KINGSTON, R.I. – May 6, 2026 – Up to 40,000 people will soon converge on the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus for three days of commencement ceremonies to celebrate URI’s newest class of graduates.
From Friday, May 15, through Sunday, May 17, family and friends will mark the achievements of more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, during eight college-based ceremonies at the Thomas M. Ryan Center.
In addition to celebrating the graduates, the University will confer honorary degrees upon Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of streaming giant Netflix; Daniel L. Harple Jr., chair and CEO of Context Labs; and Katherine Angell Brewster, CEO of the Jonnycake Center for Hope in South Kingstown.
Randolph will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws and serve as keynote speaker during commencement ceremonies for URI’s College of Business on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. Harple will receive an honorary Doctor of Science and offer advice to graduates during commencement ceremonies for the College of Engineering on Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m. Brewster will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during ceremonies for URI’s Feinstein College of Education on Sunday, May 17, at 1 p.m.
Each ceremony will also feature a student commencement speaker and will recognize both undergraduate and graduate degree candidates from their respective colleges. The student speakers for this spring’s commencement festivities are Skyla Anderson, Asta Habtemichael, Jordyn Hickey, Julia Johnson, Zoie Ndonye, Prachi Patel, Gianna Petrangelo, Victoria Reilly, and Angel Vega.
Here’s what else you should know about this year’s commencement:
Spring 2026 Commencement schedule
Friday, May 15
11 a.m., College of Health Sciences
4 p.m., College of Business
Saturday, May 16
9 a.m., College of Arts and Sciences
2 p.m., College of Nursing
5 p.m., College of Engineering
Sunday, May 17
9 a.m., College of the Environment and Life Sciences and Graduate School of Oceanography
1 p.m., Feinstein College of Education
4 p.m., College of Pharmacy
How many students will graduate during the weekend?
During spring commencement weekend, URI will confer 4,793 degrees (3,881 undergraduate and 912 graduate degrees) upon 4,330 graduates. Some students will earn multiple degrees.
What are their ages?
URI’s youngest and oldest undergraduate students to receive degrees are 19 and 68, respectively. Among graduate students, the youngest student to be awarded a graduate degree is 21, while the oldest is 68.
Where are the graduates from?
URI students come from all over the United States and the globe, representing 42 states and 24 countries.
Among the undergraduates, about 51% are from Rhode Island, 16% are from Massachusetts, and about 11% are from Connecticut.
Who are the student speakers?
This year, there will be nine student speakers representing the schools and colleges: Skyla Anderson, Asta Habtemichael, Jordyn Hickey, Julia Johnson, Zoie Ndonye, Prachi Patel, Gianna Petrangelo, Victoria Reilly, and Angel Vega.
Other interesting notes about the graduating class
The University will graduate 98 military veterans this year – 84 undergraduates and 14 graduate students.
The Class of 2026 also includes 12 sets of twins.
Can I watch the ceremony online?
The University will offer live broadcasts of all ceremonies online.
Members of the media who are scheduled to cover the event should be in touch with Dawn Bergantino at URI Communications and Marketing no later than Thursday, May 14, at 11 a.m. Credentials will be needed to enter the Ryan Center.