Northwestern College Orange City, Iowa

Northwestern College (Orange City, IA) — Commencement & Academic Regalia Summary

The official Commencement page for Northwestern College outlines that commencement is held annually (typically in May) with a full traditional ceremony including faculty in full regalia, student degree conferral, and hooding for master’s degree recipients. (Northwestern College)

Regalia for graduates (caps, gowns, and where applicable hoods) is distributed prior to the ceremony — for both on-campus students and online/master’s-program students. (Northwestern College)

However — and significantly — publicly available Northwestern College materials do not provide a standard, publicly accessible “regalia color code.” There is no current handbook, PDF, or webpage on the college site that specifies what gown color, tassel color, honor cord color, or stole/hood color should be used depending on degree level or academic discipline. A 2019 listing of graduates describes the general concept of academic dress (cap, gown, hood when applicable) but does not include a mapping of colors by discipline or honor level. (Northwestern College)

That likely reflects the college’s structure: while Northwestern College awards bachelor’s and selected graduate/master programs, it does not publish a comprehensive academic-dress regulation for every discipline or honor. The 2024–25 Faculty Handbook requires faculty to wear “full academic regalia” for convocations and Commencement, but it does not specify a student regalia color-chart or scheme. (Faculty Handbook)

In summary: Northwestern College conducts formal commencement ceremonies with traditional academic regalia distribution. Graduates and master’s candidates receive caps, gowns, and hoods (for masters), and faculty wear full regalia for the procession. However, the college does not publish standardized color guidelines for gowns, tassels, cords, stoles, or hoods. Anyone planning to manufacture or supply Northwestern-branded graduation apparel should treat colors and accessories as unspecified and confirm details directly with the college Registrar or Bookstore before listing or producing regalia sets.

Northwestern College (Orange City, Iowa) – Graduation & Academic Regalia

Prepare for commencement with accurate information on cap, gown, tassel, and hood requirements at Northwestern College. This guide helps graduates, families, and vendors understand what is publicly documented.

Formal Commencement Ceremony: Annual ceremonies with full academic regalia for graduates and faculty, including hooding for master’s degree recipients.
Graduation Regalia: Bachelor’s and master’s students receive caps, gowns, and master’s students receive hoods distributed before the ceremony.
Gown & Tassel Color: Northwestern College does not publish standardized colors for graduation gowns, tassels, honor cords, or stoles by degree or discipline.
Honor Cords & Stoles: No publicly available color-coding or guidelines exist for honor cords, stoles, or discipline-based regalia; these may vary or require confirmation with the Registrar.
Master’s Hooding: Master’s candidates participate in a formal hooding ceremony, but specific hood velvet colors by discipline are not publicly documented.
Vendor Advisory: Third-party sellers and vendors should treat gown, tassel, hood, cord, and stole colors as unspecified. Buyers are encouraged to confirm requirements with the Northwestern College Registrar or Bookstore before ordering.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Northwestern College (Orange City, Iowa), 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.