15 Best Places to Order College Care Packages for Your Teen

Students love getting a college care package from their parents, the people who care about and miss them the most. A care package can be especially thoughtful at the beginning of freshman year, when your teen is getting settled in their new dorm room, but can be sent at any time throughout your teen’s college life.  Consider sending something when they are studying for midterms or final exams or for their birthday. A reminder from home is always welcome, especially if it includes treats they can share with roommates or hall mates.

While you might want to back cookies or assemble a personalized box of treat and small gifts, don’t let lack of time or meager baking skills hold you back. Sending a thoughtful gift is only a few keystrokes away.

Note: We are a reader supported site and receive compensation from orders placed through some of the links in this post. 

Where to order college care packages

1. CampusCube

CampusCube sends nutritious snacks plus high-quality and useful American-made gifts and everyday essentials. The founder tells us that she gets great feedback from college kids who say “they love or would like to try” what CampusCube offers. In addition to monthly box plans there are specialty options including gluten-free, nut-free and vegan boxes.

NOW! Save $5 on any single care package order — Discount code: GF5

Save 10% on any order of 3 or more care packages — Discount code: GF10

Here’s what the March box includes: 

• Kind Mango Apple Bar
• Kate’s Real Food Bar
• Microwave Cheddar Mac & Cheese
• Janis & Melanie Key Lime Shortbread Cookies
• Salted Caramel Popcorn
• Oreo Golden Mini Cookies
• Harvest Snaps
• Sour Power Mango Straws
• Siete Lime Jalapeno Tortilla Chips
• Mega Omega Fruit & Nut All Natural Trail Mix
• True Citrus All Natural Lemon, Lime & Grapefruit Drink Mixes
• Flower Lei and Sunshine Personalized Gift Card from you!

Upgraded package with “Snacks & Essentials:”

• Nectar unisex Sunglasses with Polarized Lenses with 100% UVA & UVB protection. Set includes a case and micro fiber cleaning cloth.

2. Hugabox

With a mission statement of “Send love and do good. Care packages with purpose,” Hugabox makes it easy for parents to send care packages to their teens in college who need a bit of love from home. With each box purchased, Hugabox donates to a leading Sarcoma Cancer research institute.  

Here’s where you can read about the courageous mom who lost her daughter to Sarcoma Cancer and started her Hugabox company to honor her daughter’s memory and raise funds for research. 

3. Wicked Good Cupcakes

In 2010 mother-daughter team, Tracey Noonan and Danielle Vilagie, took cake-decorating classes to spend quality time together. They launched their first store in October of 2011 in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Soon they came up with the idea of a cupcake in a jar.

In 2013, they successfully pitched their product on Shark Tank and made Wicked Good a household name. Choose between many yummy flavors and packs with 2, 4, or 6 jars. Your student will love this!

4. KIND Gifting Cubes

KIND will assemble a care package for you — we love these bars, and we love the mission of the KIND company.

Nice means well, but it’s not enough. Kind is different. Nice is polite, but it stays out of it. Kind is honest — it speaks up and rises to the occasion. Nice doesn’t add to problems, but Kind rolls up its sleeves and solves them. 

5. Amazon — Hangry Kit Snack Sampler

While perusing the digital aisles on Amazon, check out these Hangry Kits that come in various themes including this “giant hug” box.

6. The Popcorn Factory

A giant popcorn tin with three flavors, butter, caramel, and cheese, will be a crowd-pleaser with your student, their roommate, and hallmates.

7. Candy Club Subscription

Candy Club offers much to choose from for any student who has a sweet tooth.

8. Cookies from David’s Cookies

David’s Cookies come in multiple flavors and arrive in this durable tin.

Gourmet gift baskets

9. Mouth Gift Boxes

Shop the Mouth “Back to School Collection” to find unique, small-batch yummy snacks made by artisans around the US.

10. Cheryl’s Cookies

For over 40 years, Cheryl’s Cookies has baked their yummy cut-out cookies and iced them with their legendary buttercream frosting. They also sell a wide variety of cookies in dozens of flavors, plus brownies, cakes, and a variety of seasonal items, too.

11. Murray’s Cheese Shop 

If your teen loves savory snacks, consider a gift basket from Murray’s Cheese Shop. There is a very wide variety to choose from and we think this one, the “Slam Dunk Snacks” would be a great care package.

Slam Dunk Snack Box:

• Irish Cheddar
• Gouda
• Mini Brie
• Genoa Salami
• Proscutto
• Mitica Piedras de Chocolate
• Pitted Greek Olive Mix
• Crackers – Sea Salt and Olive Oil

College care package gifts

Sending a small gift that is NOT a snack is another way to show your student that you love them. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

12. Snappy

Choose a gift or gifts for your college student and they can either accept that or pick something else from a curated list of high-quality items. The Snappy approach to gift-giving is unique and your student would be thrilled with having a chance to do a little shopping and pick what they want, all from you!

(Note: Snappy offers both snacks and gift selections.)

13. Notes to Self Socks 

Founder Laura Schmidt created notes to self socks as a way to promote on of her favorite topics, positive affirmations, and how the subconscious mind is most receptive early in the morning and late at night.

A new pair of socks (or a few new pairs) make a great college care package item.

Now — use the promo code GROWNANDFLOWN at check out and take 12% off an order of $75 or more (and free shipping.) 

14. Bouqs Fowers

Want to send flowers to your college student but don’t know what the florists are in their college town? The Bouqs Company delivers farm-fresh flowers and plants with beautiful arrangements to choose from. Here are selections under $50.

15. Board Games

Board games are fun ways for students to unwind and these card and board games are some of the most popular ones.

You Might Also Want to Read:

College Care Packages From Home: 50 Great Ideas Here is a list of care package ideas you can order and organize into a highly-personalized box for your college student.