Everyone is looking at the calendar. For the thousands of students finishing up their degrees at 116th and Broadway, Columbia University commencement 2025 isn't just a date on a PDF; it's the culmination of years of late nights at Butler Library and too many overpriced coffees at Wu + Nussbaum. But let's be real—after the chaos of the 2024 season, which saw the university cancel its main university-wide ceremony in favor of smaller, school-specific celebrations, the vibe for 2025 is a mix of high-stakes anticipation and genuine logistical curiosity.
You’re probably wondering if the big stage is coming back to South Lawn. Honestly, it’s the question everyone is asking.
Planning a graduation in New York City is always a bit of a nightmare. Between the security protocols, the sheer volume of tourists, and the limited footprint of a Morningside Heights campus, the administration has their hands full. But for the Class of 2025, the stakes feel different. This is a cohort that has seen the university grapple with massive identity shifts, protest movements, and a changing leadership structure. They want the pomp. They want the circumstance. Most importantly, they want to know where to tell their parents to stand so they can actually see the cap toss.
The Logistics: Dates, Times, and the Big Question
Columbia usually sticks to a mid-May schedule. For 2025, the primary window falls around May 14th, though the individual school ceremonies—think Columbia College, SEAS, SIPA, and the Law School—stretch across that entire week.
Wait.
Don't book your flights based on a guess. While the university-wide commencement is the "big show," most students find that their specific school’s Class Day is where they actually get to walk across the stage and hear their name mispronounced by a dean.
The 2025 schedule is expected to follow a staggered format. Typically, you see the Mailman School of Public Health and the School of Social Work kicking things off early in the week, with the "main" event happening on Wednesday. But keep an eye on the official Columbia Commencement website. If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that "finalized" plans can shift if security concerns or campus access issues arise.
Security is the elephant in the room. You can't talk about Columbia University commencement 2025 without talking about the gates. Since the spring of 2024, campus access has been strictly regulated. For graduation, expect "CUID-only" or "Guest Pass-only" zones to be the norm. If you're a family member traveling from overseas, make sure your student has registered you in the system early. The days of just wandering onto campus to see the statues are, at least for now, a bit of a relic.
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Why 2025 Feels Like a Turning Point
This isn't just another graduation. The university is in a period of transition. With leadership changes and a renewed focus on "campus climate," the 2025 ceremony is a test case for how Columbia handles large-scale public events moving forward.
There's a lot of talk about "restoring tradition."
For many faculty members and graduating seniors, the goal is to return to the iconic South Lawn ceremony. There is something truly special about 15,000+ people in light blue robes sitting in front of Low Library. It’s a visual that has defined the Ivy League for decades. However, the university’s decentralized structure means that even if the "big" ceremony is scaled back or modified, the individual schools have a lot of autonomy.
Let's look at the numbers. Columbia graduates roughly 11,000 to 13,000 students annually across all its divisions. That’s a lot of bodies. When you add two to four guests per student, you’re looking at a crowd the size of a small city trying to fit into a few New York City blocks.
The School-Specific Breakdown
Most people don't realize that Columbia is basically a collection of smaller kingdoms.
- Columbia College (CC): The heart of the undergraduate experience. Their Class Day is usually the rowdiest and most sentimental.
- General Studies (GS): This is where you find the non-traditional students—veterans, former dancers, entrepreneurs. Their ceremony often has the most interesting keynote speakers because the student body itself is so varied.
- SIPA: The international crowd. Expect lots of flags and a very global perspective.
- The Professional Schools: Law, Business, and Journalism. These ceremonies are usually held in places like the Armory or smaller indoor venues nearby, depending on the weather and the year's specific security posture.
How to Survive Commencement Week Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re a parent or a student, the actual graduation is only about 20% of the stress. The other 80%? Restaurants.
Seriously.
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If you haven’t booked a table at Pisticci, Community Food & Juice, or Le Monde by January, you’re basically going to be eating a bagel from a street cart for your graduation dinner. Morningside Heights doesn't have the infrastructure to handle 50,000 extra people all trying to eat at 6:00 PM on a Wednesday.
Pro tip: Look into the Upper West Side or even Harlem. You’re only a few subway stops away on the 1 train, and the stress levels drop significantly once you get away from the immediate radius of the campus gates.
Also, the weather in NYC in May is a lie. It’s either 90 degrees with 100% humidity or a cold, driving rain that turns the blue robes into soggy blankets. There is no in-between. Tell your guests to dress in layers. High heels on the grass of South Lawn? A disaster. Stick to wedges or flats, or you'll be aerating the turf with every step.
Security and the "New Normal"
We have to be honest about the atmosphere. The administration has been under immense pressure to ensure safety while upholding free speech. For Columbia University commencement 2025, expect a highly visible security presence. This might include bag checks, metal detectors, and restricted entry points.
It's a bit of a bummer, sure. But it's the reality of 2026 and the preceding years.
The university has been working on "Dialogue Across Difference" initiatives. Whether these translate into a peaceful commencement remains to be seen. There’s always a chance of student-led disruptions—it’s Columbia, after all. Activism is baked into the DNA of the place. Whether it's climate change, global conflicts, or local labor issues, the Class of 2025 has never been a group to stay quiet.
Actionable Steps for Grads and Families
Don't wait until April to figure this out. If you're involved in the 2025 festivities, here is your immediate to-do list:
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- Verify the Graduation Status: It sounds stupid, but every year someone forgets a PE requirement or a swim test (yes, that’s still a thing for CC) and finds out they aren't actually graduating. Check your Vergil account.
- Regalia Ordering: The deadline for caps and gowns usually hits in March. If you miss it, you're stuck paying massive rush shipping fees for a polyester robe you'll wear for four hours.
- Guest Registration: Keep a hawk-eye on your Columbia email. The university will send out a portal for guest tickets. These are non-transferable and often require specific ID info.
- Hotel Strategy: If you haven't booked a hotel, do it now. Hotels in Morningside Heights are non-existent. Look at the Arthouse on 77th or even hotels in Long Island City for better rates and a quick commute.
- The "Meeting Spot": Cell service dies when 30,000 people try to livestream a graduation. Pick a physical landmark—like "the left side of the Alma Mater statue" or "the corner of 114th and Broadway"—to meet your family after the ceremony. You won't be able to call them.
The 2025 commencement represents a significant moment in Columbia's long history. It’s a move toward stability after a period of intense upheaval. For the students, it’s the end of a long, often difficult journey. For the university, it’s a chance to show the world that it can still throw a world-class celebration on one of the most famous campuses on earth.
Stay flexible. NYC is unpredictable, and Columbia is even more so. But standing on those steps, looking out at the city, it's usually worth the hassle.
Make sure your student has their CUID on them at all times during graduation week. Access to buildings often changes by the hour, and that little plastic card is the only thing that gets you through the gates when the crowds get thick. Also, download the "Columbia Spectator" app or follow their social feeds; student journalists often have faster updates on campus access than the official university accounts do when things are moving quickly.
For those planning to watch from afar, the university typically livestreams the main event on their homepage. If the physical capacity of the lawn is limited—which is a possibility depending on the security tier—setting up a viewing party at a nearby Airbnb might actually be more comfortable than sitting in the sun for four hours anyway.
Focus on the milestone. The diploma is the same whether you get it in a massive stadium or a small tent. The Class of 2025 has earned this moment, and despite the logistical hoops, the feeling of finally finishing at Columbia is something you won't forget.
Keep checking the official commencement portal for the exact 2025 schedule, which is typically released in full detail by late January or early February. Once those dates are set, lock in your travel and dining plans immediately. Every day you wait is another $50 on a hotel room or another "fully booked" response from a local restaurant.
Getting through a Columbia degree is a marathon. Graduation is just the victory lap. Plan early, stay patient with the security lines, and remember to actually look up from your phone when you walk across the stage.
The view from the top of the steps is the best you'll ever get.