University of Cincinnati celebrates record number of graduates

University of Cincinnati celebrates record number of graduates

Nearly 8,000 students to graduate in four commencement ceremonies

The University of Cincinnati will recognize a record number of graduates at its spring commencement this week.

This comes on the heels of UC's record-setting fall class that boosted total enrollment to more than 53,000 students.

Can't make commencement? Watch it live

UC will celebrate spring commencement at four ceremonies: two at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday and two at Nippert Stadium on Friday. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC

How many students are graduating from UC in 2026?

About the spring class of 2026

UC will recognize 7,836 graduates earning 7,967 degrees, according to preliminary numbers from UC's Office of Institutional Research. Some graduates earn multiple degrees.

UC will award 599 associate degrees; 5,052 bachelor's degrees; 1,790 master's degrees; 238 doctoral degrees and 288 professional degrees. About 46% of degrees are in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math or medicine.

Students hail from 80 countries on six of the seven continents, as far away as Australia and Malaysia, and every U.S. state but South Dakota and Maine. But two-thirds of graduates are from Ohio, representing 81 of its 88 counties.

The youngest grad, earning an associate degree, is 17; the oldest, earning a bachelor's degree, is 69. About 17% of graduates are first-generation college students. And 229 students graduated from Cincinnati Public Schools.

The spring class features 247 student military veterans or dependents of veterans. And 54 graduates will celebrate their birthday over the two-day celebration.

See: What to expect at a graduation ceremony.

UC President Neville Pinto will preside over a record spring commencement at four ceremonies at Fifth Third Arena and Nippert Stadium. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC

A class to remember

UC cut the ribbon last year on a $190 million renovation to Old Chemistry to allow for new state-of-the-art lab spaces and larger, flexible classrooms that allow for collaborative spaces. The Department of Chemistry also celebrated its 150th anniversary at UC.

UC in 2025 welcomed the new Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center, a three-level, 96,000-square-foot center for student athletes. The center features meeting rooms, an equipment room, locker room, player's lounge, dining hall and a social media content studio - among many other features.

Students appreciated the $85 million renovation to Siddall Hall, featuring 12 floors of residence space, a new fitness area, kitchenettes and lounges.

And students and faculty said goodbye to Crosley Tower, with the January 2026 start of demolition on the 1969 concrete building inspired by the Brutalist architectural style.

UC Classics in 2025 brought its ancient Greek discoveries about the Griffin Warrior to the United States for the first time with a successfu six-month exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. More than 150,000 visitors got to see artifacts from Professor Jack Davis and Senior Research Associate Sharon Stocker's Bronze Age discoveries at Pylos.

UC researchers made incredible advances in areas such as neuroscience, oncology and skin care to name a few.

UC Lindner College of Business grad Seth Engelhardt and UC College of Nursing grad Elizabeth Keith are getting married next month after celebrating commencement this week. Photo/Provided

Bearcats for life

Lindner College of Business graduate Seth Engelhardt has a lot to celebrate. His fiancée, UC College of Nursing student Elizabeth Keith, is also graduating this week. The couple are getting married next month.

Engelhardt, an operations management major, will deliver the undergraduate student address at commencement with the theme of purpose in life. His faith is a big part of his life, he said. And at UC he found a community that fostered it.

"Ultimately, my speech is a call to a greater mission, to love and serve other people beyond ourselves," he said.

Engelhardt came to UC for its cooperative education program, consistently ranked in the Top 5 in the U.S. His five co-op rotations were in sales, logistics, consulting and project management. His last co-op at GE Aerospace led to a job offer.

"I'm going to be part of its operations management leadership program," he said. "I'll have three nine-month rotations in different areas of their business."

UC College of Arts and Sciences graduate Samantha Jackson will celebrate graduation with her record-setting class Friday at Nippert Stadium. Photo/Tavisha Sweeney/The News Record

Overcoming the unexpected

UC College of Arts and Sciences graduate Samantha Jackson was hoping to start law school soon, but life had other plans.

Jackson is a UC Honors student, an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and a student associate in the UC president's office. But she found herself in the hospital undergoing emergency surgery last winter after suffering damage to her retinas.

As difficult as it was worrying about her vision for three months while she recovered, it was just as hard to put her ambitions on hold. She canceled her LSAT exam.

"The thought of taking a gap year was awful for me. But I feel thankful to be where I am," she said. "I realized changing your path does not mean that you're falling behind. It's just your path."

A service dog shows its school spirit at commencement. UC will celebrate a record spring graduating class with four commencement ceremonies Thursday and Friday at Fifth Third Arena and Nippert Stadium. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC

Read about more UC grads

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