The spring commencement ceremony at Rockhurst University is a festive, campus-wide event where graduates are recognized by their school or college as a group and degrees are conferred upon them. In addition to the spring commencement ceremony, which is open to all graduates, individual schools and colleges hold ceremonies to celebrate their graduates' accomplishments. If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed on this site, please don't hesitate to contact us at graduation@rockhurst.edu.
The 2026 Spring Commencement will be held at 1 p.m., May 9, 2026, at Municipal Auditorium (301 W.13th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105).
All degree levels and disciplines are honored in the same commencement ceremony.
History
Rockhurst College was founded in Kansas City in 1910 with a charter from the state of Missouri empowering Rockhurst College to grant degrees. The construction of Sedgwick Hall in 1914 allowed the opening of high school classes in 1914; college classes began in 1917. The first class to graduate from Rockhurst College was in 1921. Just as the Jesuit order grew from one man's calling into a worldwide force, Rockhurst University has grown from the dream of a small, hardy crew of Jesuits into an institution with national reach.