Baruch College Celebrates the Class of 2025 at Commencement Ceremony

May 29, 2025

Baruch College celebrated the achievements and success of the Class of 2025 at a spirited Commencement Ceremony, held on May 28 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Surrounded by the cheers of nearly 20,000 family members and friends, more than 5,200 students marked the culmination of their academic journeys by collectively moving their mortarboard tassels to the left—a time-honored tradition symbolizing their official transition to graduates.

Baruch College President S. David Wu, PhD, presided over the ceremony, and Linda Essig, PhD, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, served as the master of ceremonies. A total of 5,246 Degrees were conferred to graduates from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and Zicklin School of Business.

The Class of 2025 represents the rich diversity that defines Baruch—graduates hail from over 150 countries and speak more than 109 languages. Now, they join a 175,000-strong alumni network that is shaping industries, influencing policy, and leading innovation around the world.

This year’s graduating class included 3,797 undergraduates, 1,435 graduate students, and 12 doctorates.

‘Moment of Profound Transformation’

In his address to graduates, President Wu emphasized that Commencement is not just an ending, but a new beginning:

“Today is not just a moment of completion—it is a moment of profound transformation. Because what you have achieved here is not just academic. It is personal. Today is about more than earning a degree—it is about how you now see the world, how you think complexity, and how you respond to the uncertainty in front of you.”

He praised the resilience and readiness of Baruch students, noting that their experiences have prepared them to meet future challenges with curiosity, compassion, and courage—to view complexity as something to embrace.

“Do not wait for certainty. Do not ask for permission. Just begin. Ask questions. Create things. Connect with others. And when the moment calls for it—lead. Not because of your title, but because of your action and your courage—building on the confidence you found at Baruch.”

He concluded by encouraging graduates to carry the Baruch ethos into the world: “Take your Baruch experience and use it to make your corner of the world better—more fair, more thoughtful, more humane. Every act of courage and compassion helps shape the world we share.”

Commencement Speaker: Paul Knopp

Delivering the keynote address was Paul Knopp, Chair and CEO of KPMG LLP, one of the world’s leading professional services firms. He encouraged graduates to focus on relationships, learning, and leadership in an increasingly digital world.

“Investing their time in building authentic relationships will pay lasting and meaningful dividends,” Knopp said. He also highlighted the importance of lifelong learning—particularly in the era of artificial intelligence.

“Learning the language of business and the language of technology and the language of the liberal arts and the language of leading people,” he advised since AI has the potential to accelerate learning and innovation.

“While the capabilities of AI are growing exponentially, its power to create is amplified by your ability to think,” he said.

Knopp left the Class of 2025 with an empowering call to action: “If you aspire to be that student of our diverse society and world and couple it with an intense desire to think critically about what the fact and truth is, you will be an unstoppable positive force in this world.”

Degrees Conferred

The Zicklin School of Business conferred 209 Master of Business Administration and 932 Master of Science degrees, 2,834 Bachelor of Business Administration degrees, five Doctor of Business Administration degrees, and six PhD’s in Business.

The Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs conferred 91 Master of Public Administration, 30 Master of International Affairs, and 23 Master of Science in Education degrees, and 25 Bachelor of Science degrees.

The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences conferred 86 Master of Science and 64 Master of Arts degrees, 894 Bachelor of Arts and 30 Bachelor of Science degrees, and one PhD in I/O Psychology.

Relive the Commencement Ceremony

Watch: See all the excitement and celebrations from Commencement 2025 on the Baruch College YouTube channel.

Follow and share Commencement news on Baruch’s social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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