Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
For five days this week, Cal State Long Beach became a landscape of black gowns and gold stoles. Nearly 10,000 students crossed the stage during 13 commencement ceremonies while families — carrying handmade signs, bouquets and cutout photos mounted on sticks — filled a sea of folding chairs erected on George Allen Field.
On campus for the first time in five years, Commencement 2026 was held May 17-21, with as many as three ceremonies a day, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending long after the sun had set. Representing some 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students who earned a diploma this year, the 9,962 individuals who walked the stage reflected the vibrant diversity that defines Cal State Long Beach.
For five days this week, Cal State Long Beach became a landscape of black gowns and gold stoles. Nearly 10,000 students crossed the stage during 13 commencement ceremonies while families — carrying handmade signs, bouquets and cutout photos mounted on sticks — filled a sea of folding chairs erected on George Allen Field.
On campus for the first time in five years, Commencement 2026 was held May 17-21, with as many as three ceremonies a day, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending long after the sun had set. Representing some 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students who earned a diploma this year, the 9,962 individuals who walked the stage reflected the vibrant diversity that defines Cal State Long Beach.
