Students are ready to spend for the holdiays: A national survey of student holiday shopping habits

College students are opening their wallets this holiday season. 96% plan to buy gifts, 60% plan to splurge on themselves, and most are shopping well before Cyber Monday hits. They're also quick to spread the word: nearly 8 in 10 students share good deals with their friends.

Key findings

• 70% of college students look forward to holiday deals, and 79% share good deals with their peers.
• Apparel, electronics, beauty, entertainment, and home goods are the most-anticipated categories for holiday sales.
• Students expect to spend an average of $586 on holiday gifts and self-purchases combined.
• 81% of students will do most of their shopping at large online retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target.
• Shopping peaks between November 15 and December 15, though 1 in 7 students are still shopping in the back half of December.

Students are most excited to shop five categories

College students are most excited to shop holiday sales for apparel, electronics, beauty products, entertainment, and home goods. That excitement splits by gender: women are more drawn to beauty and home goods deals, while men prioritize electronics and entertainment. Both groups are equally excited about apparel and electronics.

Over 70% of students say holiday sales like Black Friday or Cyber Monday motivate them to make purchases. They don't keep good deals to themselves, either: 79% of students share deals and sales with their friends. In the close-knit environment of a college campus, reaching one well-connected student can have a powerful multiplier effect.

Students are ready to spend, and splurge

96% of students plan to buy holiday gifts, spending an average of $359. They're also treating themselves: 60% say they're likely to splurge on something for themselves, spending an average of $227. Together, that's an average holiday spend of $586 per student.

Students favor online shopping and large retailers over small boutiques

Students plan to do most of their shopping at large online retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target, followed by in-store shopping at major retailers. Small boutiques and specialty ecommerce stores like Etsy have a smaller, but meaningful, footprint in students' carts.

Holiday shopping peaks by mid-December

College students buy gifts throughout the holiday season, though shopping peaks between November 15 and December 15. Still, 1 in 7 students say they'll be holiday shopping in the second half of December.

What students want, and what they plan to give

We also asked students what holiday gifts they wanted most this year. Money topped the list. Beyond that, apparel and accessories, personal care, and electronics dominate student wishlists, accounting for 9 of the 10 most-wanted gifts. Books and manga are the one outlier.

Methodology

We surveyed over 1,200 college students in 2025 to assess their holiday shopping plans, spending, and gift preferences. Responses were analyzed to identify category preferences, spending habits, and shopping timelines heading into the holiday season.

Bottom line

College students plan to spend meaningfully this holiday season, both on gifts for others and on themselves. Purchase intent is high, the shopping window runs well past the usual Black Friday and Cyber Monday rush, and the categories students givev most as gifts are largely the same ones they want for themselves, meaning messaging built for one audience likely works for the other. And because students share deals with their peers at a high rate, a campaign's real reach on campus is probably larger than impressions alone would suggest.