University Commencement
Columbia University’s Commencement ceremony of the 272nd academic year will take place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, with two celebrations held on the Morningside Campus: one for graduate degree candidates and one for undergraduate degree candidates.
Ceremony Schedule
University Commencement: Graduate Ceremony
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Architecture, Planning and Preservation
- Arts
- Business School
- Climate School
- Dental Medicine
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (Graduate Students)
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- International and Public Affairs
- Journalism School
- Law School
- Mailman School of Public Health
- Nursing
- Professional Studies
- Social Work
- Teachers College
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
University Commencement: Undergraduate Ceremony
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
- Barnard College
- Columbia College
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (Undergraduate Students)
- General Studies
Additional Information
All eligible February, May and June 2026 degree candidates, and October 2025 graduates, from all schools and colleges affiliated with Columbia University, are encouraged to participate in the celebration and will receive information about how to register for tickets.
For information on getting to the ceremony, including parking and public transportation, please visit our Directions & Parking page.
By participating in the University Commencement ceremony and/or your school-specific ceremony, all participants are giving consent to being photographed, filmed, and recorded. Please note that these photos and recordings may be shared publicly or on social media at the discretion of the University, and an archived video will be made available online for viewing after the event.
University Commencement is a centuries-old tradition dating back to 1758. This year, we are celebrating with two ceremonies on Columbia University’s Morningside Campus on May 20, 2026.
The University President presides over this historic moment. Degrees are symbolically conferred en masse upon graduating students from Columbia’s nineteen schools, colleges, and affiliate institutions. Remarkable members of the Columbia community and special guests are recognized through the bestowal of medals, awards, and honorary degrees.
While each school also hosts an individual graduation ceremony, the University President is the only person who can confer the degrees. As part of the tradition, each dean steps forward to request that the President confer degrees on the school’s candidates, a memorable highlight of the day. After the symbolic conferral of all degrees, cheers, applause, and celebration ensue as the class officially graduates.
The sequence of degree conferrals remains meticulously structured, reflecting historical precedence and the distribution of advanced and terminal degree programs. Both ceremonies will feature these traditions, ensuring that graduate and undergraduate students alike experience the pride and excitement of this historic occasion.
With thousands of degree candidates, participants, and guests in attendance, each ceremony will be an unforgettable celebration that appropriately marks the academic achievements of Columbia graduates. No degree candidate officially graduates until the University Commencement ceremony concludes.
Teaching Awards
Presidential Awards for Outstanding Teaching are given to faculty and graduate student instructors who have significantly influenced the intellectual development of Columbia students. For more information about this award, visit Office of the Provost.
Mentoring Awards
Faculty Mentoring Awards, inspired by the incredible mentoring legacy of Columbia Business School Professor Katherine W. Phillips, are given to senior faculty who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the professional development of their junior colleagues. For more information about this award, visit Office of the Provost.
Service Awards
Faculty Service Awards recognize full-time faculty whose extraordinary and creative voluntary service has contributed significantly to the University’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. For more information about this award, visit Office of the Provost.
Honorary Degrees
Each year at Commencement, the University bestows honorary degrees on esteemed individuals who exemplify the University's ideals through their significant scholarly, artistic, or societal achievements or contributions. An honorary degree is the highest honor the University can bestow on an individual, and the Trustees seek to ensure recognition for achievements across all areas of study and fields of academia. For more information about this award, visit Office of the Secretary
University Medal for Excellence
The University Medal for Excellence is awarded at Commencement to an alumnus or alumna under 45 years of age whose record in scholarship, public service, and/or professional life is outstanding. Graduates from all divisions of the University, including Barnard College and Teachers College, are eligible for consideration. For more information about this award, visit Office of the Secretary