Ohio State graduation Countdown

From six graduates to a research giant

Ohio State began in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College and graduated its first class — all six of them — in 1878. Today it is a research powerhouse with more than 61,000 students in Columbus, deep strength in engineering, business, and medicine, and a football culture with few rivals anywhere. The university's most famous 45 minutes may belong to Jesse Owens, the Buckeye sophomore who set three world records and tied a fourth in under an hour at the 1935 Big Ten championships.

One ceremony, everyone's diploma

Ohio State does commencement the hard way, and it's glorious: one ceremony per term with every college represented, and each graduate receives their actual diploma on the spot — a practice rarely attempted by a university this size. Spring commencement fills Ohio Stadium, the 102,780-seat 'Shoe,' on a Sunday at noon, and the surrounding weekend adds ROTC commissioning and candlelight ceremonies. Autumn graduates are not an afterthought either — December brings its own full commencement.

Graduates, class by class

The Class of 1946 gave art its pop provocateur, Roy Lichtenstein, who stayed for a 1949 MFA. The Class of 1962 sent John Havlicek to the Boston Celtics, and 1965 handed R.L. Stine — editor of the Sundial humor magazine — to generations of goosebumped readers. Archie Griffin, football's only two-time Heisman winner, graduated a quarter early in 1976; Patricia Heaton took her theatre degree in 1980; Larry Sanger finished a philosophy PhD in 2000 and co-founded Wikipedia; and J.D. Vance, Class of 2009, rose to the vice presidency.

Planning the trip — and sharing the date

Columbus absorbs big crowds better than most college towns, but hotels near campus and the Short North still sell out for commencement Sunday — book early and plan for game-day-style traffic around the stadium. The upside of graduating in the Shoe is guest seating far roomier than any arena ceremony, so bring the whole family. If you're graduating, share this countdown with your people: one link puts scattered relatives, roommates, and group chats on the same Sunday at noon.

Quick facts

• Founded in 1870; the first graduating class, in 1878, numbered just six students
• 61,326 students were enrolled on the Columbus campus in fall 2025
• Ohio State has more than 600,000 living alumni worldwide
• Spring commencement is one all-university ceremony in 102,780-seat Ohio Stadium
• A record 12,213 degrees and certificates were awarded at the spring 2019 ceremony
• Every graduate receives their actual diploma during the ceremony itself