On May 18, more than 9,000 students are eligible to graduate at the University-wide Commencement ceremony, and Penn will confer eight honorary degrees.
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On Monday, May 18, the University of Pennsylvania honors the Class of 2026 at the 270th Commencement. Approximately 6,000 students, undergraduate and graduate, are expected to walk in the University-wide Commencement ceremony. The gates open to Franklin Field at 8 a.m. and the webcast begins at 9 a.m. Celebratory Instagram posts will be shared on the big screen, followed by coverage of the procession in advance of the official ceremony, starting at about 10:15 a.m.
As students, faculty, staff, family members, and friends all celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2026, exactly how many are graduating? How many are Ben Franklin Scholars? How many undergraduates are varsity athletes? How many graduate students were honored with Graduate Student Leadership Awards? Following are those numbers and more.
6,879
May 2026 graduates
7,457
As of May 6, the number of diplomas being awarded to May 2026 graduates. This includes 2,640 undergraduate degrees, 3,760 master’s, 811 professional doctorate, and 246 Ph.D. degrees. The number of degrees exceeds the number of graduates due to students who are awarded dual degrees or submatriculated in multiple programs.
9,411
Approximate total of all undergraduate and graduate students eligible to walk in the graduation celebration on May 18. This number includes the 6,879 May 2026 graduates as well as 1,247 summer 2025 graduates and 1,285 December 2025 graduates.
10,051
The total number of diplomas for summer 2025, December 2025, and May 2026 combined
80
Number of citizenship countries represented by the members of the traditional undergraduate Class of 2026
December and May graduates earning an undergraduate degree who are the first in their family to attend college or university*
212
Number of undergraduates who will earn both a bachelor’s degree and submatriculate to also earn a master’s degree on May 18
12
Civic Scholars among the 2026 academic year traditional undergraduate degree recipients
10
Number of Excellence in Graduate Teaching Awards conferred in 2026, nominated by Penn undergraduate and graduate students for their profound impact on teaching at the University
Number of 2026 Graduate Student Leadership Awards conferred, honoring graduating students for service and lasting contributions to graduate student life at Penn
Class of 2026 undergrads who were involved in extracurricular performing arts through Platt Performing Arts House
260
Graduating fourth-year Penn Quakers involved in varsity sports
NOTE: * Institutional Research and Analysis classifies as first generation any student who is indicated as first generation in either Undergraduate Admissions or Student Financial Aid records. At Penn, a traditional undergraduate is classified as a first-generation college student if neither parent has completed a bachelor’s degree or beyond.
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