Cornell University

Cornell University’s commencement ceremonies are steeped in academic tradition, with students required to wear formal graduation gown, mortarboard graduation cap, and tassel regalia appropriate to their degree. Undergraduates wear black gowns and mortarboards; doctoral graduates wear a distinctive red doctoral gown, soft tam, a gold tassel, and a hood.

Tassel colors at Cornell are not generic: they represent the graduate’s degree-conferring college or major. For example, undergraduates in Agriculture & Life Sciences wear maize tassels; those in Engineering use orange; Arts & Sciences use white; Hotel Administration uses red; and Human Ecology uses maroon.

Graduate students earn or wear a hood over their gown, which indicates their field of study. The hood’s velvet trim denotes their discipline (e.g. orange for engineering, violet for architecture & planning, citron for industrial & labor relations, etc.), while the lining often reflects Cornell’s colors.

Honor cords and stoles at Cornell are largely left to student organizations, cultural affiliations, and honor societies. According to Cornell Chronicle, stoles such as Kente cloth may appear to celebrate cultural identity. The university does not have a single, uniform color code for honor cords by Latin honors (cum laude, magna, summa) in its public commencement guidelines. Faculty regalia follows the academic tradition as well: faculty members wear regalia from the institutions that granted their highest degrees, with colors and hoods reflecting their alma maters.

In short, Cornell University’s commencement and academic regalia program features black gowns for bachelor’s and master’s, a red doctoral gown, tassels colored by college affiliation, discipline-specific hoods for graduate degrees, and flexible honor cord or stole options driven by student organizations rather than a fixed university-wide color scheme.

Cornell University Academic Regalia Gift Set

Commemorate your Cornell University graduation with a memorable cap, gown & tassel bundle — ideal for degree day and beyond.

• Complete Academic Regalia: Includes Cornell‑styled gown (black or red, by degree), mortarboard cap, and tassel reflecting your college color.
• Discipline‑Aware Tassel: Tassel color indicates your major or Cornell college — maize, orange, white, red, and more.
• Hood‑Compatible: Graduate students can add a discipline‑specific hood with velvet trim and Cornell lining.
• Flexible Regalia: Compatible with honor cords or stoles from your organizations; Cornell celebrates cultural and academic diversity.
• Durable & Photogenic: Lightweight, wrinkle-resistant fabric ensures you look sharp on stage and in photos.
• Souvenir Tassel Option: In addition to your degree’s tassel, you can purchase a Cornell red & white souvenir tassel to keep.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Cornell University, you can reach out directly to the college's administration or the office responsible for commencement and student services. They can provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding academic regalia.