15 graduation announcement wording ideas and examples

Graduation is a significant milestone that should be celebrated—and shared! After years of hard work, raise a well-earned toast to an impressive achievement, no matter what stage of life the graduate is in. Whether you’re proudly announcing that your child has finished high school or sharing the news of your own PhD completion, sending a graduation announcement is the perfect way to share any academic accomplishment with the world. 

Browse Paperless Post’s wide range of customizable graduation announcement templates to find just the right design to share your news. If you’re hosting a party to honor the grad—or inviting friends and family to the commencement ceremony—you can also share the announcement as a part of your graduation party invitation.

There are countless ways to share a graduation announcement for all different types of schools, degrees, and programs. Make it sentimental, go with a lighthearted vibe, keep it simple and straightforward, send multiple photos—whatever you feel best honors the graduate and their accomplishments. Read on for our helpful tips, etiquette, and sample graduation announcement wording to help get you started. 

What to include in a graduation announcement

 

Every graduate is different, so any graduation announcement wording will, of course, vary based on specific education details, style, and personality. You can opt for a more formal feel, or keep things on the casual side, depending on your taste and who you plan on sharing your announcement with. 

That said, there are a few simple touchstones that every graduation announcement should cover—as well as optional additional details. In general, make sure your graduation announcement wording covers the “who, what, where, and when.” 

• The graduate’s full name. For more formal announcement wording, include the graduate’s first, last, and middle name. For an informal tone, you can leave off their middle name, and include a nickname if you wish. 
• School name. Include the full name of the school or university they are graduating from.
• Graduation year. Share that the graduate is a member of the “Class of 2025,” or whichever graduating year applies to them. 
• Photo(s) of the graduate. Customize your design with one or multiple photos of the graduate—posing in their cap and gown, senior class portraits, or any other favorite snapshots you want to share with family and friends. 
• Parents’ names. If announcing a graduation for your child, parents or guardians may include their own names as well, as the proud presenters of the news. 
• Major/Degree. For graduating college students or master’s degree recipients, include their major or area of study along with what degree they will be receiving.
• Honors/Achievements. If the graduate has received a specific honor or recognition such as Valedictorian or is graduating Cum Laude, that is news worth sharing with the world!
• Graduation ceremony or party details. For graduation announcements that double as graduation party invitations, include all the event details in your wording as well: the party’s date, time, and location. 

High school graduation announcement wording 

Share the news of your child’s high school graduation with loved ones far and wide with a customizable high school graduation announcement template you can edit to your liking. Add photos of the grad on your design and include more sweet memories in a Photo Gallery Block. Change your design’s fonts, edit the colors to match their school colors, and add fun stickers for a special touch. 

For high school graduation announcement wording, you can also include any post-graduation plans for the future, such as where they will be attending college, what they plan to study, gap year travel, and more. We’ve put together some sample graduation announcement wording options to help you get started.

 

1. Hip, hip, hooray!

Announcing the graduation of 

Kelly Clarke 

Meadow High School 

Class of 2025

In the fall, Kelly plans to attend Boston University

 

2. With great pride, Mr. and Mrs. Ross

Announce the graduation of their son

Brendan Joseph Ross 

From Bloomfield High School

Class of 2025

Class Valedictorian

 

3. We are thrilled to announce

The graduation of Jesse Sullivan

Class of 2025

Roosevelt High School

Jesse will be attending Penn State University, Fall 2025

Majoring in Computer Science 

 

4. Hats off to the grad!

Congrats to our Sammy Elizabeth

Class of 2025

St. John’s High School

Your next adventure awaits!

College graduation announcement wording

 

Graduating from college is a significant milestone worth sharing with family, friends, and anyone else who played a role in the graduate’s life or education along the way. Spread the word with college graduation announcement wording that includes the graduate’s degree, any honors, and plans for the future—like if they will be going on to attend medical school, or if they landed an exciting internship or job opportunity. 

 

5. Olivia Evans

Graduates Magna Cum Laude

University of Michigan

Class of 2025

B.A., English Literature

“Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” – Nora Ephron

 

6. Proudly announcing the graduation of our son

Benjamin Yang

From Columbia University

Class of 2025

With a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Benjamin will be attending Yale Law School, Fall 2025

 

7. Congratulations, Ellie Mitchell!

Class of 2025

New York University

Tisch School of the Arts

BFA in Theatre

Watch out, Broadway!

 

8. With great joy, Jay and Margaret White

Announce the graduation of 

Emily White

Class of 2025

University of South Carolina

School of Social Work 

Please join us to celebrate

May 17th, 4 P.M.

Silverwood Country Club

Master’s degree graduation announcement wording

Completing graduate school is undoubtedly an impressive feat. Share this accomplishment with the world and include any details about the educational journey that brought you here, the type of degree being received, and exciting plans for post-graduation. You can also opt to keep your graduation announcement wording simple and include further information in a Details Block on your event page.

 

9. He did it!

Ethan Turner

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Class of 2025

 

10. Announcing the graduation of

Heather Abramson

Master of Library and Information Science

University of Wisconsin

May 2025

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein

 

11. Please join us in congratulating

Marshall Davis

For graduating from Harvard Business School

Class of 2025

Earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration

We are so proud of you, son

 

12. Clay Alexander Warner

Has graduated from the University of Pennsylvania

Dual Master’s Degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning

Class of 2025

Clay has accepted a prestigious internship this summer with Perkins & Howe 

Doctorate graduation announcement wording

From law school to medical school and beyond, receiving a doctorate degree is a remarkable achievement that deserves praise. Include the specific degree and program the graduate has completed, the institution they graduated from, the year, and any special academic honors, awards, or notable extra curricular activities they participated in. If you are sending a graduation announcement for your child or grandchild, let everyone know how proud you are of all their hard work! 

13. Announcing the graduation of

Louisa O’Hara, Ph.D.

Receiving her Doctor of Philosophy in Literature

Duke University

June 2025

 

14. Introducing Dr. Kelsey Morris, M.D.

Class of 2025

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Specializing in Orthopedic Surgery

We are beyond proud of Kelsey’s accomplishments

 

15. I am pleased to announce that I,

Matthew A. Wilson, J. D.

Graduated from University of Minnesota Law School

Class of 2025

Cum Laude, Contributor to Minnesota Law Review, Judicial Clerkship for Honorable Kathleen F. Grant, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

Graduation announcement etiquette and tips

 

Now that you’ve got your graduation announcement wording down, it’s time to figure out who you should send it to and when. Plan to send a graduation announcement roughly two weeks before the commencement ceremony or up to 6 weeks after, to let all your friends and loved ones know of your grad’s accomplishments. That way, you’ll give your recipients plenty of time to respond with a card of their own, if they like, and maybe even a gift for your hard-working scholar. If you’re hosting a graduation party and using your graduation announcement to also spread the word, make sure to send it out with plenty of advance notice—or even send a separate save the date—as graduation season can get busy and you’ll want everyone to mark their calendars for your celebration!

As for the recipient list—a good starting point is anyone you’d send a holiday card to, such as close friends, extended family, and important acquaintances. You may also consider important teachers, tutors, mentors, counselors, and scholastic colleagues, as well. It takes a village, as they say, so make sure everyone’s contributions are recognized.

From preschool to PhD, celebrate every step with Paperless Post

Raise a toast to any graduate with our impressive collection of customizable graduation announcements in a range of styles, from traditional and classic to modern and bold. Include a Gifts Block to add links or information on preferred gifts, or to specify that no gifts are necessary. Once everything is ready to send, share your announcement instantly via text message, a shareable link, or in a Custom Email you can edit to match your selected design or school colors. Include a Comment Wall as well to allow everyone to share their well wishes for the graduate. Cheers to the graduating class with the help of Paperless Post!