FAU Celebrates Spring 2026 Graduates

Florida Atlantic University conferred a record-number 4,347 degrees over the course of eight commencement ceremonies. (Photo by Alex Dolce)

Florida Atlantic University conferred a record-number 4,347 degrees over the course of eight commencement ceremonies in the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium, FAU Student Union, Boca Raton campus. The spring graduates joined more than 223,000 alumni who have graduated from FAU since the university opened its doors in 1964.

"Sixty-five years ago, Florida Atlantic enrolled fewer than 4,000 students. Today, we're a Top 100 public university awarding more than 4,000 degrees in a single semester, our largest graduating class in history," said FAU President Adam Hasner. "We are immensely proud of our spring graduates for their hard work, their achievements and the role they play in driving our university's remarkable momentum. Congratulations, Class of 2026 and Owls Up!"

Highlights of the 2026 spring commencement include:

• 96 degree recipients over the age of 50, and 16 over the age of 60.
• The oldest graduate is 69 and the youngest is 17.
• Of the 4,347 graduates, 521 were first-generation students; 219 graduated with a 4.0 GPA; and 88 countries were represented.
• 12 FAU High School students were awarded a bachelor's degree before receiving their high school diploma.

Four-time Olympian Brittany Bowe was awarded the President's Distinguished Service Medallion, FAU's highest honor, recognizing individuals who have rendered service of outstanding value to the university and the broader community. An FAU alumna and former women's basketball player, Bowe is one of the most accomplished American long-track speed skaters in history. She earned two Olympic bronze medals - in the team pursuit at the 2018 Winter Games and in the 1,000 meters at the 2022 Winter Games - and currently holds the world record in the 1,000 meters. Bowe is a six-time world champion and was inducted into FAU's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.

Commencement speakers included Pete Striano, managing partner of Northwest Mutual - Striano Financial Group, distinguished alumnus of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, and member of the FAU College of Business dean's advisory board; Brent Ramdin, CEO of EducationDynamics and two-time FAU College of Business alumnus; Juan Carlos "JC" Santana, founder and CEO of the Institute of Human Performance, and distinguished alumnus of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; Sue Skemp, member of the FAU Alumni Hall of Fame and Talon Award winner, FAU College of Engineering & Computer Science alumna, and former executive director of FAU's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center.

To watch the webcasts of the eight commencements online, visit here.

-FAU-