Please note, commencement for our new programs, including MAOL, MEd, MAPP, and others are still in the planning stages. More information will be posted once it becomes available.

Please click HERE for DMSc commencement information.

Commencement exercises to celebrate the class of 2026 will be held on Saturday May 16, 2026 at 10:00 am in the Morrison Quadrangle. Boone Hall provides a picturesque setting for the ceremony, with the recently-remodeled entrance and historic steps serving as an iconic backdrop for the ceremony as the statue of Dr. William Judson Boone, the founder of The College of Idaho, looks out over the attendees.

There are no tickets to attend Commencement exercises and there is no assigned seating. Typically, the event is held outdoors, so we recommend coming prepared for all types of weather. We advise you to arrive prior to 9:30 for optimal seating, as seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Commencement is a formal academic ceremony and a special day for the graduates and their guests. Please respect this occasion and all who worked so hard to get here by practicing well-mannered behavior during the ceremony.

Also, we ask that you please show respect for your fellow students and plan to stay for the duration of the ceremony.

Prohibited Items:

Alcohol
Air horns
Beach balls
Bubbles
Other Distractions
Latex Balloons

There will be a reception for graduates, family and friends immediately following Commencement exercises in Finney Forest (the lawn between Simplot & Finney).

The Commencement ceremony is much the same as it was in the earliest days of the College. It is the most important event of the year for The College of Idaho and as a graduate you take your place in the history of the College. We get to honor you and your achievements at this traditional ceremony. Please take time to enjoy it and live in the moment. You deserve it!

Please note: In case of inclement or threatening weather, a decision will be made before the ceremony whether we might hold Commencement inside the JA Albertson Activity Center rather than on the quadrangle. No seating limitation is anticipated for an indoor ceremony; admission tickets will not be required.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Registrar’s office at registrar@collegeofidaho.edu or 208.459.5400 with any questions regarding the ceremony.

Regalia

The College of Idaho partners with a local company, Direct Grad, for Commencement Regalia. It is highly preferred that you order your regalia from this company for uniformity. A direct link to The College of Idaho regalia package will be emailed out to grads in early spring. If you are graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, you only need to order the cap and gown, which also includes the tassel. If you are graduating with a master's degree, you need to also order a hood, which does have an extra cost. The basic undergrad regalia package costs on average $40.00-$50.00, so please plan ahead and be prepared for this extra cost.

College rings, announcements and senior memorabilia are also available through Direct Grad.

***Ordering is now open for College of Idaho Regalia! Please order a the following link: https://directgrad.com/product/c-of-i-regalia/

The deadline to order regalia is April 5th to have them shipped to the College without an extra shipping cost. ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER APRIL 5TH HAVE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR HOME ADDRESS AND WILL BE CHARGED $14.95 FOR SHIPPING.

Undergraduates: The required regalia for Commencement is the standard gown, cap & tassel.
Master's Degrees: You need the gown, cap & tassel, and hood for commencement. Please check with your department about the appropriate hood color you need to order.
DMSc: Graduates in the DMSc program need to order a doctoral all-black gown, or for an added cost, a custom gown with traditional DMSc colors (Kelly Green). Additionally, you will need to order a hood a tam.

If you need help with your order, have questions or need to troubleshoot, please reach out to Direct Grad at office@IDgrad.com . They are an outside vendor and the College does not have access to their ordering website.

About Regalia

College of Idaho regalia is all black and generally follows the rules of the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume. Cords (including honors cords), stoles and other accessories are not part of the regalia package, and are not provided by The College of Idaho. Some team sports, clubs, fraternities, sororities and departments may provide commencement accessories for you to wear. Please check with the leaders of the organizations and departments you belong to for more information. The College of Idaho only provides the link to the cap and gown package.

We do not strictly regulate what accessories you wear to Commencement, however we do ask that it is appropriate, reasonable, not offensive and does not cause a distraction from the ceremony. We request that gowns are worn fully zipped. Your mortar cap should be flat, with the tassel on the right side, to be moved to the left at the end of the ceremony upon prompting during closing remarks by the Provost.

Under your gown, please wear lightweight, comfortable clothing.

You MUST be dressed appropriately in regalia in order to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

Regalia orders will be delivered to the Campus Mail Center a couple of weeks before Commencement, unless you elect to have it sent to your home address (for an extra cost). You will be notified by email once the orders arrive and they are available for pick-up.

In the weeks following Commencement, we are happy to take cap and gown donations. These donations can help students with financial hardship who may not be able to purchase their own regalia. All regalia donations are welcome, and can be dropped off at the Registrar’s office in Hendren. Grads who wish to participate often bring them when they come to pick up their diploma.

Degrees and Diplomas

Undergraduate students may earn one Bachelor of Arts degree or one Bachelor of Science degree at The College of Idaho, depending on your declared catalog year. Please see the undergraduate catalog for more information.

If you are a double-major, you will still receive ONE degree and ONE diploma. Your degree will default to Bachelor of Science if you have majors within both degree designations, i.e. you cannot earn both a BA and BS at the same time.

Students in Graduate Programs can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or Master of Educational Leadership (MEd), as well as a Master of Applied Public Policy (MAPP) and Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL). A Post-Baccalaureate Certificates Organizational Leadership may also be earned. We also offer a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree.

During the Commencement ceremony you will receive a diploma cover with a congratulatory letter and information about when your diploma will be available, generally 12-15 days after Commencement. This is due to the fact that final grades are not submitted until the week AFTER the commencement ceremony, so we are not able to release diplomas until all grades are in and degree completion is confirmed.

Communicate with the Registrar's Office about how you prefer to collect your diploma, whether by mail or pick-up.

Parking

Parking for Commencement will be in the main parking lot near Oak Street, with entrances off of Wisconsin and Indiana (see map). This is the lot where the golf carts will be available to pick up those with mobility needs. Again, we highly suggest early arrival for optimal parking and seating.

Academic Honors

The College of Idaho awards Latin honors to recognize outstanding academic achievements based on the following criteria:

Cum Laude: Cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 - 3.749
Magna Cum Laude: Cumulative grade-point average of 3.750 - 3.849
Summa Cum Laude: Cumulative grade-point average of 3.850 - 4.000

Final grades are not submitted until the week after Commencement. As such, honors are not announced during the ceremony and they are not listed in the program. Honors will be listed on final transcripts, as well as on your diploma.

Holds

Holds on your account may prevent the College from releasing your diploma and official transcripts to you. There are a number of reasons why you might have a hold, so it is essential that you are proactive in making sure you resolve all holds to avoid a delay in the availability of your diploma and/or official transcripts.

If you received federal financial aid at The College of Idaho, you are required to complete Loan Exit Counseling online. Please visit this link to complete this task to avoid a financial aid hold: https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/
Unresolved balances on your student account will result in a business office hold. Please email Heather Vance to resolve these holds.
Remember to turn your mail key to the Mail Center! Failure to do so will result in a hold on your account and you will be charged a fee. Email the mail center at mailcenter@collegeofidaho.edu with questions.
Make sure parking tickets are paid, or you will receive a hold on your account. Reach out to campussafety@collegeofidaho.edu with questions.

Official Transcripts

Final transcripts with degrees posted will not be available until approximately 2 weeks after Commencement. Once transcripts are ready, you may order your official transcript at the National Student Clearinghouse website. There is a small fee for transcript orders. If you have difficulty submitting your transcript order, please refer to these instructions, or email registrar@collegeofidaho.edu.

Again, if you have a hold, official transcripts cannot be released until holds are resolved.

International Students

Some countries require an apostille to authenticate a diploma and/or transcript earned in the United States. If you are an international student, you should be receiving an email from the Registrar's office prior to Commencement with information about how to complete the apostille process. Please note: our digital diplomas serve as official copies and can be used as an alternative to apostilles in many countries.

Additional information will be posted here once the Registrar has initiated communication to international students about this process.

Additionally, if you need an invitation letter for your family to travel to the United States to attend Commencement, you may request one by filling out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/W0vsE1R6Nj.

These requests are pulled weekly on Fridays, so please allow 1-2 weeks for your request to be fulfilled. If it has been more than two weeks since you submitted your request, please email registrar@collegeofidaho.edu.

Campus Map & Local Amenities

There are a variety of hotels, restaurants and activities nearby for families to enjoy while visiting for Commencement. Please visit this link for information about some of Caldwell's favorite destinations: Destination Caldwell.

After Commencement

Welcome to the Alumni family! As an official member of The College of Idaho Alumni, you can stay connected in a number of ways:

Visit the YoteBook (our online Alumni community) at https://alumni.collegeofidaho.edu/
Connect on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cofialumni
Follow the Alumni account on Instagram @coialumni.
Sign up for the College of Idaho Newsletter mailing list here
Keep your contact information up-to-date at this link:https://alumni.collegeofidaho.edu/page/send-an-update-to-the-college
Browse the list of alumni benefits , which includes things like library privileges, course participation, JAAC facilities use, outdoor program rentals, and more!

Please fill out the Alumni Communication form with your information so we can keep you in the loop with Alumni opportunities and events! Alumni Communication Form

Please contact Alumni Relations at 208-459-5004, or email them at alumni@collegeofidaho.edu.