Palomar College

Palomar College holds its annual commencement ceremony each spring — for example, the 2025 ceremony was held May 23. Participation requires graduates to order and wear formal academic regalia: a cap and gown (academic regalia) purchased through the college bookstore during “GradFest.”

For graduates who are members of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society, Palomar offers optional honors regalia: blue and gold cords, gold stoles, gold tassels, and a golden key medallion. Other approved stoles, cords, and tassels may be worn to recognize veteran status or other special programs, as detailed in the 2025 Commencement Program.

According to the 2025 Commencement Program, regalia categories follow a detailed color‑code scheme for tassels, stoles and cords depending on credential type or student status: associate degree tassels are “scarlet/gray,” certificate tassels are “black,” international students wear multi‑colored tassels, veterans a “blue stole,” student‑athletes red stoles or red & black cords, transfer students white/gold cords, and many other groups have specified colors (e.g. Psi Beta honor society, LGBTQIA+, program participants).

However — and importantly — Palomar College does not publicly define a fixed color scheme for the basic graduation gown or mortarboard graduation cap across all graduates: the publicly available graduation and regalia policies emphasize that graduates must wear a “cap and gown set” purchased via the bookstore. While the tassel, stole or cord colors are prescribed for honors or special‑status graduates, the base gown and cap color or faculty regalia color is not explicitly documented in the publicly available materials.

In summary: Palomar College ensures graduates participate in a structured commencement ceremony wearing mandatory academic regalia (cap & gown), and offers a wide‑ranging, color‑coded system of tassels, stoles and cords to recognize degrees, honors, veteran status, transfers, athletics, and other recognitions. But because there is no stated standard for the core gown or cap color, the “graduation gown color” or “faculty regalia color” remains unspecified and likely depends on the vendor‑supplied regalia set.

Palomar College – Graduation Cap, Gown & Honors Regalia (Academic Regalia)

Official academic‑regalia set for Palomar College commencement ceremony. Includes mortarboard graduation cap and gown. Eligible students may also add honor cords, stoles or tassels according to college‑approved color‑coding guidelines.

Cap & gown required for participation in Palomar College commencement exercises — mortarboard cap and academic gown from the bookstore
Optional honors regalia available: cords, stoles, tassels, medallions for PTK members, veterans, student‑athletes, international students, transfers, and other recognized statuses
Color‑coded honors regalia: e.g. scarlet/gray associate tassels, black certificate tassels, blue veteran stoles, red stoles/cords for athletes, white/gold cords for transfer students, multi‑colored tassels for international grads, and more
Essential academic regalia for diploma conferral, procession, stage walk, and graduation photos
No officially published guideline for base gown or mortarboard cap color or faculty regalia color — regalia appearance may vary by vendor or graduating cohort

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