UC Berkeley graduation Countdown

From land grant to world stage

Berkeley was born in 1868 as California's land-grant university and grew into one of the world's great public research institutions, famed for engineering, computer science, and the sciences; sixteen chemical elements were discovered here, including berkelium and californium, both named for the place. Its history is cultural, too — the Free Speech Movement erupted on the steps of Sproul Hall in 1964. A favorite detail: the mace carried at commencement is a bear-headed staff carved from wood reclaimed from South Hall, the university's oldest building.

A river of blue and gold

Commencement day at Cal is a river of blue and gold. Some 7,000 graduates and 23,000 guests fill California Memorial Stadium — a bowl that famously straddles the Hayward Fault — for the campus-wide ceremony, with keynote and student speakers and the chancellor conferring degrees. Graduates gather beforehand on Witter Rugby Field for photos and last regalia adjustments, then process into the stadium behind the university mace. Dozens of departments also hold their own smaller graduations in the same weeks, so many students get two ceremonies.

Graduates, class by class

Class of 1912 alumnus Earl Warren returned for a law degree in 1914 and became Chief Justice of the United States; the Class of 1939 sent Gregory Peck toward Hollywood and an Oscar. Joan Didion, Class of 1956, defined a generation of American prose. Eric Schmidt finished his Berkeley PhD in 1982 before running Google; Steve Wozniak, having already co-founded Apple, came back to finish his degree in 1986. And the Class of 2010's Alex Morgan left Cal for World Cup glory.

Planning your Berkeley graduation weekend

Memorial Stadium is big, but Berkeley's graduation season is long — department ceremonies stretch across May, so confirm your specific dates before anyone books flights. East Bay hotels fill quickly for commencement weekend; look early in Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland, and lean on BART rather than hunting for parking near campus. Check the official commencement site for guest ticketing details as the date approaches. Then share this countdown with your house, your lab, or the entire graduating class so everybody is counting together.

Quick facts

• Founded in 1868, Berkeley is the original campus of the University of California.
• The campus-wide spring commencement is set for Saturday, May 15, 2027, in California Memorial Stadium.
• About 7,000 graduates and 23,000 guests attend the campus-wide ceremony.
• Sixteen chemical elements were discovered at Berkeley, including berkelium and californium.
• Enrollment tops 45,000 students.
• The commencement mace is a bear-headed staff carved from wood salvaged from South Hall, the university's oldest building.