Dickinson College holds its commencement ceremony on the lawn in front of Old West, typically in mid-May, bringing together graduating seniors, faculty, trustees, and family guests. Graduates assemble early in the morning, line up in alphabetical order, and process in academic regalia — caps, gowns, and hoods — to receive their degrees. During the ceremony, students are hooded just before the conferral of their degrees, so it's vital for them to know whether they are receiving a B.A. or B.S., as the hood colors differ by degree.

Dickinson provides regalia (robe, mortarboard cap, and tassel) to graduating seniors: students who complete the senior survey receive regalia free of charge; others pay a nominal fee (~US$ 45). The standard bachelor’s gown is black and traditional in style, while master’s gowns have closed sleeves; doctoral or faculty robes feature velvet facings and bell-shaped sleeves trimmed with velvet. The standard graduation cap is the black mortarboard; for doctoral regalia, a gold tassel is permitted, while undergraduate tassels remain black.

Hood colors at Dickinson follow traditional academic conventions: the hood is lined with the college’s official red and white colors, and the velvet trim indicates the graduate’s field of study. For example, golden yellow for science, dark blue for philosophy, light blue for education, brown for fine arts, pink for music, green for medicine, orange for engineering, and more. Dickinson does not publicly list honor cord or stole color schemes on its regalia & diploma page; instead, it states that “academic cords may be available through departments or clubs.” Faculty regalia align with standard academic dress: doctoral robes have velvet facings and full sleeves, while hoods and gowns reflect the wearer’s highest degree and discipline.

In summary, Dickinson College’s commencement emphasizes traditional academic regalia, with black gowns and mortarboards, degree-specific hood colors following field-of-study conventions, and flexible honor cord or stole options managed at departmental level rather than through a uniform, college-wide color code.

Dickinson College Cap, Gown & Regalia

Order your official Dickinson College regalia set — gown, cap, tassel, and hood — designed to match the college’s academic traditions.

• Black Graduation Gown – traditional undergraduate or advanced robe used in Dickinson’s commencement.
• Mortarboard Cap – classic square black cap to complete your academic look.
• Tassel Colors – black for undergraduates/masters, gold for doctoral graduates.
• Academic Hood – lined in Dickinson red & white, with velvet trim color-coded by discipline (science, humanities, education, engineering, etc.).
• Honor Cords / Stoles – optional, awarded by departments or clubs; colors vary depending on organization and honor society.
• Faculty & Doctoral Regalia – full robes with velvet facings and disciplined hood trim in degree-appropriate colors.

Note: Dickinson College does not provide a uniform college-wide scheme for honor cord or stole colors — check with your department or student organization to confirm your color.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Dickinson College, 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.