LSU Graduates More than 4,000 During Spring Commencement

05/07/2021
BATON ROUGE – LSU awarded 4,094 degrees during the university’s 304th commencement exercises, held Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8, at various college ceremonies held across campus. 

“The celebration of our amazing LSU 2021 graduates at today’s commencement exercises was a wonderful culmination of a challenging academic year, during which our graduates simply would not allow any disruptions to deter them from achieving their goal and earning their degrees,” said LSU President Tom Galligan. “I’m incredibly proud of the LSU Class of 2021, I wish all of our graduates the very best, and I know they are going to do some truly amazing things in the years ahead.”

LSU’s May 2021 graduating class represents 58 Louisiana parishes, 49 U.S. states and 48 foreign countries. Women made up 57.96 percent of the class, and men made up 42.04 percent. The oldest graduate is 69, and the youngest is 17 – Baton Rouge native Faith Corinna Smith, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, is the second youngest student ever to be awarded an undergraduate degree at LSU. 

The 4,094 total graduates are made up of 3,055 students who received bachelor’s degrees; 741 who received master’s degrees; 68 who received education specialist or graduate certificates; 99 who received a Ph.D.; five who received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree; and 84 who received Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; one who received a Doctor of Design and 41 who received a post-bachelorette certificate. Also, 44 degrees were awarded to LSU employees this spring.

The 741 master’s degrees awarded this spring is an LSU record. The 4,094 total graduates rank the spring class as the fifth largest ever at LSU. Spring 2021 saw 153 STEM doctoral degrees awarded, which the most awarded in a spring commencement.

More than 500 students graduated with honors, including 58 students who received the University Medal for graduating with the highest undergraduate grade-point average in the class.

One-hundred and forty-eight Ogden Honors College students graduated on Thursday, May 6. Sixty-two students were awarded College Honors, LSU’s highest graduation distinction, which includes the Upper Division Honors Distinction. For a list of Ogden Honors graduates, visit http://www.honors.lsu.edu/news/may-2021-ogden-honors-college-graduates. 

There was no main ceremony for the spring 2021 commencement exercises. Instead, LSU’s colleges held ceremonies at venues across campus, where graduates received their diplomas. All diploma ceremonies were live-streamed and are available online at https://www.lsu.edu/celebration/.  

“Today, you join 200,000 LSU alumni worldwide joining forces in a tradition of true excellence,” said Dean Roland Mitchell during the College of Human Sciences & Education diploma ceremony. “I challenge you to make a difference. Never forget where you come from and never forget those who have helped you along the way.”

Graduates from the LSU College of the Coast & Environment were charged with helping the state and nation to solve some of the biggest challenges being faced in the area of coastal erosion and environmental concerns. 

“I have no doubt that today's graduates will make a difference as we work to collectively improve the coast and environmental conditions in Louisiana and beyond,” said Chris D’Elia, dean of the LSU College of the Coast & Environment. 

In addition,  members of the Class of 2020, who would like to participate in an in-person ceremony, will be welcomed back to campus to attend ceremonies on Friday, May 14.

For more information, visit https://lsu.edu/celebration/. 

Media Note: Lists of graduates and honor graduates are posted on LSU’s commencement website, www.lsu.edu/commencement. The lists include graduates who have authorized the release of their names. 

 

 

 

 

Contact Ernie Ballard
LSU Media Relations
225-578-5685
eballa1@lsu.edu