Commencement Weekend: Celebrating the Class of 2026
The Â鶹app celebrated the class of 2026 last weekend, awarding an estimated 3,389 diplomas over five ceremonies Friday and Saturday. As the largest importer of talent to the state, many UNH graduates will go on to fill much needed workforce positions in New Hampshire and beyond.
“We’re so very proud of our students for their hard work and determination, and for exciting careers and phases of life they are about to begin,†says UNH’s President Elizabeth Chilton. “This is a very exciting time to recognize a significant milestone in their lives that represents years of dedication and growth for each one of them, as they head out to contribute to our communities.â€
±«±·±á’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;, on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, celebrated 2,680 undergraduates, 456 master’s degree candidates, 74 doctoral students and 179 juris doctor recipients. Degrees were completed at the Â鶹app Durham, Â鶹app Franklin Pierce Law School, Â鶹app College of Professional Studies Manchester and Â鶹app College of Professional Studies online.
Photo and video coverage
We were there to capture all of the celebrations, and you can relive the moment or catch up on what you missed in our extensive and .
Browse thousands of photos from the weekend in the following galleries, broken out by ceremony:
Check out highlight videos for undergraduate and graduate ceremonies:
You can also watch the complete ceremonies at the video links below:
More about the class
Among the more than 3,300 graduates, the top undergraduate majors at UNH include: psychology, business administration with an option in finance, nursing, business administration with an option in marketing, and communication, and strong career interests in sustainability, space, engineering, marine science and agriculture.
UNH’s 2026 commencement will also mark the first graduating class from UNH’s School of Nursing, with over 200 undergraduate and graduate nursing students scheduled to receive diplomas. The nursing degree recipients will be heading into the healthcare field at a critical time, especially for New Hampshire which continues to deal with a shortage of nurses and an increasing demand for highly trained healthcare professionals. UNH’s School of Nursing, the largest nursing program in the state, plays a vital role addressing those challenges by expanding access to nursing education, strengthening clinical partnerships, and preparing practice-ready graduates who are equipped to serve communities across the state — particularly in rural and underserved areas.
According to , a significant number of UNH graduates stay in the Granite State with 60% of 2025 UNH graduates surveyed choosing to live in New Hampshire and 50% working in state. Six months after graduation, 88% reported having a job related to their major and 95% reported being successful in finding a job.
Top employers noted in the survey include Fidelity, Lonza Biologics, Wentworth Douglass Hospital, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and the Â鶹app.
A recent report from the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst showed that close to 40% of UNH graduates were still working in New Hampshire five years after graduation.
The class of 2026 hails from 41 states and dozens of countries.