Eastern Kentucky University will celebrate students’ academic success during the Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies on Thursday, May 7, and Friday, May 8, at the Baptist Health Arena at Alumni Coliseum. Four ceremonies are scheduled to honor graduates from the university’s six academic colleges, along with master’s and doctoral graduates representing all colleges.
The schedule and graduate speaker for each ceremony are as follows:
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
EKU anticipates to recognize 2,225 degrees and awards: 191 certificates, 53 associate degrees, 1,631 bachelor’s degrees, 336 master’s degrees, five post-master’s certificates and nine doctoral degrees. The top degrees awarded include nursing, psychology, criminal justice, aviation and communication disorders.
Graduates range in age from 18 to 72. They come from 20 countries, 41 states and 106 Kentucky counties; 46% of graduates are first-generation college graduates. A livestream of the ceremonies will be available at youtube.com/ekustories on the day of commencement. Find more information about this year’s ceremonies at go.eku.edu/graduation.
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Eastern Kentucky University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees.