UW Commencement 2026: Schedule, Dates, Tickets, and Ceremony Guide

UW Commencement 2026 is on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Doors open at 12:00 PM. The procession and ceremony begin at 1:30 PM at Husky Stadium, University of Washington, Seattle campus. Over 7,400 graduates will participate, joined by an estimated 50,000 guests.

This page covers every confirmed ceremony date, ticket and parking logistics, departmental schedules, accessibility accommodations, and frequently asked questions.

What Is UW Commencement 2026?

UW Commencement 2026 is the University of Washington’s university-wide graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026.

It is distinct from the 100+ individual school, college, and departmental ceremonies scheduled across a two-week span from Thursday, June 4 through Saturday, June 14, 2026.

Check Out: UW Academic Calendar 2026-2027

The university-wide ceremony at Husky Stadium is the capstone event. School and department ceremonies — held separately — are smaller, discipline-specific celebrations that often include individual name readings, faculty remarks, and hooding for graduate students.

This page covers both: the main Husky Stadium commencement and the full calendar of school and departmental ceremonies.

UW Commencement 2026 Date, Time, and Location

Husky Stadium is located at 3800 Montlake Boulevard NE, Seattle, WA 98195. It is accessible by light rail (UW Station on the Link Light Rail 1 Line), bus, and vehicle with purchased parking permits.

UW Commencement 2026 Schedule: All School and Department Ceremonies

Full Ceremony Calendar by Date

The following table lists every school and department ceremony with a confirmed date as of the publication of the official At-A-Glance Guide (May 8, 2026).

Ceremonies marked “TBD / Not Listed” had not published confirmed times as of that date; graduates in those programs should verify directly with their department.

Source: UW School and Department Ceremonies page and the 2026 At-A-Glance Guide (published May 8, 2026).

UW Commencement 2026 Schedule: Key Programs at a Glance

The following table compares ceremony details for programs with high search volume, including the Allen School, Foster School, and School of Law.

Participating in UW Commencement 2026

Cap and Gown Requirements

All graduates participating in commencement are required to wear a cap and gown. Academic regalia is not optional at either the main ceremony or most departmental ceremonies.

Regalia may be purchased through the official UW Registration/Order Form, which is available from Sunday, May 11 through Sunday, May 24, 2026.

The form is hosted on the UW Graduation website (washington.edu/graduation). Graduates should not wait until the order window closes — production and shipping logistics are tied to this window.

Cap and gown specifications vary by degree level. Bachelor’s candidates typically wear a black gown with a black mortarboard. Master’s and doctoral candidates wear gowns specific to their discipline, with hoods indicating field and institution. Faculty and platform party regalia follows American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines for academic dress.

Registration and Order Form

The UW Registration/Order Form is the single submission point for:

• Cap and gown purchase
• Commencement tickets (complimentary, for graduates and guests)
• Parking permits (for June 13 and surrounding ceremony days)
• Disability accommodation requests

The form opens May 11, 2026, and closes May 24, 2026. Graduates who miss this window should contact the UW Commencement Office directly for guidance.

Tickets for UW Commencement 2026

All tickets for the June 13, 2026 Husky Stadium ceremony are complimentary. Graduates and their guests both require entrance tickets. Tickets are not sold; they are ordered through the Registration/Order Form.

The university’s stated policy is that all reasonable ticket requests will be met. There is no published hard cap on the number of guest tickets per graduate, though the effective ceiling is based on available stadium capacity.

Tickets should be ordered when the graduate completes the Registration/Order Form between May 11 and May 24, 2026.

Disability Seating for UW Commencement 2026

Reserved disability seating is available at no additional cost. The following categories qualify:

• Guests in wheelchairs
• Guests with mobility impairment
• Guests who require American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation

Disability seating is requested through the same Registration/Order Form. For full policy details, the UW Commencement Office publishes a dedicated disability accommodations page at washington.edu/graduation/disability-accommodations.

Parking for UW Commencement 2026

Parking permits for June 13, 2026 are purchased through the Registration/Order Form during the May 11–24 window. Multiple campus lots are available. Permit availability varies by lot and demand.

Parking permits are also available for departmental ceremonies that occur before and after the main June 13 ceremony. Disability parking permits are available for any ceremony day and are selected during registration.

Parking Alternatives

The UW campus is served by the Link Light Rail’s UW Station, located directly adjacent to Husky Stadium. During major events, Sound Transit typically increases train frequency. This is the most reliable option for guests who want to avoid parking logistics on June 13.

Metro bus routes serve the campus from multiple Seattle neighborhoods. Real-time schedules are available through the King County Metro Trip Planner.

Security at Husky Stadium

Husky Stadium operates under a clear bag policy for commencement and other major events. Bags must be clear plastic and within specified dimensions. Opaque bags and large backpacks are not permitted inside the venue.

A full list of permitted and prohibited items is available on the UW Commencement security information page at washington.edu/graduation/security-information. Graduates and guests should review this list before arriving, as items not on the permitted list will not be allowed past the entry checkpoint.

Frequently Asked Questions: UW Commencement 2026

What time does UW Commencement 2026 start?

The 2026 UW Commencement ceremony begins at 1:30 PM on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Husky Stadium doors open at 12:00 PM. Graduates should plan to be in their staging areas before 1:30 PM, as the procession begins promptly. Guests are advised to arrive and be seated before 1:30 PM.

Is there a livestream for UW Commencement 2026?

The University of Washington has livestreamed past commencement ceremonies for guests who cannot attend in person. The official livestream, when available, is hosted through the UW Graduation website. Guests who are unable to obtain tickets or travel to Seattle should monitor washington.edu/graduation for the 2026 livestream link as the ceremony date approaches.

How many graduates participate in UW Commencement?

Approximately 7,400 graduates are expected to participate in the 2026 ceremony at Husky Stadium. This figure represents graduates across all degree levels — undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and professional — from all UW Seattle schools and colleges. The guest count reaches approximately 50,000, making it one of the largest single graduation events in the Pacific Northwest each year.

Do departmental ceremonies replace the main Husky Stadium ceremony?

No. School and department ceremonies are separate, additional events. They do not replace the university-wide commencement. Most graduates attend both their departmental celebration and the main Husky Stadium ceremony. Each has distinct programming: departmental ceremonies typically include individual name readings and faculty recognition; the main ceremony includes the university president, a commencement speaker, and the conferral of degrees for the entire graduating class.

What if my department’s ceremony is listed as TBD?

Departments marked “TBD / Not Listed” in the official At-A-Glance Guide (published May 8, 2026) had not confirmed their ceremony details by that date. These departments — including Chemistry and Biochemistry, Communication, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Statistics, and others — may confirm dates after the guide’s publication. Graduates should contact their department’s student services office directly or monitor the UW School and Department Ceremonies page at washington.edu/graduation/school-and-department-ceremonies for updates.

UW Schools and Departments: Ceremony Patterns and Notes

High-Traffic Ceremony Days

Friday, June 12, 2026 carries the highest concentration of departmental ceremonies — 17 confirmed events — making it the busiest single day in the commencement calendar before the main stadium event. Graduates and guests with multiple programs to attend on that day should plan for potential parking and transit congestion around the Seattle campus.

Saturday, June 13, 2026 hosts both the main commencement at Husky Stadium (1:30 PM) and several departmental events in the morning and evening, including the Foster School Full-time MBA, Evening MBA, and PhD celebration (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM) and the Community, Environment and Planning (CEP) ceremony (6:00 PM – 9:00 PM).

Programs with Ceremonies Outside the June 4–14 Window

Two programs hold ceremonies outside the primary two-week window:

• School of Medicine — Physician’s Oath and Hooding Ceremony: Friday, May 22, 2026, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM. This precedes the main commencement season by over three weeks.
• Master of Human Computer Interaction + Design (MHCI+D) — Graduation Celebration: Friday, August 21, 2026, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM. This is a summer ceremony, separate from the June calendar entirely.

Medical students and MHCI+D graduates should note that their departmental ceremonies do not align with the June commencement calendar.

Programs with Multiple Ceremony Tracks

The Michael G. Foster School of Business runs parallel ceremony tracks by program type:

Foster School graduates must confirm which track applies to their specific degree program before submitting registration materials.

Commencement at Other UW Campuses

UW Commencement 2026 at Husky Stadium is specific to the UW Seattle campus. UW Bothell and UW Tacoma hold separate commencement ceremonies with their own dates, venues, and registration processes.

Graduates from UW Bothell or UW Tacoma should not use the Seattle campus Registration/Order Form. They should contact their respective campus commencement offices:

• UW Bothell: bothell.uw.edu
• UW Tacoma: tacoma.uw.edu

This page does not cover UW Bothell or UW Tacoma ceremony logistics.

Special Graduation Celebrations and Cultural Ceremonies

In addition to school and department ceremonies, the University of Washington supports identity-based graduation celebrations. These are community-organized and occur separately from both the main stadium ceremony and departmental events.

These celebrations are not a substitute for the main commencement ceremony or departmental celebrations. They are supplementary recognitions. Graduates interested in these events should contact the organizing student organizations or offices directly.

Commissioning Ceremonies

ROTC and commissioning ceremonies for the Class of 2026 include:

Navy ROTC commissioning is the only branch with a confirmed date and time as of the At-A-Glance Guide. Air Force and Army ROTC dates had not been confirmed at the time of that guide’s publication.

Official UW Commencement 2026 Resources

The following official sources are authoritative for all commencement logistics:

• Main graduation page: washington.edu/graduation
• School and department ceremonies: washington.edu/graduation/school-and-department-ceremonies
• Tickets: washington.edu/graduation/tickets-2
• Parking: washington.edu/graduation/parking-2
• Disability accommodations: washington.edu/graduation/disability-accommodations
• Security information: washington.edu/graduation/security-information
• Registration/Order Form: washington.edu/graduation/registrationorder-form (open May 11 – May 24, 2026)
• 2026 At-A-Glance Guide: Published May 8, 2026 (PDF available via the graduation website)