Preparations underway for Liberty University’s 51st Commencement

Liberty University is gearing up for its 51st Commencement — projected to be one of its largest in its history — with ceremonies running from Thursday through Saturday. Approximately 10,800 graduates have registered to participate in degree ceremonies, and the university estimates about 60,000 graduates, family, and friends will flock to Liberty Mountain over the three-day period.

Last week, crews began setting up the stage and field seats in Williams Stadium for the Commencement Main Ceremony, scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and featuring U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) as keynote speaker. Staff from Liberty’s Emergency Management and Community Engagement Office and Grounds Department have been setting up barricades around campus to help with traffic and create safe pedestrian walkways for the events. On Monday morning, the Registrar’s Office kicked off the week with a large planning session for the staff responsible for running all the events.

More than 29,000* degrees will be conferred at 28 individual degree presentation ceremonies set for 2 and 6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. All degree ceremonies and the main ceremony will be streamed live from the Commencement website.

The university will hold its annual Military Graduate Recognition Ceremony on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Thomas Road Baptist Church. The ceremony honors all service members, veterans, and military spouses who have completed their degree during the 2023-24 academic year. In addition, Liberty will hold two commissioning ceremonies for Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC on Saturday.

Visitors can download a Weekend Guide to the Commencement activities and are encouraged to download the Champion Safe App (on Apple Store or Google Play) for up-to-date information on activities and safety alerts throughout Commencement. Updates and FAQs are also available on the Commencement website and Facebook page. Additionally, information booths will set up at Williams Stadium, the Vines Center/Liberty Arena, Thomas Road Baptist Church, and the Liberty Multipurpose Center.

“It definitely can be challenging with the large numbers on campus, but I love how I’ve heard President (Dondi) Costin refer to Commencement as our Super Bowl,” said Lori Baker, Liberty’s Senior Associate Registrar for Student Services & Records and Program Manager for Commencement. “It’s our big time to celebrate why we’re here, and for our graduates it’s about celebrating that they’re finishing a major goal and moving along the path to their dreams.”

Returning this year is the Graduate Reception, set for Friday from 1-3 p.m. on the Academic Lawn. The event will be a time for graduates to meet and greet faculty, visit with students and professors from other departments, and enjoy light refreshments and fellowship with their classmates.

“We want to give our graduates more opportunities to connect with the faculty in their program during Commencement,” Baker said. “We anticipate this will be a very highly attended event.”

Tents will be set up for each school and for various campus departments, such as the Alumni Relations Office and Flames Club.

With a large majority of the graduates (more than 24,000) having earned their degrees through Liberty University Online Programs, Baker estimates that 75 percent of the graduates attending Commencement will be visiting campus for the first time.

“This is such a great opportunity for our university and our community to show off our campus and everything it has to offer,” she said. “It’s very exciting to see a lot of these graduates and guests on campus because they are just happy to be here, see campus, and meet people face-to-face who have worked with them over the course of their time with Liberty. We want them to have a great experience while they are here.”

While on campus, guests are encouraged to take a campus tour (start at the Hancock Welcome Center), the Legacy of Faith Historic Walk around campus, and visit Lynchburg’s tallest landmark, the Freedom Tower. For those arriving early, Liberty Baseball will be hosting Virginia Tech tonight (Wednesday) at 6 p.m.

Commencement festivities officially begin today (Wednesday) with a Commencement Welcome Fair from 1-5 p.m. in the Montview Alumni Ballroom, where graduates can pick up their honor or military cords, reader cards, purchase a T-shirt, and have formal regalia photos taken. The fair will continue on Thursday and Friday as graduates arrive to campus.

For the Main Ceremony, gates at William Stadium will open at 3 p.m. Friday. Metal detectors will be at all gates, and Liberty’s clear bag policy will be in effect.

The university has announced several road closures throughout the events. Guests should anticipate heavy traffic on Friday leading up to the Main Ceremony and between degree presentation ceremonies on Thursday and Saturday. Parking and shuttle services will be available at multiple campus locations throughout Commencement.

2024 Commencement Facts

Total Liberty University and Liberty University Online Academy Graduates –  29,359*

•  LUO Graduates – 24,217 (83%)
• Resident Graduates – 3,866 (13%)
• Online Academy Graduates – 1,276 (4%)

Degrees conferred

• Associates – 1,279
• Bachelors – 11,471
• Certificates – 2,274
• Masters – 10,054
• Juris Doctorate – 111
• Osteopathic Medicine – 146
• Doctoral – 2,967
• High School Diploma – 1,276

Top majors

• Top 5 LUO undergraduate majors
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Business Administration
  • Psychology
  • Aviation
  • Criminal Justice
• Top 5 LUO graduate/doctoral majors
  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Arts in Executive Leadership
  • Doctor of Education: Educational Leadership
  • Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education
• Top 5 resident undergraduate majors
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Nursing
  • Psychology
  • Business Administration: Finance
  • Biomedical Sciences
• Top 5 resident graduate/doctoral majors
  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Osteopathic Medicine
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Juris Doctorate

Top states represented by graduates: Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, California, Tennessee

Top countries represented by graduates: United States, Canada, Korea, Germany, Bahamas, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Bermuda, Nigeria

Military graduates

• Military – 6,066
• Military Spouse Only – 2,536
• Active Duty – 2,162

Family pairs

• Married – 25 pairs
• Parent/Child – 69 pairs
• Siblings – 186 pairs
• Twins – 22 pairs

Honors

• 4,094 with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 5,770 graduating with honors

Top 5 degree programs

• Bachelor of Science: Interdisciplinary Studies
• Master of Arts: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Bachelor of Science: Psychology
• Bachelor of Science: Business Administration
• Master of Business Administration

Average age: 35

Oldest graduate: 81, earning a graduate degree in aeronautics

Youngest graduates: Liberty has two graduates who are 15, one earning an associate’s and one earning a bachelor’s degree

Male/female ratio: Male: 40%, Female: 60%

*All data reported is based on preliminary numbers for the 2023-24 academic year.