More than 8,600 undergraduate and graduate students and their families will participate in University of California, Irvine commencement ceremonies between Friday, June 12, and Monday, June 15, in the campus’s Bren Events Center, according to a June 3 announcement.
UC Irvine will grant nearly 11,200 degrees this academic year – including 8,510 undergraduate degrees, 1,791 master’s degrees and 893 doctoral degrees. Of those receiving bachelor’s degrees, 41 percent are first-generation college students. The university said this figure reflects its commitment to access and affordability for traditionally underserved students.
“In the 60 years since our first commencement, UC Irvine has stood at the forefront of educating our state’s very best students regardless of their circumstances or background,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman. “The class of 2026 embodies that mission as it goes forth enabled, inspired and empowered to pursue a better nation and a better world.”
Degrees will be conferred at twelve ceremonies over four days. A schedule of graduation events—including cultural and special celebrations—is available on the UC Irvine commencement website. The university is recognized as one of the top public research universities in the U.S. for inclusivity and student outcomes.
Founded in 1965, University of California, Irvine is a member of the Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top ten public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and offers more than two hundred degree programs to over thirty-six thousand students under Chancellor Howard Gillman’s leadership. It is Orange County’s second-largest employer with an annual economic contribution estimated at $7 billion locally and $8 billion statewide; it also participates in NCAA Division I athletics, earned a Carnegie classification for very high research activity, functions within the University of California system, focuses on advancing knowledge through research with an emphasis on inclusive excellence, engages in international collaborations, and holds accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission, according to the official website.
Media outlets may use an on-campus studio for interviews with faculty or experts by arrangement.
