Oregon State University – Cascades will graduate 377 students at its 25th commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 14. It is the largest graduating class since OSU-Cascades was founded in 2001.
More than 300 students are expected to participate in the ceremony, which will take place at 10 a.m., rain or shine, on the Oval Green on the OSU-Cascades campus. More than 3,000 family and friends are anticipated. Gates will open at 9 a.m. Tickets are required, and attendees must follow the event’s clear bag policy.
The graduating class will receive 380 degrees and includes four students who will receive two degrees, and one student who will receive three degrees.
“This graduating class reflects OSU-Cascades’ growing contribution to Central Oregon and the state, preparing students for in-demand careers in fields from engineering to mental health counseling and the media arts,” said Christine Pollard, interim chancellor and dean of OSU-Cascades. “I’m especially proud that our graduates recognize the meaningful role OSU-Cascades faculty have played in mentoring and guiding them toward successful careers.”
Pollard will preside over the ceremony, and OSU Provost Roy Haggerty will confer degrees to students.
The commencement address will be given by Dennis Lynn, a senior instructor in human development and family sciences at OSU-Cascades. A beloved instructor, Lynn played a meaningful role in shaping students’ academic experience, earning a Teaching Excellence Award and being selected by graduating students to deliver the “Last Lecture” in consecutive years. Lynn will retire from OSU-Cascades at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
Some additional facts and figures about OSU-Cascades’ class of 2026:
- Of the 380 degrees awarded, 284 will go to students receiving bachelor’s degrees, and 96 to those receiving master’s and doctoral degrees.
- Degrees will be awarded in 26 academic programs.
- Seven students will receive an OSU Honors degree, which requires completion of advanced classes and a thesis.
- Three students have been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the nation.
- 78% of the graduates are from Oregon, with 46% from Central Oregon.
- OSU-Cascades’ 2026 graduates represent 27 of Oregon’s 36 counties.
- Graduates represent 24 other U.S. states and one country.
- The graduating class includes 69 students who are first in their family to earn a college degree.
- Fourteen graduates are active-duty military personnel or veterans of the national armed forces.
- The average age of the graduating class is 28, the oldest is 57 and the youngest is 19.
The commencement event will bring the total number of graduates to 6,341 since OSU-Cascades was founded in 2001.
University-wide, Oregon State will graduate a record 8,785 students. More details can be found in a news release from the Corvallis campus.
About OSU-Cascades: Oregon State University’s campus in Bend brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.