LSU Sets Record in Awarding More Than 4,600 Degrees During Spring Commencement

May 20, 2022

Spring Graduation

During the 2021-22 academic year, 7,543 total degrees were awarded, surpassing the 7,000 degrees awarded in 2018-19. 

BATON ROUGE – LSU awarded a record 4,603 degrees at the university’s 307th commencement exercises, surpassing the previous record of 4,443 awarded in spring 2019. 

In addition, the university awarded the most degrees to female, African American, Asian and American Indian students ever during a spring semester. LSU also saw the most degrees ever awarded to veteran students. 

The spring graduating class represents 61 Louisiana parishes, all 50 states and 66 foreign countries. Women made up 58.55 percent of the class, and men made up 41.45 percent. The youngest graduates are 19, while the oldest is 71 years old. Among the graduates were 30 LSU employees

A number of records were also set for the entire 2021-22 overall graduating class – 7,543 total degrees awarded, surpassing the 7,000 degrees awarded in the 2018-19 academic year. In addition, 4,355 degrees were awarded to female students, a new record. The academic year also saw records broken for the number of degrees awarded to American Indian, Asian, African American and Hispanic students. 

Starting this spring, graduates received a newly redesigned diploma—inspired by the diploma awarded to students in 1899. Graduates received a digital version of their diploma on graduation day, along with a diploma cover. Printed diplomas will be shipped to graduates.

Spring Commencement

Starting this spring, graduates received a newly redesigned diploma—inspired by the diploma awarded to students in 1899. 

Every degree candidate’s name is called individually at separate ceremonies for each college held at various locations on campus on Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21.

This spring, more than 770 students graduated with honors, including 72 students who received the University Medal for graduating with the highest undergraduate grade-point average in the class.

The Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership, or CCELL, in conjunction with LSU Campus Life, announced that 11 students graduated with the Engaged Citizen distinction. Collectively, these spring 2022 graduates have earned 138 service-learning credit hours and have volunteered approximately 978 hours across their local communities during their academic tenure at LSU. Some of this cohort’s volunteer opportunities include work with campus entities such as Campus Life’s Food Pantry and the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ Genesis Mentoring Program.  

This semester, 70 graduates across eight colleges were awarded the LSU Distinguished Communicator Award. Recipients of this honor are outstanding writers and speakers, with a strong command of visual literacy and technological communication. They have earned high GPAs in their communication-intensive courses throughout their baccalaureate years, sought one-on-one mentorships with faculty and have built websites that display their communication competencies and professional talents, both in and beyond the classroom. 

Twenty-four graduates were recognized during the Spring ROTC Commissioning Ceremony on Thursday, May 19, in the LSU Student Union Theater. Lt. Gen. Terry L. Gabreski was the guest speaker for the ceremony and gave the commissioning oath.

The LSU Athletics Department, the Tiger Athletic Foundation, the National L Club and the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes on Thursday, May 19, honored its class of graduating seniors and graduate students at “The Tribute” in the Bo Campbell Auditorium.

Media Note: Lists of graduates and honor graduates are being posted on LSU’s commencement website, www.lsu.edu/commencement. The lists will include graduates who have authorized the release of their names.