CU Boulder turns Class of 2025 out into the world
May 8, 2025
CU Boulder conferred a record 10,138 degrees—earned by 9,934 graduates—during a jubilant commencement ceremony on May 8, while an estimated 30,000-plus family members and friends looked on.
CU superfan Peggy Coppom, a centenarian, was also in attendance to receive the Chancellor's Impact Award, recognizing her lifetime of dedication to the university.
After introductory remarks from commencement marshal Leigh Holman, Chancellor Justin Schwartz introduced commencement speaker Emma Coburn, a three-time track Olympian, NCAA national champion and CU Boulder alumna.
"Today isn't just the end of a chapter, it's the end of one race and the beginning of another," Coburn said. "You've crossed the finish line, and now, you're standing at the starting line of everything that comes next."
Schwartz then conferred degrees to the fall 2024 graduates and spring and summer 2025 candidates: 7,533 undergraduate degrees, 1,793 master's degrees, 481 doctoral degrees, 178 law degrees, and 153 MBAs.
"Start with what you've got. In a matter of minutes, you will officially hold a degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, a top national research university with global impact," Schwartz said. "Add to that your skills, your passions, your experiences, your unique way of seeing the world—the things that make you you."
This year's graduating class comprises first-generation through fifth-generation Buffs. As the only university in Colorado that hosts all three branches of military ROTC programs—Army, Navy and Air Force—105 graduates are also becoming commissioned officers.
Senior Class Council President Aaditya Pore concluded the ceremony by challenging his fellow graduates.
"I urge you all to move forward with a commitment to kindness," Pore said. "Use your spark—your curiosity, your ambition, your passion—to create a world where empathy is the norm, not the exception. Now more than ever, we need leaders who are willing to listen, to understand and to act with love."
Editor's note: Degree and graduate numbers were recorded on May 1 and are subject to change.
