Commencement: Announcements and Academic Regalia

Commencement Announcements

Order personalized graduation announcements, thank you cards, rings and other graduation related items from Herff Jones.

If you do not want to order personalized announcements, but still wish to send a more formal announcement, the Mills College Bookstore now has nice quality blank announcements in stock. They come with an insert that provides the date and time of Commencement.

Finally, if you prefer to send an informal information sheet about Commencement activities, you can use the "Family & Friends Commencement Invitation" found under You and Your Guests on this website.

Academic Regalia

Important: Academic regalia are required for all students who participate in the Commencement ceremony. Students cannot walk without academic regalia.

Academic regalia should be ordered online no later than March 31. Online orders can be picked up from the Mills College Bookstore beginning May 1. 

If you miss the March 31 deadline, purchase academic regalia directly from the Mills Colllege Bookstore beginning May 1.

Only the full set of cap, gown, and hood is available with online orders. If only part of the set is needed, purchase directly from the Mills College Bookstore beginning May 1. 

For questions regarding regalia orders, please contact the Mills College Bookstore, bookstore@mills.edu or 510.430.2156.

A limited number of gowns, hoods, and caps are available from the Division of Student Life Robe Bank for graduating undergraduate and graduate students who cannot afford to purchase regalia due to financial hardship. Contact the Division of Student Life, deanofstudents@mills.edu, for more information.

Students who purchase academic regalia are strongly encouraged to donate their regalia to the Robe Bank after the Commencement ceremony by placing it in the Robe Bank donation bins located near the ceremony site on the meadow. This will not only help future students who cannot afford regalia, but will also contribute to our sustainability efforts. Students who have borrowed regalia from the Robe Bank should also return that regalia to the bins on the meadow after the ceremony.

Academic Regalia and Cost

BA/BS
$30.00 Gown
$22.50 Oxford Cap
$28.00 Hood
$77.00 BA/BS Unit (gown, Oxford cap and hood)

Pre-Nursing Certificate
$30.00 Gown
(nothing worn on head and no hood)

Master's
$32.00 Gown
$  8.00 Mortarboard
$31.00 Hood 
$70.25 Master's Unit (gown, cap, and hood)

Doctoral*
$ 42.00 Gown
$ 22.50 Oxford Cap
$ 39.00 Hood
$101.25 Doctora Unit (gown, cap, and hood)

Credential and Certificate
$32.00 Gown 
$  8.00 Mortarboard
$  6.00 Tassel
$46.00 Credential Unit (gown, cap, and hood)

*Doctoral Fine Quality Regalia is also available to special order from the Mills College Bookstore. Fine Quality Regalia orders must be ordered a minimum of six weeks prior to the date needed.

Note: Mills College degree candidates are hooded at Commencement, thus the tassel on the cap is not used. Souvenir tassels, in Mills colors with a Mills medallion, are available for purchase for $10.00. These tassels are for mementos only and are not meant to be worn at the graduation ceremony.

Graduates receiving only the certificate or credential (but not a degree) wear a tassel on the mortarboard because they are not hooded.

If given hoods when receiving a prior degree, Credential/certificate can wear those hoods but will not be hooded at the ceremony.

Detachable robe collars are not used for any of the programs.

Hoods