Graduation is approaching quickly, and SDSU’s Class of 2026 is busy buying caps and gowns, taking pictures and preparing for their last week of final exams.

However, something on the minds of many students is how much they are spending. With a number of separate expenses associated with graduation, one question continues to come up: How much does it cost to graduate from SDSU?

There is no simple answer to this question, because not all students buy the same things leading up to graduation.

All graduates are expected to pay the $175 graduation fee, but any student looking to stick to that number would need to reuse regalia from a former graduate, and not buy a parking pass or add-ons for the event.

On the other hand, the most expensive graduation bundle offered by the university costs $360, on top of the graduation fee. This number also does not include the price of a parking pass ($5 in advance or $10 on the day of the event) or buying graduation announcements.

At a minimum, a money-conscious graduate could get away with only paying the base fee of $175. The most a student might spend on announcements, new regalia and other mementos could be as much as $700.

“I’m buying everything, but I’ve thought about ‘should I use my old [gown]?’” Ana Martinez, a senior criminal justice major, said. “This is the only time I’m going to graduate with my bachelor’s, so my parents have been supporting me. If they weren’t supporting me, I wouldn’t be able to.”

This is a sentiment echoed by seniors across campus who wish their graduation could be more affordable and that the university would not add extra expenses on top of their tuition and other fees.

The graduation fee itself is used for three different purposes, one of which includes funding the graduation commencement ceremony at Viejas Arena. It also goes toward the cost of printing the diplomas and covers the fee for SDSU’s administration to officially process and approve the graduation.

“It would probably be better if it was included with the costs we already have, but it’s also for a once in a lifetime thing so I don’t mind it,” Shane Bondanza, a senior majoring in finance, said.

Bondanza and around 6,500 other students attended GradFest in Montezuma Hall the week before spring break, from March 24-26. GradFest is SDSU’s way of kicking off the graduation season and is the first opportunity for students to buy their graduation regalia. Although the items sold at this event later become available in the campus bookstore, the school advertises exclusive GradFest sales to entice students to attend and is promoted as a one-stop shop for anything an upcoming graduate could want.

For three days, the line to get into the event wrapped around the second floor of the Student Union as undergraduate and graduate students alike waited to make their graduation purchases.

“GradFest provides added services and support such as diploma frames, graduation portraits, class rings, graduation announcements, graduation flowers, alumni gear and SDSU Alumni lifetime membership offers,” said Cory Marshall, SDSU’s director of media relations, on behalf of the school’s commencement committee.

When it comes to college graduation, there is no one path that every student takes, but members of the SDSU Spring 2026 Class can expect to spend an average of $175 to $550 before they walk the stage in May.

This year’s commencement will be held across four days and 11 ceremonies from May 14-17 with over 13,000 students graduating from SDSU and SDSU Imperial Valley.