Students

Your Commencement attire, piece by piece

All candidates for degrees wear custom IU apparel at Commencement. Students rent their gowns and return them after the ceremony. Graduates keep their caps, tassels, and (if they received undergraduate degrees) stoles of gratitude. There are two ways to order:

  • Attend virtual GradFair on March 9 or 10 and get help with ordering; or
  • Order directly from the website of Herff Jones, IU’s licensed Commencement vendor.

Order by Monday, April, 5, to get the best price. Prices go up Monday, April 12. Online orders close on Monday, April 19.

NOTE: If you rented graduation apparel in 2020 and plan to return to campus in May 2021 if in-person Commencement is possible then, you will be contacted by Herff Jones about receiving a rent-free gown and (if you rented graduate student apparel) a rent-free hood. Please bring your cap, tassel, and (if you received an undergraduate degree) stole with you to the ceremony. Questions? Email Herff Jones representative Patrick Cavazos.

The gown

Indiana University has custom apparel for Commencement featuring a lightweight black gabardine robe piped with crimson braid.

Bachelor’s and associate gowns

The bachelor’s and associate gowns have a closed front and open sleeves.

Candidates for bachelor’s and associate degrees also receive a crimson Stole of Gratitude, embellished with the Indiana University seal, which they wear during the ceremony.

A graduating student waves

Master’s gowns

The master’s gown has extra long, closed sleeves, with a small opening at the wrist. The end of the sleeve is square, with an arc cut away just above the bottom.

A student in Commencement apparel

Doctoral gowns

The doctoral gown has velvet panels down the front and voluminous, bell-shaped sleeves. Each sleeve has three velvet bars. The velvet is usually black, but may reflect the color of the discipline.

Stoles of Gratitude

Graduates may keep their Stoles of Gratitude as a memento of the day, or present them as a token of thanks to anyone who guided them on their path to graduation.

A friend admires a graduate's Commencement apparel

Caps, tassels, and hoods

All candidates wear a cap (also called a mortarboard) that is adorned with a colored tassel appropriate to the school or division from which they are graduating. All students may keep their caps and tassels after the ceremony.

All graduate degree candidates also wear a hood. The master’s hood extends past the middle of the back and has a wide velvet edging. The doctoral hood is easily recognized by the width of the velvet edging, the wide panels at both sides, and the greater length. Rental hoods must be returned with rental gowns.

Tassel and hood colors

Honor cords and fourragères

Rent caps and gowns

Online orders for Commencement 2021 are now open! You can order your cap and gown here: https://colleges.herffjones.com/college/iu.

You’re almost there. Use our graduation checklist to prepare for Commencement.

Graduation checklist