Largest graduating class in ASU history sets out to make a difference

Nearly 20,700 Arizona State University students will graduate this spring, and many will be recruited by top employers like Honeywell, Intel and Amazon.

This commencement marks the culmination of an educational journey that, for many graduates, included disruption in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these resilient graduates were unable to celebrate their high school graduations. They started their first year of classes online at ASU. Now, they will walk across the stage empowered to make a difference in the world.

Of the overall graduating class, more than 9,500 are Arizonans entering the workforce. The university’s graduates are among the world’s most employable – a recent survey of international employers ranked ASU the No. 2 public and 13th overall university in the U.S., and No. 34 worldwide, for employable graduates.

ASU’s spring graduating class includes nearly 14,000 campus immersion students and more than 6,700 who earned their degree online. It's a milestone year for ASU Online: this summer, the university’s 100,000th online graduate will earn their degree, and 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the trailblazing Starbucks College Achievement Plan, in which Starbucks offers full upfront tuition coverage for ASU Online bachelor’s degrees for its employees.

The largest number of students — more than 4,800 — are graduating from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, followed by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the W. P. Carey School of Business.

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation saw the largest year-over-year increase in graduates.

Of the overall total, more than 3,700 are international students, a 26% increase from spring 2023.

During Undergraduate Commencement on Monday, May 6, at Mountain America Stadium, Walter F. Parkes, co-founder and chairman of Dreamscape Learn, will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Graduate Commencement will take place at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 6, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, where nearly 7,000 students are earning a graduate degree, a 17% increase year-over-year.

More than 42,000 guests are expected for the two main commencement ceremonies. 

There are also 20 college-specific convocations and 10 special-interest ceremonies in metro Phoenix, including the Hispanic Convocation, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. More than 4,100 graduates identifying as Hispanic/Latino will earn their degrees this May, compared to 49 graduates at the inaugural ceremony.

In addition to the celebrations in the Phoenix area, ASU’s California Center Grand in downtown Los Angeles will host a Veterans Honor Stole Ceremony for the first time on May 10. 

Find the full schedule at graduation.asu.edu/ceremonies/schedule.

Some of the notable graduates this year include: a young PhD student who founded a STEAM program for girls in Chicago and South Africa; a mother-daughter graduating duo; Miss Arizona, who is graduating summa cum laude; a student with a unique double major inspired by popular TV crime shows; and a student who turned his life around from early run-ins with the law to graduating from Barrett, The Honors College and winning an MLK Award.

Please see our list of graduates available for interviews.

Safety: ASU has security and law enforcement present at all commencement events as a matter of protocol and will do so again this spring. We are communicating safety messages through signs, video and emails. All graduates, faculty and guests will go through security. Graduates will be instructed to carry their gowns into ceremonies, which is standard practice, and will be allowed to put them on after moving through security. Signs, banners and flags are prohibited. Please remind your audience that there is a CLEAR BAG POLICY at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the Sun Devils. This proactive measure enhances safety inside athletic venues and will speed up the security screening process. Commencement and convocation ceremonies are special events for all involved. Individuals who engage in inappropriate or disruptive behavior will be removed from the event. Click here for tips on attending commencement ceremonies.  

ASU 2024 Graduate Commencement Ceremony
When: Monday, May  6 | 9 a.m.
Where: Desert Financial Arena, 600 E. Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ, 85281

ASU 2024 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony
When: Monday, May 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Where: Mountain America Stadium, 500 E. Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ, 85287