7 Secrets of an Effective Commencement Speech

In a dramatically challenging time for higher education, Commencement speakers face a daunting task: honoring graduates, affirming the value of their graduates’ experience, and offering a vision of hope for the future.

Amidst these challenges and near daily headlines about threats to higher education, the commencement address remains a cherished and symbolic tradition—one that can elevate the moment for students, families, and campus communities alike.

If you’re attending a commencement this year—as a new graduate (congratulations!), a proud family member (special congratulations to you!), someone helping to organize the ceremony (your work matters!), or simply an observer—keep an ear out for these seven essential elements that define an effective, and this year especially important, commencement speech:

1. Brevity.

   Almost everyone in the audience will be thinking primarily about the scant seconds when their, or their loved one’s, name is called and they process across the stage. Everything else at the multi-hour ceremony should accede to that reality. A 10- to 12-minute speech is plenty enough time to make an impact.

   
   

2. The students are the stars.

   A big stage, a captive audience, and a significant moment can tempt many speakers into exploring an esoteric theme or making a political argument. There is a time for such speeches, but commencement is not it. An impactful speech will keep the content relentlessly focused on the students—their personality as a class, their accomplishments, and their future. Good commencement speakers will have done the homework to make the speech personal in these ways.

   
   

3. Acknowledge the current moment.

   While in years past it may have been natural to include a line like, “As you prepare to enter the real world…,” such a sentiment is wildly out of sync with the current moment. These graduating students have been and are deeply engaged with the enormous challenges of our time. Attuned commencement speakers will acknowledge the context in which the ceremony is taking place with sensitivity, humanity, and diplomacy.

   
   

4. Reflect on the graduates’ unique time at the institution.

   For every graduating class, specific experiences made their time on campus meaningful. The Class of 2025 began college in the lingering shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic—adjusting to hybrid classes, social distancing, and evolving public health guidance. But their college years quickly became defined by something more: navigating an increasingly complex world, marked by global conflict, political polarization, and rising student activism. A thoughtful speech will acknowledge not just what these students endured, but what they contributed—persevering, adapting, and pushing their institutions to meet the moment.

   
   

5. Honor parents and families, in all the ways those are defined.

   Many students will be the first in their families to earn a degree, while others will build on the accomplishments of prior generations. In almost all cases, they wouldn’t be walking across that stage without the sacrifice and support of their families. This moment is as much about these loved ones as the graduates. The language should be inclusive too, recognizing family can mean not just parents but stepparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and dear friends. A  thoughtful and moving speech will honor these loved ones enthusiastically. They have certainly earned it.

   
   

6. Welcome graduates to the alumni family.

   Commencement marks the end of these individuals’ identity as a student and the beginning of their identity as an alum. If the president is the speaker, they’ll wisely celebrate this transition, welcome graduates into the institution’s alumni network, and inspire them to stay engaged across their lifetimes.

   
   

7. Offer hope and optimism.

   In the face of the negative public narrative about higher education, the commencement speech more than ever must drive home the point that higher education is an inherently optimistic endeavor—that one can advance their and their families’ prospects and that the knowledge generated at colleges and universities positively impacts society. A well-crafted commencement speech will buoy new graduates with confidence, pride, and hope as they step forward to do so.

This year, commencement speeches will be delivered in a moment when some no longer accept the value of this tremendous accomplishment as a given. The most powerful speeches won’t dodge this complexity—they’ll meet it head-on with humility, honesty, and hope. And in doing so, they’ll give graduates exactly what they need to carry forward: clarity, confidence, and a sense of purpose.