Yale's 2025 Commencement: 4,378 Graduates Celebrated on Old Campus

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale University celebrated its 324th Commencement on Monday, May 19, 2025, awarding 4,378 degrees to graduates from Yale College and its 13 graduate and professional schools, as well as eight honorary degree recipients. The ceremony, held on the historic Old Campus, marked a milestone for the Class of 2025 and was the first Commencement led by University President Maurie McInnis.

"We gather to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of all of you who have worked so hard to complete your programs of study," McInnis said during the ceremony. "We salute your effort, your diligence, your talents and your intellect."

The ceremony began with a vibrant procession through the New Haven Green from Cross Campus and Beinecke Plaza, with graduates in caps and gowns filing into thousands of chairs on Old Campus. Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis announced that the Class of 2025 earned 1,151 bachelor's degrees in arts and 638 bachelor's degrees in science. Deans of Yale's graduate and professional schools then presented their candidates, and McInnis conferred the degrees, admitting graduates to "all their rights and responsibilities" as Yale alumni. The celebration culminated with graduates showering Old Campus with confetti and streamers.

Yale Provost Scott Strobel joined McInnis to present eight honorary doctorate degrees to distinguished individuals, including Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed, actress Debbie Allen, and literary scholar Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. '73. "The eight individuals we honor this morning serve as examples to you, our graduates, to encourage you to aspire to excellence and to value those elements of human character that they embody: creativity, curiosity, discipline, integrity, and a passion for public service," McInnis said.

The Commencement followed a weekend of events, including the Class Day ceremony on Sunday, May 18, known for its tradition of creative headgear, from plush hippos to traffic cones, and student awards. The Baccalaureate ceremony earlier that day featured remarks from McInnis and other university leaders.

Salvador Gómez-Colón, a graduating senior from Puerto Rico, reflected on the emotional weight of the day, feeling the culmination of "four years' worth of intense friendships, rigorous studies, and personal milestones." Another graduate, Pranav Pattatathunaduvil, a global affairs major, said, "Four years went by so fast."

Yale's 324th Commencement, attended by families, friends, and faculty, highlighted the university's commitment to academic excellence and community. The ceremony, steeped in tradition, also included a nod to modern challenges, with guidelines ensuring free expression and safety. Each graduate received four digital tickets for guests to access Old Campus, a measure to manage the large crowd of nearly 18,000 spectators.

As Yale, one of America's oldest universities, honored its newest alumni, the event underscored the institution's legacy of fostering intellectual and personal growth. The Class of 2025 now joins a global network of Yale graduates, ready to make their mark.