All candidates and graduates must wear a cap and gown to attend Commencement and school ceremonies. The last day to order keepsake attire for home shipping or on-campus pickup was Friday, April 10. Online ordering is no longer available.

If you did not place an online order for academic attire, you can purchase it in person at the Kimmel Center from Friday, May 8, to Wednesday, May 13 (excluding Sunday, May 10). See the on-campus distribution schedule.

Yes, all candidates must wear NYU academic attire to enter Yankee Stadium.

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.

No. NYU strictly prohibits the direct or indirect sale or auction of All-University Commencement tickets. Tickets are free and available only to eligible candidates in the Class of 2026 and their guests. Ticket(s) may not be used for advertising, promotion (including contests, giveaways, or sweepstakes), or other trade or commercial purposes. Students engaging in such activities, as well as any other activity that disrupts the administration of the ceremony and/or violates the Yankee Stadium Security Policies or any NYU student conduct policy, will be subject to NYU disciplinary sanctions. The Yankees and NYU reserve the right to investigate violations of the License applicable to NYU's use of Yankee Stadium.

No. School ceremonies and All-University Commencement are separate events, and both require unique tickets. Visit the School Ceremonies page for information about your school-specific ceremony and how to reserve tickets.

The All-University Commencement ceremony recognizes each year's graduates from all of NYU's schools. The program will include remarks by leadership and designated speakers, the awarding of honorary degrees, the presentation of student representatives from each school, the traditional Ceremony of the Torch, and the conferral of degrees. Before the ceremony begins, there will be a procession of faculty members and the platform party.

With over 22,000 candidates in the graduating class, individual candidate names cannot be read at All-University Commencement. Instead, a student representative from the graduating class at each school will receive a symbolic diploma on behalf of their classmates.

The All-University Commencement Exercises will be approximately two hours long.

The All-University Commencement ceremony will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. The webcast will be accessible through the All-University Commencement website on Commencement morning; you do not need a special link in advance to access the ceremony.

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 2027 ceremony.

Visit the Graduation Checklist on the Graduation and Diplomas page for additional eligibility information.

No. August 2025 candidates were invited to the 2025 All-University Commencement and will not be invited to attend the 2026 ceremony.

Candidates must apply to graduate to receive a Commencement invitation. Visit the Applying to Graduate page for important deadlines and instructions on how to apply via the Albert system.

• January 2026 Graduation Application: closed on October 15, 2025
• May 2026 Graduation Application: closed on February 15, 2026
• August 2026 Graduation Application: March 1, 2026, through June 15, 2026. August 2026 candidates wishing to attend the 2026 All-University Commencement must apply to graduate by Friday, April 17, 2026 (before the standard deadline).

Graduation takes place once you have successfully completed your program of study and your degree has been legally awarded to you, or conferred. Some school ceremonies are also called graduations. Commencement is the university-wide event at which you celebrate the completion of your program of study.

If you or your guests need US visas to attend Commencement and/or your school ceremony, visit the Office of Global Services’ International Visitors page and see other recommended documentation for international visitors arriving for Commencement for instructions on requesting an NYU Commencement letter of invitation.

Candidates, Commencement guests, and parents and families are encouraged to sign up for the communication channels to stay informed about Commencement deadlines and ceremony details. Eligible candidates will also be automatically emailed (no opt-in required) throughout Commencement season.

Sign up for Commencement communications.

Details about Latin honors, including the GPA cutoffs, are on the University Registrar's Graduation Honors page. The University does not distribute tassels or cords for Latin honors. Some schools might distribute cords for certain internal honors. Please reach out to your school with questions about departmental honors.

University Honors Scholars receive a certificate and a gold tassel that they may wear at Commencement and other graduation events. The University Registrar will contact any University Honors Scholars, typically in late April, with more details about their tassel and certificate.

Diplomas are mailed to graduates 6–8 weeks after graduation. Make sure to update your mailing address in Albert. For further information, visit the Paper and Electronic Diplomas page.

Keep your contact information up to date in Albert and through Alumni Relations.