Commencement 2023

May 15, 2023

The University of Pennsylvania’s 267th Commencement ceremony was held on Franklin Field.  An estimated 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students were in attendance, including U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, whose granddaughter was graduating.  As is tradition, faculty, staff, and friends gathered along Locust Walk to watch and cheer the graduates and the academic procession through campus during which the Penn Band performed from College Green.  The ceremony featured the conferral of degrees, the awarding of honorary degrees, greetings by University officials, including Penn President Liz Magill, and remarks by the Commencement speaker, Idina Menzel, Tony Award-winning actress, singer/songwriter, producer, and author.  Menzel received an honorary doctor of arts degree.  In addition to the University’s Commencement ceremony Penn’s 12 schools each host a ceremony, at which graduating students are individually recognized as their names are called, and they walk across a stage. Additional information is available at the School Ceremonies page of the University Commencement website.

Read President Magill’s Commencement Speech.

Penn Today news story (including video of President Magill's speech).

See also Penn President Flickr gallery, Instagram, and Facebook.

See also Penn Communications Flickr gallery.

Photographs by Eddy Marenco.