More than 12,000 students are set to graduate from Arizona State University during the fall commencement ceremonies on December 15. This marks a 9% increase compared to last year’s fall graduation numbers and reflects ongoing growth in both ASU’s in-person and online programs.
The university, which was recently ranked No. 2 in employability in the United States, continues to connect higher education with expanding industries locally and internationally. Graduates are moving into high-demand fields such as technology, health care, and sustainability.
Among those graduating this fall is Erik Challenger Sr., who earned a master’s degree in emergency management and homeland security from the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. He learned how to shape policies for emergency services that could save lives. Jessica Lopez, a Barrett, The Honors College ASU Online graduate, chose ASU to continue her advocacy for disability resources and accessibility in travel. Mudit Lal, an Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering student from Lucknow, India, found community at the Polytechnic campus while starting his own design company.
The class of 12,305 graduates includes 5,418 on-campus students and 6,887 ASU Online students. Enrollment for ASU Online grew by 11% between the academic years 2024–25 and 2025–26. There are also 1,596 international graduates this fall—an increase of more than 15% over last year. These figures represent students who applied for graduation as of November 21; final numbers may change up to two weeks after graduation.
The largest graduating classes come from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (2,570 graduates), the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (2,317), and the W. P. Carey School of Business (1,642). Each college saw a 9% rise in graduates compared to last year.
Graduate Commencement will take place at Desert Financial Arena at 9 a.m., followed by Undergraduate Commencement at Mountain America Stadium at 2:30 p.m., both on December 15. In addition to these main events, there will be twenty college-specific convocations and seven special-interest celebrations across Tempe and metro Phoenix.
Arizona State University has been recognized as the most innovative school in the nation for eight consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report according to their annual Best Colleges rankings. The university has also achieved high rankings in undergraduate business, nursing, and engineering programs.
In other recent developments involving innovation at ASU, the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department is partnering with Argos Vision—a tech startup connected with Arizona State University—to install smart traffic cameras for a one-year pilot program aimed at improving road safety as announced by city officials.
