendly, sustainable totes always make the grade. Perfect for holding all the essentials, it’s the recruiting swag recipients can use long after their college career begins.
17. Athletic Short
Cool, comfortable, and available in all sizes and colors, custom athletic shorts make ideal swag for college students and are perfect for adding to your campus swag store.
18. Personalized Hoodie
The prized college swag essential is here! When it comes to showing off their top school, well-designed hoodies go the distance in both eternal style and marketing recruiting power! They also make ideal swag for interns and gifts for employees.
19. Branded Crewneck
Whether you offer a branded crewneck along with other branded apparel like tees and socks, or as a stand-alone giveaway, it’s the one wardrobe basic they’ll reach for again and again.
20. Timeless Planner
Organization is a must when it comes to hitting the books. So if you’re looking for sustainable swag your recipient can use long after the recruiting process is over, a customized timeless planner is always appreciated.
21. Laptop Sleeve
A universal favorite amongst college students! Help them protect their most trusted school companion with a custom laptop sleeve showcasing your university! For ultimate kudos, pair it with a patch so they can make it their own.
22. Custom Patches
What’s so great about a patch? Their effortless versatility! As for branding options, custom patches can be designed in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors, and designs. And, best of all, your recipients can use them to market your school logo (and their college spirit!) on everything from backpacks and totes to hats and more.
23. Hotel Keychains
Hotel keychains make for college swag that’s a little retro and on-trend. Plus, it’s a must-have basic that’s perfect for keeping keys together or even attached to backpacks and bags as a decorative accessory.
24. Sharpie Marker
What’s more useful than a permanent marker to label their things? One with your university’s branding of course! Just make sure you order extra since your staff will want one too.
Browse Customizable Swag and Promotional Items for Recruitment
When it comes to great swag that’s on-trend for even the most savvy of recruits, look to a company like Gemnote that specializes in creating unforgettable promotional products. There’s a lot more branded merch where this came from too! For additional ideas, talk to your Gemnote rep about getting a curated collection of items that are fit to be customized! Or, check out the Gemnote Lookbook for additional swag categories, brands, and major inspiration!
