Graduation Announcement Wording Examples

If you’re sending your announcement after graduation, you can include a photo of the graduate in their cap and gown. Otherwise, choose your favorite portrait. Here’s our guide to grad photo poses and ideas.

It may seem obvious but don’t forget to include your graduate’s name! For a more formal announcement include first, middle, and last name. For a more casual card, you can include a nickname.

Include the full name of the school they graduated from. For high school graduates, you can also opt to include the name of the college or university they may be headed off to.

Including the names of parents and guardians in the announcement shows how proud you are and how much you value their support and sacrifices. (We’ll share more ideas for exactly how to do this later in this article.)

If this is a college graduation announcement, don’t forget to include what the student studied. If this is a graduate school announcement, let your loved ones know what type of degree your grad received.

Include significant academic recognition such as Latin honors (Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Cum Laude), honor society memberships (Phi Beta Kappa, etc.), or special distinctions like valedictorian or salutatorian. For high school graduates, you might include notable scholarships or college acceptance achievements.

Add the graduation year to the announcement card as part of the design. Remember, this card is a keepsake too!

If your ceremony will be streamed, include a shortened custom link or QR code so friends and family who can’t attend in person can still watch and be part of the moment.

Have more you’d like to share? The back of the card is the place to get more personal. Opt for a design that leaves space on the back of the card so you can let your friends and family know how hard the graduate worked, what they enjoyed during their time in school, and what they plan to do in the future.

You might also include a meaningful quote or personal motto that reflects the graduate's journey or values. For college graduates, consider adding professional networking information such as LinkedIn profiles to help maintain connections with extended family and professional contacts.

If the graduation party is part of the celebration, you can opt for a graduation party invitation design. You can also simply add an enclosure card as the party invitation and send it together with the main announcement card.

1. Mr. and Mrs. William
   Are proud to announce the graduation of
   Michael Randy William
   Alhambra High School
   Class of 2026
2. Announcing our wonderful graduate
   Annie Louise Chen
   From Arthur Collin High School
   Attending the University of Minnesota in the Fall 2026
3. Congratulations Laura Siena Thompson!
   Class of 2026
   San Marino High School

1. Announcing the Graduation of
   Anne Marie Xavier
   The University of Virginia
   School of Architecture
   Bachelor of Arts
   Class of 2026
2. You did it!
   Robert Ferino Krummen
   BSC in Mechanical Engineering
   Massachusetts Institute of Technology
   Graduate Class of 2026
3. Hip hip Hooray!
   Juan Carlos Hernandez graduated!
   UC Berkeley
   Class of 2026

For all graduate degrees, you may want to consider including more information about the school journey you have been through, such as, what you plan to do with the degree or any other details that your loved ones may care about. Did you attend night school while working the day job? Perhaps you may want to include some thank you notes for people who have been supporting you. Use the back of the card or an additional insert card for your personal notes.

1. Class of 2026
   Leslie Alice Wilson
   University of Florida
   Masters of Education
2. Mastered It!
   Harold Bruce
   New York University graduate class of 2026
   Masters in Journalism
3. Jenny Day
   UC Davis
   Masters in Accounting
   
   “A sincere thank you to my community of friends and family for supporting me along the way. I couldn’t have attended night school and kept my day job without your support. Much love, Jenny.”

1. Congratulations!
   Kelsey Jane Sutter
   Degree of Law, University of Chicago
2. Announcing
   Kelly Wang, PhD
   Clinical Psychology
   University of Texas at Austin
3. Benjamin Roy Arthur, M.D.
   Columbia University

1. Proudly announcing the dual achievement of,
   Alexandra Marie Jones
   B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Economics
   Class of 2026, Columbia University
2. Announcing the success of,
   Liam Patrick Carter
   Dual Master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Public Policy
   Harvard University, Class of 2026
3. Celebrating our graduate,
   Sophia Elena Ramirez
   Bachelor of Arts in History and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art
   University of Southern California, Class of 2026

1. Announcing the achievement of
   Rohan Deepak Mehta
   Master of Business Administration
   London School of Economics, Class of 2026
2. Proudly celebrating,
   Nadia Elena Petrova
   Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
   Technical University of Munich, Class of 2026
3. Sharing our joy,
   Kai Hiroshi Nakamura
   Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences
   Kyoto University, Class of 2026

1. Celebrating the extraordinary achievement of,
   Sarah Elizabeth Kwon
   Summa Cum Laude
   Harvard University, Class of 2026
2. Announcing with pride,
   Ethan Andrew Lopez
   Magna Cum Laude
   University of Texas at Austin, Class of 2026
3. A remarkable achievement,
   Isabella Grace Chen
   With High Distinction
   University of Toronto, Class of 2026

1. After an inspiring journey, we proudly celebrate:
   Matthew Ryan Lewis
   Class of 2026
   University of Michigan, transferred from Michigan State University
2. Announcing the success of,
   Olivia Marie Bennett
   Graduating from UCLA
   Transferred from Santa Monica College, Class of 2026
3. Proudly celebrating,
   Daniel Joseph Nguyen
   Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science
   Transferred from City College of San Francisco
   to UC Berkeley, Class of 2026

1. We invite you to celebrate:
   Alex Jameson
   Class of 2026
   New York University
   In-person: Memorial Hall, June 12, 2026, at 3 PM
   Livestream: [URL]
   Watch Party: [Location]
2. Join us to celebrate,
   Monica Ross
   Class of 2026,
   Harvard Law School
   Attend in person: Graduation Hall, June 15, 2026, at 4 PM
   Virtual access: Livestream link provided upon RSVP

1. Join us to celebrate our daughter,
   Isabel Martin
   Class of 2026
   West Branchville Tech Auditorium
   At 1 PM on June 5, 2026
   Parking is available at the North Campus Lot. A shuttle service will run every 15 minutes to the auditorium. Parking fee: $5 per vehicle.
2. We’re so thrilled to invite you to our son’s graduation!
   Jay Slope
   Class of 2026
   Stanford University
   Ceremony at Memorial Hall, June 12, 2026, at 3 PM.
   Each guest must present their entry ticket at the venue entrance. Tickets can be downloaded from the provided RSVP link.
3. We’re celebrating our son,
   Priyank Mehra
   Class of 2026
   University of Chicago
   And would love for you to join us through livestream at universityname.edu/link on June 15, 2026, at 2 PM. To access the livestream, use the code sent via email after RSVP. The digital code is valid for up to 10 devices.

1. Print or handwrite the recipients’ names and addresses. The family’s name goes on the first line, followed by the street address on the second, and city, state, and zip on the third. If you’re sending it to a family household, you can write “The Brooks Family” instead of listing each individual family member. Alternatively, for a more formal announcement, you may want to address your recipients as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. Minted has a helpful address collection feature to keep track of all your loved ones’ contact information.
2. Choose a return address label or handwrite your return address. Remember that return address labels are relatively inexpensive and having them printed can save a lot of time!

The tone of your announcement card should reflect both the graduate and the people receiving it. A traditional, plain-stated message may feel appropriate for extended family, mentors, and professional contacts, but don’t be afraid to use a more relaxed, conversational tone for friends.

Here are some tips:

• Create different cards for different audiences. You can switch up the tone, layout, and even the details you include on each announcement or invitation card.
• Keep the graduate’s personality in mind. If they’re known for being funny or outgoing, a light, playful line can make it feel like it’s coming from them. On the other hand, stick to simple and refined wording if the graduate is more reserved.
• Balance is key! Let personality come through, but make sure key details are still clear and easy to read.

You don’t have to send announcements to parents of the other graduates unless you’re planning on throwing a party after the celebration.

When deciding whom to send your graduation announcements to, think of all the people who have been part of the graduate's journey. This could include:

• Family members, including extended family you haven’t connected with in a while
• Family friends from all stages of life
• Colleagues or anyone who played a supportive role in the graduate’s journey, such as coaches, mentors, or teachers

You don’t have to send announcements to parents of the other graduates unless you’re planning on throwing a party after the celebration.

Timing is key when sending out graduation announcements. Whether you're planning to share the news before or after the ceremony, knowing when to send them ensures that your recipients can celebrate the milestone appropriately.

• Before Graduation: Announcements can be sent 2-4 weeks prior to the ceremony to share upcoming plans and include event details.
• After Graduation: A wide window of 6-8 weeks post-graduation allows you to share the news with a picture of the graduate in their cap and gown.

Pro Tip: With widespread courier delays reported this year, it’s a good idea to build in extra time when sending out your announcements.

Send a simple follow-up card or email with the updated information. Include the new date, time, and any changed viewing options. It's helpful to mention if previous RSVPs will be honored or if guests need to confirm again.

For advanced degrees where research was a major component, you can include this information on the back of the card or in an insert. Keep it brief and use layman's terms if your audience isn't academic.

Treat it the same as a traditional degree — online degrees are just as valid. There's no need to specify that it was earned online unless you want to highlight your ability to balance other commitments while studying.

Focus on the achievement rather than the challenges. Graduation is a milestone worth celebrating regardless of the journey.