For our students, it’s the culmination & celebration of some of the best years of their lives.
The last class has ended. The final work crew shift has been clocked. Friendships forged for a lifetime. Memories etched by mentors and late nights, capstone research and community partners, mountain hikes and river dips. Now—it’s time to celebrate!
Join us for the Warren Wilson College Commencement Ceremony, honoring the Class of 2026. Family, friends, and loved ones are invited to gather and send our graduates off into their next great adventures.
When: 10 a.m., Saturday, May 9, 2026
Where: Sunderland Lawn, Warren Wilson College campusÂ
Speaker: Distinguished Psychologist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett
Planning continues. Please continue to check this web page for updates!
Thursday, May 7
Alumni Association Happy Hour (for alumni and graduates)
4 p.m., Pavilion
Friday, May 8
Honors and Awards Ceremony (All are invited)
4 p.m., Chapel
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Robing (for Graduates only)
9 a.m., Canon Lounge
*Graduates should arrive wearing caps and gowns
Commencement (All are invited)
10:00 a.m., Sunderland Lawn
*Guests are encouraged to arrive early.
Commencement Reception (All are invited)
12:00 p.m., Formal Gardens across from Sunderland Lawn
*Light refreshments will be served.
Monday, May 11, 2026
Graduate Move-Out – Dorms close.
1 p.m.
We are excited to continue the Warren Wilson College tradition of holding Commencement outdoors on campus at the place where it all began for our graduates—the lawn outside of Sunderland, the first-year residence hall.
See our Admission Visit page for information about accommodations.
Students are provided with regalia which must be returned after Commencement.
Event seating is not ticketed, but is limited. Guests also spill out onto the adjacent lawns, porches and roadways near Sunderland, Bryson, and Jensen.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be shifted to DeVries Gymnasium. The Commencement Team will make this decision on Wednesday, May 6.
We encourage carpooling and arrival by 9 a.m. to ensure adequate time to park and walk to Sunderland Lawn. Guests will be directed to parking, and shuttles to the event location will be available.
Vehicles with a disabled parking tag will be directed to designated accessible parking. Those who require other accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact Jenna Rowland at jrowland@warren-wilson.edu.
A professional photographer will capture the moment your graduate’s degree is conferred.
Warren Wilson College is proud to partner with Herff Jones on commencement invitations and diploma frames. This service is provided by Herff Jones; all communications may be directed to our campus representative:
Michael Green, graduation@4levelup.com
For any other information about commencement, please contact:
Jenna Rowland, Executive Assistant to the President
(828) 771-2070
jrowland@warren-wilson.edu
Warren Wilson College is proud to announce that Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University and Chief Scientific Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Law, Brain & Behavior, will serve as the College’s 2026 Commencement Speaker.
The tree sapling received with each degree represents a new beginning. Just as each graduate leaves the College to go, lay down roots, and grow, the graduate is encouraged to plant this tree away from campus to represent their mark as a Warren Wilson graduate in the greater world.
Warren Wilson’s tartan was designed by Sharon Fullerton Grist ’77 to honor the College’s centennial. Blue and gold are the school’s colors. The three bands of maroon represent academics, work, and community engagement. Gray represents the rock upon which the campus was built and green reflects the landscape. The College’s tartan is registered officially with the Scottish Registry of Tartans.
The mace represents the authority of the college President and is carried at the head of academic processions. Commissioned in 1978 by college President Reuben Holden and created by Swannanoa artist Dirck Cruser, our mace is carved from walnut and bears the symbols of the College: the mountains, the valley, the river, the owl, and the spade. The distinctive curves and carving also form two W’s.
