Cuesta College’s graduating class of 2016 will graduate 1,013 students and award 1,301 degrees at the 51st annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 20. This is a more than 11 percent increase in students graduated and a nearly 14 percent increase in degrees awarded from 2015.

“We are thrilled with the year-over-year increases in our graduation and degree earning rates,” said Dr. Deborah Wulff, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Academic Affairs. Over the past five years, the number of degrees earned has more than doubled (up by 51 percent) and the number of students graduated from Cuesta College has increased by 37 percent. “We are attributing much of this increase to the success of our transfer degrees; I believe the students understand how the transfer degrees can directly benefit their future education endeavors.”

A total of 590 transfer degrees are being awarded; an increase of nearly 128 percent over last year. Cuesta College offers a total of 25 transfer degrees, which provide students with a clear pathway to the California State University degree major. Additionally, 577 associate of arts and 134 associate of sciences degrees will be awarded this year.

A total of 420 graduates come from local high schools; 12 of them are Promise Scholarship recipients who received their first year at Cuesta College fee-free.

The graduates range in age from 15 to 67, and degrees will be bestowed upon 443 males and 560 females. Of the graduates, 259 earned honors or high honors by achieving a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, including 22 who earned a perfect 4.0.

A total of 26 veterans will earn a degree this year, representing the branches of Air Force, Army, Marine, Navy and Coast Guard.

Students from four international countries, including Canada, Cyprus, South Korea and Switzerland, and 10 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, are among the graduating class.

Cuesta’s 51st general commencement ceremony will start at 3:00 p.m. on May 20 at the Cuesta College gymnasium on the San Luis Obispo Campus. The graduate lineup will begin at 2:30 p.m. and doors open for seating also at 2:30 p.m. Guest RSVP and tickets are not required. Also on May 20, graduates of the registered nursing program will be honored at a pinning ceremony at 11:00 a.m. in the gymnasium on the SLO Campus. 

The 2016 graduating class statistics are compiled by the Cuesta College Office of Institutional Research and reflect students who have completed degree requirements in fall 2015, spring 2016 and summer 2016 semesters.

For questions, please call the Cuesta College Evaluations Office at (805) 546-3100, ext. 2318.