Watch here: The December 2025 UK Commencement Ceremonies
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2025) — Today, the University of Kentucky will celebrate its newest alumni at the December 2025 UK Commencement Ceremonies. Nearly 1,300 graduates are expected to participate.
Overall, the UK Board of Trustees approved the conferral of 2,084 degrees, including 1,351 undergraduate, 723 graduate and 10 professional degree candidates for December 2025.*
Both ceremonies will be livestreamed on UK’s YouTube channel, and can be accessed here on UKNow or the UK Commencement website.
The ceremony schedule is as follows:
10 a.m. ceremony
- College of Social Work
- College of Public Health
- Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
- Patterson School of Diplomacy & International Commerce
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Medicine
- College of Education
- Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
- College of Fine Arts
- Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
3 p.m. ceremony
- Gatton College of Business and Economics
- College of Design
- College of Communication and Information
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Nursing
- College of Arts and Sciences
Grad Gathering
The UK Alumni Association will host receptions for the graduates and their families in Club C of the lower level of Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. After graduates cross the stage, they are encouraged to bring their families to the gathering to enjoy free refreshments, photo opportunities, gifts and prizes.
Following remarks by UK President Eli Capilouto, a student speaker will address their fellow graduates at their respective ceremony.
- Brysen Honeycutt, from Pine Top, Kentucky, will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony. He is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. He is also a student in the Lewis Honors College. Read more about Honeycutt.
- RaShaun West I, originally from Cincinnati and now residing in Lexington, will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony. He is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human communication from the College of Communication and Information. Read more about West.
Full video of each ceremony will be available after Commencement on the university’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/universityofkentucky.
Social media users are encouraged to use the hashtag #UKgrad.
For more information about UK Commencement, visit http://commencement.uky.edu/.
*These numbers reflect degree candidates, not individual graduates (some graduates earn more than one degree, thereby being counted as a degree candidate multiple times). Degrees will be certified by the UK registrar, ensuring individuals have satisfactorily completed all requirements. The most up-to-date information is available through UK and Institutional Research, Analytics and Decision Support.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.