2026 Graduation Ceremony
We Celebrate Our Grads!
American River College's 2026 in-person commencement will be held in two ceremonies on Thursday, May 21, at 7:00 pm, and Friday, May 22, at 7:00 pm in Beaver Stadium on the main ARC campus. Graduates will be assigned a ceremony based on their HomeBase.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Ceremony begins at 7:00 pm.
HomeBases
- Art
- Health & Education
- Public Safety
- STEM
The YouTube livestream links for the graduation ceremonies will be available here Monday, May 18.
Friday, May 22, 2026
Ceremony begins at 7:00 pm.
HomeBases
- Business
- Language & Communication
- Manufacturing, Construction & Transportation
- People, Culture, & Society
The YouTube livestream links for the graduation ceremonies will be available here Monday, May 18.
Graduate FAQs
This celebration is for the Class of 2026.
Only confirmed graduates receiving an associate degree with a Summer 2025 or Fall 2025 graduation date, and those who have petitioned to graduate with an expected graduation date of Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 will be allowed to RSVP and attend the event.
The graduation RSVP form is sent to graduates and prospective graduates on Monday, March 16 to the email listed on the graduation petition. If you did not receive the email, please send an email to pioa@arc.losrios.edu.
Tickets are not required for guests.
Cap, gown, and tassel are required and available for purchase at the bookstore, which also has other graduation-related items not required for purchase.
Bookstore Information.
Location:
- American River College Main Campus
- 4700 College Oak Drive
- Sacramento, CA 95841
- Phone: (916) 484-8111
- Email: arcbookstore@losrios.edu
Extra caps, gowns, and tassels will NOT be available at the ceremony. You must be in your regalia when you check in for the ceremony.
Students experiencing financial hardship can request assistance through the "Gowns for Grads" program. Grads need to complete this form: Gowns for Grads Program Form with their information. We will contact students within 48 business hours with the determination on their request.
All members of the graduating class 2026 are invited through email to apply to be the featured student speaker.
Graduates must check in at 6 p.m. on the bottom floor of the parking garage - view map.
A professional photographer will be taking photos of each graduate as they accept their diploma cover and when they leave the stage.
No. Guests are not allowed in the graduate check-in area or graduate seating area for the ceremony.
To be courteous to all graduates and guests, please turn off or silence all cell phones, pagers, and electronic watches before the ceremony begins.
Also, please no noisemakers, blow horns, balloons, inflatable balls, or signs that will obstruct the view of others.
A professional photographer from Grad Images will be taking photos of each graduate as they accept their diploma cover and when they leave the stage. You will complete a graduate card with your contact information so the photographers can reach out after the ceremony with details on how to get your photos.
The ceremony should wrap up by 8:30 p.m. All graduates are expected to stay through the entire ceremony.
This designation is based on the student’s cumulative graduation GPA.
For cumulative GPAs of 3.00 to 3.49, “Honors” will be the designation
For GPAs of 3.50 and higher, “Highest Honors” will be the designation
Please Note: Spring candidates will not receive this designation in the printed program, as spring semester grades will not be posted until a later date. Honors/Highest Honors designation is also posted to students’ transcripts at the time that degrees are awarded.
Diplomas will be mailed to you at the address listed on your graduation petition approximately six months from the end of the semester of which the degree was awarded.
To ensure the proper delivery of diploma(s), students must update their mailing address through the eServices portal and then contact the Evaluations Team via email at arcevaluators@arc.losrios.edu requesting the address update.
Please note: American River College is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail; the cost of replacement diplomas is $30.00 each.
Graduate participants must adhere to the Student Standards of Conduct.
For the safety of everyone participating, students who violate these standards, including those found to be in the possession of or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, will not be allowed to participate.
American River College is an alcohol, drug, and smoke-free campus. Consumption of, or being under the influence of, drugs or alcohol while on campus is strictly prohibited. In addition, the Student Standards of Conduct prohibit the use, sale, possession, or presence on campus under the influence of any controlled substance. Students who violate this policy can be suspended, expelled, and/or criminally prosecuted.
For the safety of everyone participating, staff will deny entry to anyone who appears intoxicated. Los Rios Police will also be on-site to assist.
Guest FAQs
Parking is free on the day of the ceremony - no permit and/or daily pass parking is needed. However, Los Rios Police will enforce parking violations in red zones and other restricted areas, metered or timed parking, disabled parking, and violations that impede traffic or block access. Parking spaces will be in demand, so guests should arrive early. There will be no parking available in the parking garage on the day of graduation.
No, tickets will not be required this year. Gates will open for guest seating at 6:00 pm - view map. No early entrance to the venue is allowed.
Gates will open for guest seating at 6:00 pm - view map. No early entrance to the venue is allowed.
The ceremony will begin promptly at 7:00 pm.
A limited number of accessible seating spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis for guests using wheelchairs, scooters, canes, or other mobility devices. Upon arrival, please inform the staff at the stadium entrance, and they will direct you to the designated seating area. Each guest using accessible seating may have one companion join them, while additional members of the party are welcome to find seats nearby. We recommend using the main entrance on the left side of the stadium to enter.
To be courteous to all graduates and guests, please turn off or silence all cell phones, pagers, and electronic watches before the ceremony begins.
Also, please no noisemakers, blow horns, balloons, inflatable balls, or signs that will obstruct the view of others. Courteous behavior is expected by all. College and District conduct rules apply. There is also no parking lot tailgating allowed.
A professional photographer from Grad Images will be taking photos of each graduate as they accept their diploma cover and when they leave the stage. Please, do not stand at the railing to take pictures during the ceremony as this blocks the view of other guests in the stands.
The ceremony should wrap up by 8:30 pm. Please consider making reservations for a late lunch/early dinner prior to the ceremony, or meeting with your grad off campus for a post-ceremony celebration. Family and friends are invited to meet with graduates after the ceremony, outside the gates on the south side of the stadium.