Rose State College honored hundreds of graduates during its 2026 commencement ceremonies and celebrated academic achievement, perseverance, and continued growth in degree completion across multiple disciplines.
A total of 443 students participated in this year’s commencement ceremonies and represented 588 credentials earned across the College, the highest credential total in recent college history.
Rose State College hosted ceremonies at 9 AM and 12 PM on May 8, recognizing graduates from the College’s five academic divisions: Business and Information Technology, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, STEM, and Workforce.
“This year’s commencement reflects the dedication and resilience of our students and the commitment of our faculty and staff to ensure student success,” said RSC President Travis Hurst. “We are especially proud to celebrate not only degree completion, but the increasing number of students earning multiple credentials and honors.”
Credential totals by academic division included:
- Academic Outreach: 14
- Business and Information Technology: 223
- Health Sciences: 80
- Liberal Arts and Sciences: 219
- STEM: 52
The 2026 commencement also marked a historic milestone as Rose State College celebrated its first graduates from the Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity program. The program prepares graduates for high-demand careers in cybersecurity across local, state, and federal agencies as well as private industry.
Graduates leave Rose State workforce-ready for careers as cybersecurity analysts, cybersecurity threat analysts, product managers, cyber managers, cyber threat and vulnerability analysts, incident response analysts, digital forensics analysts, cybersecurity testers, and compliance risk analysts.
Three students completed their bachelor’s degrees during the Fall 2025 semester, and an additional 32 students completed or are set to complete their degrees during the spring and summer semesters. Twenty-two BAT students participated in the commencement ceremony.
Among those graduates:
- 1 student earned Summa Cum Laude honors
- 4 students earned Magna Cum Laude honors
- 10 students earned Cum Laude honors
Several students also earned additional distinctions through Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), and a perfect 4.0 GPA designation. Two BAT graduates who participated in the ceremony are veterans.
One student also remains on track to become the College’s first graduate to earn an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) degree.
As Rose State College continues expanding academic opportunities and workforce-focused programs, the Class of 2026 reflects the College’s mission to empower students to achieve educational and professional success.