Ohio State to award record number of degrees at autumn commencement

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University will award a record 3,721 degrees to the largest autumn semester graduating class ever on Sunday, Dec. 17. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. in the Jerome Schottenstein Center, 555 Borror Drive. The autumn graduating class surpasses the previous record of 3,664 set in 2016.

Doors to the Schottenstein Center open at noon. Tickets are required for guests. The facility recently upgraded security measures and all guests must walk through metal detectors to enter the arena. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ohio State President Dr. Michael V. Drake will preside, and the commencement address will be given by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. The ceremony will last approximately 2½ to 3 hours.

Each graduate will receive his or her own diploma at the ceremony, a practice rarely attempted by a university the size of Ohio State.

During the ceremony, the university will award the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Marian Wright Edelman, president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund.

WHAT: Ohio State University autumn commencement

WHEN: Graduates enter the arena at 2 p.m.

WHERE: The Jerome Schottenstein Center, 555 Borror Drive