It’s time to celebrate the University of Utah’s Class of 2026!
“Each of you has earned this moment — through sacrifice, resilience, and a commitment to something larger than yourselves,” said U President Taylor Randall. “As you leave the U, remember what you’ve built here — the knowledge, the relationships, the confidence to take on hard problems.”
The 157th General Commencement will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Individual college convocations, where students are recognized by name, take place on April 30 and May 1 and 2.
“The world may feel unsettled, but it has always needed people willing to step forward and make it better,” Randall said. “Go out and improve lives. Strengthen your communities. And know that wherever you go, you carry the University of Utah with you. I have never been more hopeful about the future than when I watch our graduates go out and shape it.”
Gerald Parrott, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, is this year’s student commencement speaker. Parrott’s path to graduation is one of profound transformation. After years battling addiction, homelessness and repeated brushes with the law, the news that he was going to be a father changed everything.
“I went from having no reason to do anything worthwhile ever, to having a son and having all this love in my life,” Parrott said.
Parrott returned to Salt Lake Community College with a 1.67 GPA and an academic probation contract. He went on to earn two associate’s degrees—one in psychology and one with honors in social work—before transferring to the U. His next goal is law school, where he hopes to advocate for smarter policies on criminal justice reform.
“My story is not just about academic achievement,” he said. “It is about the reality that life does not move in straight lines. It is about not letting the worst moments of your life be your defining ones.”
Read more student stories from the Class of 2026 here.
“Commencement is my favorite event of the year,” said Lori McDonald, vice president for Student Affairs. “There is nothing like watching our students cross that stage. Each one of them has poured so much into their time at the U—navigating challenges, building lifelong communities and discovering who they are and what they’re capable of. We can’t wait to see the remarkable things they’ll go on to do in the world.”Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Business School professor and University of Utah Impact Scholar, will deliver this year’s keynote address. One of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness, Brooks will draw from his extensive writings about purpose and meaning to inspire the Class of 2026. His newest book, “The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness,” was released on March 31 and all graduating students will receive a copy.
By the numbers
Students in the Class of 2026 represent 51 U.S. states and territories and 61 foreign countries.
- 9,506 graduates
- 10,266 degrees awarded (some graduates receive more than one degree); 6,679 bachelor’s degrees; 2,551 master’s degrees; 636 doctoral degrees; 100 juris doctors; 126 doctors of medicine; 81 doctors of nursing practice; 44 doctors of pharmacy; and 49 doctors of dental surgery
- 3.495 is the average undergraduate grade point average
- 4,650 self-identified men, 4,815 self-identified women and 41 nonbinary/unidentified
- 24 is the average age of bachelor’s degree recipients; the youngest graduating undergraduate is 18 and the oldest is 79.
- 31 is the average age of students receiving graduate degrees; the youngest is 20 and the oldest is 67.
- The top 10 undergraduate majors are: psychology, communication, computer science, biology, health/kinesiology, finance, nursing, games, marketing and mechanical engineering
- 552 graduates are receiving honors degrees
- 337 veterans are receiving degrees
Speakers
- President Taylor Randall will officiate
- Student speaker: Gerald Parrott, who is graduating with a degree in criminology
- Keynote speaker: Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Business School professor and University of Utah Impact Scholar
Special awards
- Honorary doctoral degrees will be presented to Clark Ivory, Ronald Rasband and Meeche White.
- The Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, a $50,000 cash award and the most prestigious honor the university bestows on its faculty, will be announced separately.
- Faculty receiving special awards will be recognized in a video during the commencement ceremony.
Schedule for college convocations
- In-person college convocations will be held April 30–May 2, 2026.