UAlbany Celebrates Great Dane Graduates at 2025 Commencement

UAlbany graduate celebrates commencement with purple and gold confetti

UAlbany graduate celebrates at the University's 180th Commencement Ceremony last year (photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 14, 2025) — Nearly 5,000 graduates will join the ranks of more than 200,000 alumni at the University at Albany’s Commencement 2025 festivities, which will be held May 15 to 18. The milestone event at the 181-year-old University will feature a series of individual stage crossings throughout the week as well as the University-wide outdoor undergraduate ceremony to be held on May 17 at 11 a.m. (rain or shine) on the Uptown Campus Entry Plaza lawn.

All events will be livestreamed on the University’s website You can also follow them on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram using #UAlbanyGrad.

“The University at Albany Class of 2025 represents the very best of our institution. They have studied challenging subjects, conducted path-breaking research, dominated on our athletic fields, created art and music, served our community and made a lasting impression on UAlbany. This weekend, they will officially earn the degrees that are the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance. I am so proud of these Great Danes, and I look forward to all they will accomplish in the future,” said UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez.

By the Numbers

Over 3,000 undergraduates from the Class of 2025 are set to receive degrees, including recipients who completed their degrees over the past academic year (Summer 2024 to Spring 2025). Among the 2,300 students expected to complete their degrees in May, 35 percent are first-generation college graduates and 31 are veterans. The undergraduate degree recipients range in age from 19 to 71, with an average age of 23. The graduates hail from 25 states, including New York, and 31 countries outside the United States. They will receive degrees in 55 different majors.

Another 1,900 students from the Class of 2025 are expected to receive master’s degrees, doctoral degrees and graduate certificates, including nearly 1,200 students finishing graduate programs in May, as well as recipients who completed their degrees this past winter, fall and summer. These graduate students hail from 20 states, including New York, and 48 nations outside the United States. The average age of graduate degree recipients is 28, with the oldest graduate student set to receive their doctoral degree at age 70, and the youngest receiving a master’s degree at age 20. There are 16 veterans in the graduate class of 2025.

University-wide Ceremonies

On Saturday, the University-wide undergraduate ceremony will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Graduates will be recognized together with peers by school and college.

The Class of 2025 student speaker is Maria C. Villacreses Valarezo, who received the Outstanding Senior Award. The human biology major is a Research Fellow at the University’s RNA Institute and leads Cultural Connections and is actively involved in several campus organizations.

Following the University-wide ceremony, a doctoral stage crossing and hooding celebration will take place at Broadview Center from 3 to 5 p.m. PhD recipients will be individually recognized in front of family, friends and faculty to honor this significant accomplishment. The stage crossings for master’s degree and graduate certificate recipients will take place on Sunday at the Broadview Center.

Stage Crossings and Festivities

Stage crossings for undergraduates will begin on Thursday and Friday, when students will be individually recognized throughout each day at stage crossings hosted by their school or college at the Broadview Center, a 3,800-seat multi-purpose arena and home to the UAlbany men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Graduates will cross three stages in regalia in front of family, friends and faculty, a concept that was reinstated by popular demand after the success of the “Great Dane Graduation Experience.”

Following the undergraduate stage crossings on Friday, UAlbany will host one of its longest standing commencement traditions, the Baccalaureate Torch Reception. The event honors the Class of 2025 as they pass the torch to the rising Class of 2026 and will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the Academic Podium on the Uptown Campus, overlooking the Main Fountain.

“The University at Albany’s commencement ceremony and stage crossings offer a unique opportunity for our students to experience both a large ceremony and smaller, more personal celebrations,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Kim. "The stage crossings are such a wonderful venue for our graduates to have an individual moment in the spotlight with their families, guests and members of the UAlbany faculty and staff. The atmosphere is festive and vibrant as we celebrate each graduate’s accomplishments. As provost, I truly enjoy the opportunity to have meaningful interactions with graduates and their families. These are some of my favorite days of the year."