Frequently Asked Questions

Commencement Weekend will be held June 11–14, 2026. The main Commencement ceremony will be held in Stanford Stadium on Sunday, June 14, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Other celebrations, including Senior Dinner on the Quad, Baccalaureate, professional school, and departmental ceremonies, happen at various times and locations throughout campus during the weekend.

A complete schedule, with additional event details and information, will be added as events are confirmed in spring quarter.

Yes, graduates will be required to register for tickets for themselves and their guests to attend the Commencement and Baccalaureate ceremonies. 

Eligible graduates will be sent information in early spring quarter on how to request a ticket for themselves, as well as any guests they may wish to invite.

Please note that some department ceremonies or other Commencement-related events may also require RSVPs or tickets due to venue capacity limitations. For more information, please contact the relevant school or department.

There is no limit to the number of guest tickets that graduates can request for the main Commencement ceremony. However, there may be a limit to the number of guests that graduates can invite to other events, due to venue capacities.

Please note that some department ceremonies or other Commencement-related events may also require RSVPs or tickets due to venue capacity limitations. For more information, please contact the relevant school or department.

Yes. Eligible graduates will receive information in the spring quarter on how to request a ticket for themselves, as well as for any guests they may wish to invite.

Stanford’s main Commencement is a university-wide celebration in Stanford Stadium, bringing together all graduating seniors and advanced degree graduates with their families. It features the procession, the President’s address, the keynote speaker, and the degree conferrals, and lasts about two hours. Graduates do not have their names called, walk across the stage, or receive diplomas at the main ceremony. This occurs at their individual school or department ceremonies, which are held in various locations across campus on Sunday, following the main ceremony (except for Business, Law, and Medicine, which take place on Saturday afternoon).

The ceremonies for the Graduate School of Business, School of Law, and School of Medicine take place on Saturday, June 13th, 2026, at various times in the afternoon. All other school and department events will be held at various locations across campus on Sunday, June 14th, 2026, following the main ceremony in Stanford Stadium. Details for these events will be published on this website closer to the weekend and will also be communicated directly to the graduate by the individual school or department.

Baccalaureate at Stanford is a multi-faith celebratory gathering for graduating seniors, graduate students, and professional students, as well as their families and friends. The ceremony serves as a bookend to the Opening Convocation held four years earlier and is a time to acknowledge the spiritual contribution to the education of the whole person. 

Baccalaureate will be held in Frost Amphitheater on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Limited capacity.

You are automatically eligible to participate in the main Commencement ceremony if you: 

• Conferred a degree in Summer 2025, Autumn 2025, or Winter 2026.
• Are expected to confer your degree in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026.
• Are a coterm student who began your undergraduate program in Autumn 2022. 

To check your eligibility, log into Axess and go to the "My Academics" drop-down menu, then select "Univ. Commencement Eligibility." This will show if you are Eligible or Not Eligible, based on your student record. If you are listed as eligible, no action is required. If you are listed as Ineligible but wish to participate, you must complete the Commencement Participation Request form. Eligible students should not complete this form. Instructions can be found on the Student Academic Services website. 

NOTE: This applies only to the main ceremony. For school or department ceremonies, please contact them directly for eligibility and participation details.

To graduate, you must have filed your graduation application by the required deadline (see the academic calendar for dates). Instructions for applying to graduate, as well as a graduation checklist, are available on the Student Services website. If you are planning on conferring more than one degree — for example, an undergraduate and graduate degree, a PhD and master's degree — a separate application to graduate must be submitted for each degree. Eligibility to participate in the university's Commencement ceremony is based on a student’s actual OR expected graduation term. Expected Graduation Terms are based on matriculation year (e.g. 4 years after matriculation for an undergraduate student). 

Note: Expected Graduation Terms are calculated differently for graduate students. Graduate students should plan to apply to graduate or request an exception if they want to participate.

Eligibility and participation processes for department ceremonies vary. Contact your department directly for details.

You can check your participation eligibility directly in Axess, and if you are ineligible can request an exception to participate. In your "My Academics" drop-down menu, locate the "Univ. Commencement Eligibility" link. You'll be directed to a page that will indicate Eligible or Not Eligible, based on your student record. If you are listed as eligible, no further action is necessary. If you are listed as Ineligible but would still like to participate, you will need to request an exception. Complete the linked Commencement Participation Request form to request an exception to participate. Students who are listed as eligible should not complete this form. Instructions can be found on the Student Academic Services website.

Eligible students are automatically added to our email list in early spring quarter to receive updates about the main Commencement ceremony. If you are unsure if you will be included on the list, please confirm your eligibility status with the Student Academic Services office. 

Students who are not automatically eligible can follow the process outlined on the SAS website to request an exception to participate. If approved, you’ll be added to the Commencement email list.

Emails about other weekend events, such as school or department ceremonies, are managed separately by those departments. Please contact them directly for details.

For students who are confirmed eligible to graduate in June 2026, if your family members are not United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States, they will need a temporary tourist visa. For more information regarding visa types and the application process, please visit the U.S. Department of State website.  Your family may also reach out to their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for information related to their application process. 

There are no letters or documents required by the U.S. Department of State from Stanford University, its schools, or departments related to your family/visitor’s visa application process. For information about the official application process and documentation, visit the U.S. Department of State’s website. We have provided a brief summary page related to the B-2 visa process for general reference purposes.  If you have additional questions, please contact Stanford's Bechtel International Center.

The Commencement ceremony will be livestreamed at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time on June 14 and can be viewed by visiting Stanford’s official Commencement website.

Yes, the main Commencement ceremony will be livestreamed on the Commencement website, as well as on the large screen inside Maples Pavilion. It will also be broadcast on Stanford’s radio station KZSU 90.1FM and kzsu.stanford.edu. A complete recording of the event will be available on the Stanford YouTube channel shortly after the event.