While Costco is a great place to buy groceries, home improvement items, and more, it is also a great place to shop when college season comes around. Many components go into a college student’s room, both big and small. If you’re looking for the best Costco dorm essentials before you head back to college, these items might be perfect for you. 

Related: What Are the Main Costco Benefits That Come with a Membership?

1. Noise Canceling Headphones

Costco dorm essentials: Beats headphones

Studying for a test or working on homework can be hard when there’s a lot of noise around you. Costco offers several brands and types of noise-canceling headphones, but Beats Studio Pro is one of the best. With active noise canceling (ANC) and transparency mode, you can hear what you want for up to 40 hours of battery life. 

2. Portable Stow-away Safe

portable stow-away safe

While you can keep your dorm room locked, sometimes it’s nice to have a little extra protection when it comes to the valuables in your room. Small containers like this Sentry Safe can easily slide under your bed, with solid-steel construction and heavy-duty locks. 

3. Mattress Topper

Costco dorm essentials: mattress topper

If you’ve been to college already or have an older sibling, you’ll know the mattresses can be a little tough on the body. Buying a highly-rated mattress topper can be a great way to add cushioning to your bed in an affordable way. The Novaform 3” Topper is just one of the many options that Costco offers its customers. 

Check Out: What Is the Best Costco Mattress You Can Buy?

4. Mini Fridge

mini fridge and freezer

Mini-fridges are a must in a college dorm, from stocking snacks and drinks to pre-made meals when you don’t want to visit the dining hall. Costco sells various appliances, including mini-fridges like the Danby Dual Door, which has a reversible door hinge and tempered glass shelves. 

5. Tower Fan

Costco dorm essentials: tower fan

Dorm rooms can get seriously hot, especially when you first get there in August and September. Thankfully, you can bring fans into the dorm rooms. While small circle fans are useful, tower fans like the Omnibreeze are a great way to save space and keep your room cool. The Omnibreeze has four breeze modes and is Wi-Fi compatible, so you can control your fan from anywhere. 

6. First Aid Kit

first aid kit

Having a first aid kit in your room is perfect for small cuts or other injuries, saving a trip to the on-campus clinic. This particular first aid kit comes with 312 pieces, so you should be able to make it through most of college without restocking. 

Also Read: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Costco 2-Day Delivery

7. Keurig

Costco dorm essentials: Keurig coffee maker

Early morning classes are hard to get up for, but having a small coffee maker in your dorm can give you that much-needed boost to get to class. Costco sells a great option through Keurig with the Single Serve machine including pods, a water filter, and a reusable coffee filter. 

8. Cleaning Supplies

Clorox wipes 5-pack

While you should always deep clean your room when unpacking, keeping your room clean throughout the semester is super important. Costco has tons of cleaning supplies from laundry soap to all-purpose cleaners. Pick up this 5-pack of Clorox wipes, which comes with three lemon-scented and two fresh-scented containers. 

9. Cutlery

Costco dorm essentials: plastic cutlery

If you have food in your mini fridge, then you’ll probably want to have some cutlery on hand. Many dorms don’t have access to a dishwasher or even a large kitchen sink, so skip doing dishes and opt for Kirkland Signature’s plastic cutlery. Each box comes with 180 forks, 120 spoons, and 60 knives for a seemingly endless supply. 

Check Out: Top Household Items You Should Buy at Costco to Save Money

10. Paper Products

Kirkland Signature paper towels

When living in a dorm, you won’t usually have to buy products like toilet paper, but other paper products are a must. Paper towels are one of these items, as they can be used as a napkin, cleaning tool, or taking on the go with a snack. Kirkland Signature is one of the best brands at Costco for quality products on a budget — try this one that comes with 12 rolls. 

11. Cereal

Costco dorm essentials: General Mills cereal variety pack

Heading to the dining hall for breakfast can sometimes be a hassle, but you can prepare by stocking your dorm room with a few essentials. Costco sells a large selection of boxed cereals, but they also sell single-serving containers too, so you can bring them on the go. This General Mills variety box has Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Honey Nut Cheerios. 

12. Coffee

Starbucks Pike Place medium roast coffee

You can’t make coffee for an early-morning class or late-night cram session without Keurig coffee. Costco has a wide selection of both K-Cups and loose coffee from brands like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Kirkland Signature. Plus, these coffees go on sale periodically, so keep your eye out while walking through the aisle. 

Read Next: Ranking the Best Costco Coffee In-Store and Online

Will Costco Have Back-to-School Sales?

Though Costco is not yet advertising when their back-to-school sales are happening in-store, we tend to see these pop up in September. We have compiled a Costco clearance calendar for all of our Costco97 readers showing what upcoming products to expect for each month. And along with that comes clearance to make room for new items on the shelves! 

School supplies start to appear in warehouses in August, including notebooks, pens, paper, backpacks, etc. These products stay in the store for about a month before getting put on clearance in September. While this may be after most colleges start, you can still take advantage of all the sales and discounts offered through Costco. 

Stocking up on supplies for college does not have to be expensive or stressful. At Costco, you can get all the Costco dorm essentials you need and more, so you’ll always be ready for the next semester.