All-University Commencement

All-University Commencement for the Class of 2026 will take place on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Yankee Stadium.

On this Page: Graduate Checklist | Eligibility | Order of Exercises | Media Release

Graduate Checklist

Candidates are required to take specific steps to receive an All-University Commencement invitation and attend the ceremony. Complete the following steps to celebrate your graduation with us!

Please note that the All-University Commencement ceremony is only held in the spring. There is no university-wide ceremony for winter graduates.

All candidates must apply to graduate to receive an All-University Commencement invitation. The application will initiate a review of your degree requirements.

Graduation application deadlines:

  • January 2026 graduation application: closed on October 15, 2025
  • May 2026 graduation application: closed on February 15, 2026
  • August 2026 graduation application: Candidates wanting to receive a Commencement invitation are required to enroll in summer courses and submit their graduation application early (by April 17, 2026).

Visit the Applying for Graduation page for details.

All candidates and graduates must wear a cap and gown to attend Commencement. Keepsake academic attire is available for purchase for home shipping or on-campus pickup until Friday, April 3. Candidates can also purchase attire at the Kimmel Center in early May. See the Academic Attire page to order today.

Tickets are required to attend All-University Commencement. Candidates are not automatically granted tickets, and no one will be allowed into the ceremony without a ticket.

Eligible candidates who wish to attend Commencement must order one ticket for themselves, with the option to order up to two guest tickets and opt in to a ticket lottery. 

Candidates will receive an email to order tickets for themselves and their guests before the ticket order deadline (Wednesday, April 22, at 11:59 p.m. ET). See the Tickets page for details.

  • Know Before You Go

    Everything you and your guests should know to attend Commencement at Yankee Stadium.

    Commencement Day Guide

Eligibility

All-University Commencement participation is available to candidates earning credit-bearing degrees for the current academic year. The recognition of advanced certificates at Commencement is determined by each school.

The May 2026 All-University Commencement ceremony will include:

  1. Fall 2025/January 2026 graduates: Those who have earned degrees or advanced certificates of study in January 2026 and applied for graduation by October 15, 2025.
  2. May 2026 candidates: Those who are candidates for a degree or advanced certificate of study in May 2026 and applied for graduation by February 15, 2026.
  3. August 2026 candidates: Those who are candidates for a degree or advanced certificate of study in August 2026, enroll in summer coursework, and apply early for graduation by April 17, 2026. August 2026 candidates will not be invited to the May 2027 Commencement ceremony.
Learn More About Applying for Graduation

NYU Stern BS/MS in Accounting candidates completing their program in August 2026 will be invited to Stern's Undergraduate Baccalaureate ceremony and All-University Commencement in May 2026. Candidates will also be invited to Stern's Graduate Convocation ceremony in May 2027.

© Myaskovsky: Courtesy of the NYU Photo Bureau

Order of Exercises

The Commencement Exercises include remarks by university leadership, a student speaker, the awarding of honorary degrees to several distinguished individuals, the conferring of degrees to students, and the passing of the university torch, among other elements.

It is not possible to recognize each individual student by name at the All-University Commencement. Deans introduce each class as a whole and a student representative from the school, who was selected in advance, receives a symbolic diploma on behalf of their classmates.

Schedule

9:00 a.m.: Gates open for candidates and guests
11:00 a.m.: Faculty and platform party processions, followed by the ceremony
1:00 p.m.: Ceremony concludes (approx.)

Please be aware that by attending New York University’s All-University Commencement Exercises, you consent to your voice, name, and/or likeness being used, without compensation, in films, tapes, and photography, and you release New York University from any liability on account of such use.