Fall 2021 commencement in photos

Arizona State University's graduation festivities returned today in person for the first time since fall 2019. Celebrating fall graduates from the Class of 2021 — as well as any graduates from 2020 or spring 2021 who wished to participate in the ceremonies — got to meet with friends and family to commemorate the milestone, and we were there to catch some of the action.

Take a look at the fall 2021 graduate and undergraduate ceremonies. 

Special-interest and individual school convocations are taking place from Dec. 11–16, but Monday was the big day for commencement, with the graduate ceremony kicking off at 9 a.m. at Desert Financial Arena on the Tempe campus. The undergraduate event took place in the afternoon. After three graduation seasons away, graduate students were again celebrated by the traditional balloon drop at the arena.

For the first time, the fall edition of Undergraduate Commencement took place at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Fall commencement is usually smaller than spring's and is held at the basketball arena, but this time — with additions of 2020 and spring 2020 graduates expected to swell the ranks — the ceremony was moved to the roomier football stadium.