The University of Michigan will reach a historic moment this May when it awards its 1 millionth degree during Spring Commencement.
That milestone comes more than 180 years after U-M’s first commencement ceremony was held Aug. 6, 1845, with 11 graduates.
This spring, the University of Michigan is projected to graduate nearly 14,000 students for the winter 2026 term across its Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses. Last year, including summer, fall, and winter terms, U-M conferred a total of 20,043 degrees.
“Commencement is always a special occasion in the life of the university,” President Domenico Grasso said. “This year’s ceremonies will be all the more meaningful as we honor the Class of 2026 and award our 1 millionth degree.”
The historic moment also reflects how dramatically the university has grown since enrolling just six students in 1841. Today, combined enrollment across the three campuses is nearly 70,000 students pursuing a wide range of bachelor’s, master’s, professional and doctoral degrees. As of fall 2025, U-M enrolled 53,488 students in Ann Arbor; 8,005 in Dearborn; and 7,119 in Flint.
Students come to U-M from all 83 Michigan counties, 57 states and territories, and 104 countries. The university community also includes more than 58,000 faculty and staff members across the three campuses and Michigan Medicine.
U-M’s academic footprint has grown since 1841 as well. Today, the university offers 267 undergraduate and 421 graduate and professional degree programs. In U.S. News & World Report’s annual education rankings, more than 100 U-M graduate programs have placed in the top 10 within their fields, and the university consistently is recognized among the top public institutions for undergraduate education. In the outlet’s 2026 Best Colleges list, U-M ranked No. 3 among U.S. public institutions.
The 1 millionth degree milestone also points to U-M’s broad alumni impact. The university has nearly 700,000 living graduates, with alumni communities spanning the globe through more than 100 groups.
“This milestone belongs to generations of alumni across Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint,” said Alumni Association President and CEO Ayanna McConnell. “It is a powerful reminder that commencement is just the beginning of a lifetime of alumni impact and connections throughout the world and at our university.”
To mark the occasion, participants in U-M’s university-wide ceremony in Michigan Stadium, in addition to the ceremonies at UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint, will receive a commemorative tassel for their mortarboards with the numeral 1 in front of the block “M.”
