Tickets

Details relevant to school ceremonies, including ticket requirements, are at the discretion of each individual school. For information regarding individual school ceremony tickets, please visit your school ceremony page and/or reach out to your school's listed contact with any questions.

All graduating students who wish to participate in University Commencement must register for their tickets online for themselves and their guests. Graduates are responsible for distributing tickets to their guests directly. Viewing locations will differ for guests as our venues reach capacity. We encourage students to register their participation and reserve tickets early.

  • Undergraduates may register for up to four (4) guest tickets
  • Graduates may register for up to two (2) guest tickets
  • All graduating students participating in University Commencement will need a graduate ticket to enter upper campus on the morning of University Commencement. All children over the age of three require a ticket.

At registration, guest tickets will be assigned to specific seating locations on a first-come, first-served basis. All students will have the opportunity to register their guests for tickets on the South Lawn of Morningside campus (outdoor venue). Once outdoor seating capacity is reached, multiple indoor venues will become available within the University Commencement registration platform.

The campus will be closed to the general public and guests will only be admitted to the specific ceremony and location indicated on their assigned ticket.

Tickets will be checked at designated entrance gates to the Morningside campus beginning at the following times:

  • 7:00 a.m.: Morning Ceremony [9:00-10:30 a.m. ceremony time] 
  • 5:00 p.m. Evening Ceremony [6:30-8:00 p.m. ceremony time]

Non-graduating students and employees with a CUID may be on campus but should not expect to attend the ceremony without a ticket, as seating is very limited.

The selling or buying of University Commencement tickets is strictly prohibited. Please be cautious of offers to sell or buy Commencement tickets. Tickets hold no official resale value and may be unauthorized copies, therefore deemed unusable and denied on Commencement Day. Commencement tickets are solely for the purpose of allowing the friends and relatives of graduating students to attend the ceremony. Lost tickets will not be replaced.

Ticket requirements vary for the individual school ceremonies, including Class Day and graduations. Please reference School Ceremonies for further details regarding tickets and/or reach out to your school contact.

Ticket requirements vary for the individual school ceremonies, including Class Day and graduations. Please reference School Ceremonies for further details regarding tickets. For University Commencement, each undergraduate degree candidate may request up to four (4) guest tickets and graduate degree candidates may request up to two (2) guest tickets. 

Please note, ticket allocations are determined by the number of graduates, as well as spatial and security constraints of campus.

Graduating students will receive a notification from their individual school with instructions for registration and ticket reservations for University Commencement and school ceremonies.

All graduating students who wish to participate in Commencement are required to register for their tickets online, for themselves and their guests. When you become eligible to register, you will receive an email with the link to the ticket platform with instructions on how to complete registration and request tickets for your guests.

Every guest must present a guest ticket to access the University Commencement ceremonies at any general admission entrances for the outdoor seating area on Low Plaza, South Lawn, or any of the indoor viewing locations.

Ticket requirements vary for the individual school ceremonies, including Class Day and graduations. Please reference School Ceremonies for further details regarding tickets and reach out to the school contact listed on their page.

Please visit Columbia University’s Hub for Emergency Preparedness for latest health and safety policies.

 

Selling Commencement tickets is strictly prohibited. Please be cautious of offers to sell or buy Commencement tickets. Tickets hold no official resale value and may be unauthorized copies, therefore deemed unusable and denied on Commencement Day. Commencement tickets are solely for the purpose of allowing the friends and relatives of graduating students to attend the ceremony. The campus will be closed to the general public until the ceremony has ended.

Ticket requirements vary for the individual school ceremonies, including Class Day and graduations. Please reference School Ceremonies for further details regarding tickets and reach out to the school contact listed on their page.

The Commencement Office is not able to replace lost tickets or provide additional tickets in advance or on Commencement Day at campus entry points, however, you may appeal to your school if you have extenuating circumstances and require extra tickets. To find the appropriate contact, please visit School Ceremonies.

When you become eligible to register for University Commencement, you will receive an email with the link to the ticketing website with instructions on how to complete registration and request tickets for you and your guests.

If you receive an error indicating you are not registered, please reach out to your individual school contact to verify your eligibility.

For further assistance, visit University Commencement Tickets & Registration or contact us at [email protected].

All children over the age of three must have a ticket to attend University Commencement and children over the age of five must meet the University requirement of full vaccination status.

Due to space constraints, it is recommended that you leave strollers at home. There is no stroller parking or storage available; however, if you must bring a stroller to University Commencement, please do not use the general admission gates to enter. Please enter at the accessible gate at Amsterdam and 115th Street.

Please keep in mind that Commencement Day is a crowded outdoor event with little space to move around and may prove to be a challenging environment for small children. However, guests can also view the ceremony from Levien Gymnasium, an indoor, accessible viewing location.

Please visit Columbia University’s Hub for Emergency Preparedness for the latest health and safety policies.