How 'bout mixing school colors with batiks in a harmonic convergence quilt? It's modern, classy, adaptable, and best of all - strip pieced.
By adding borders, you can customize with personal touches - maybe using quilting stitches to add recipient's name, or a pattern suited specifically to them - like pine trees for a forestry major, fish or critters for biology, etc.
http://www.rickytims.com/convergence_gallery.htm
Here is a nice one Yvonne made -
http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/813.page