Looking for college graduation cap ideas to express yourself and stand out? Here are 100 ideas to celebrate your greatest accomplishment!
The day has finally come – it’s graduation day! You’ve worked so hard to get to graduation season and it’s time to celebrate your accomplishments.
Your graduation cap design can represent your unique college experience. Decorating your cap is the perfect way to express yourself on graduation day.
The best part is that you can get your friends together for a DIY graduation cap party! Inspire each other with your favorite quotes and get creative!
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Why should you decorate your college graduation cap?
The main reason is to express your personality and show off all of your hard work! Decorating your cap with your own designs allows you to personalize your graduation experience.
Plus, it gives your family a good way to spot you in the crowd of caps and gowns and in pictures. That’s one of the great things about decorating your graduation cap with a great quote that not many people think of until it’s too late!
College for young students is full of long days, late nights, and study time but surely the past four years of your life have been some of the most memorable years so far.
These graduation cap decoration ideas are a fun way to for social media but also for sharing an inspirational message with your fellow graduates before you go off into the real world.
You can also use your design to represent your major, favorite school club, or honor society.
Decorating your cap is a great way to express your personality.
Some popular ideas for decorating a graduation cap include:
- Spell out an inspiring message with letter stickers, washi tapes, fabric paint, or acrylic paints in different colors.
- Add glitter glue in the shape of your college logo.
- Attach photos of you and your friends from college days.
- Decorate with rhinestones or beads to create a sparkling effect.
- Glue on fabric flowers, ribbons, a flower crown, or other decorations of your choice.
- Use a stencil and paint to make a custom design such as your school colors or mascot.
- Use fabric markers to create a simple design of your choice.
Check out your local dollar store on shop on Amazon for great prices on supplies to make a custom grad cap.
No matter what design you choose, make sure your graduation cap is a reflection of all the hard work and dedication you put into college. Congratulations and good luck!
100 College Graduation Cap Ideas
Whether you’re looking for funny graduation cap ideas or want something a bit more serious, here are 100 college graduation cap ideas that will make sure your big day is remembered:
1. A motivational quote by Confucius: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
2. A funny quote from your favorite movie: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller
3. A quote from Dr. Seuss: “You know you’re on the right road when you no longer need a map.”
4. An image of your college mascot or school logo makes a fun grad cap decoration.
5. A nod to your future career: “My Future Begins Now”
6. The phrase “I did it!” with a graduation cap emoji
7. An inspirational quote from President Obama: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
8. A quote by Aristotle: “Where your talents and passions meet, there lies your purpose.”
9. A photo of a velociraptor next to “Clever Girl.”
10. A phrase from your favorite book: “We accept the love we think we deserve.” -The Perks of Being a Wallflower
11. An image of a butterfly to symbolize transformation and growth
12. A quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: “Do one thing every day that scares you.”
13. Encouraging words: “You Got This!”
14. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Aim for the Stars”
15. A quote by Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did.”
16. A quote from your favorite celebrity: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” -Oscar Wilde
17. Congratulatory words for a job well done: “You Finished!”
18. An image of a graduation cap with a nod to your major: “I Studied ____”
19. A quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
20. An image of a graduation cap with an inspirational phrase: “Dream Big, Work Hard”
21. A quote from your favorite teacher: “Dream big, work hard and never give up.”
22. A quote from your favorite philosopher: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” -Socrates
23. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “It’s been a long road but I made it!”
24. A quote by Marie Curie: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”
25. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “The Future Belongs To Those Who Believe In The Beauty Of Their Dreams”
26. An inspiring quote from Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
27. A phrase that celebrates your accomplishment: “I Did It!”
28. An image of a graduation cap with the saying “Shoot for the Moon, Even if You Miss You’ll Land Among the Stars”
29. A quote from your favorite poet: “And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” -Kahlil Gibran
30. An image of a graduation cap with the words “I Am Ready”
31. A quote from Steve Jobs: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
32. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Follow Your Dreams”
33. A quote from Virgil: “They can conquer who believe they can.”
34. Encouraging words: “Keep Moving Forward”
35. A quote by Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
36. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “It’s Time to Fly”
37. A quote from your favorite scientist: “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…” -Isaac Asimov
38. An image of a graduation cap with the words “The Sky Is The Limit”
39. A quote from Oprah Winfrey: “You become what you believe.”
40. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Work Hard, Dream Big”
41. A quote from Maya Angelou: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
42. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Now Is The Time”
43. A quote from Confucius: “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.”
44. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Dream It, Believe It, Achieve It!”
45. A quote from your favorite athlete: “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” -Pele
46. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Make it Happen”
47. A quote from Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
48. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “This Is Just The Beginning”
49. A quote from Helen Keller: “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
50. An image of a graduation cap with the words “I Did It!”
51. A quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
52. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Go Forth and Conquer”
53. A quote from Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
54. An image of a graduation cap with the words “I’m Ready For Anything!”
55. A quote from your favorite author: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe
56. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Work Hard, Play Hard”
57. A quote by Benjamin Franklin: “You may delay, but time will not.”
58. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Make Your Mark”
59. A quote from William Shakespeare: “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
60. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Be Bold, Be Brave, Believe”
61. A quote from your favorite historical figure: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change.” -Charles Darwin
62. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Make It Happen!”
63. A quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
64. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Live Life To The Fullest”
65. A quote from Lao Tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.”
66. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Remember Your Dreams”
67. A quote from your favorite philosopher: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” -Socrates
68. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Anything Is Possible”
69. A quote from Albert Einstein: “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
70. An image of a graduation cap with the words “You Got This!”
71. A quote from your favorite motivational speaker: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill
72. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Don’t Let Anything Stop You!”
73. A quote from Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
74. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Life Is What You Make It”
75. A quote from your favorite writer: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
76. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Create Your Own Destiny”
77. A quote from Confucius: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
78. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Seize The Day”
79. A quote from your favorite singer: “Reach for the stars, and if you don’t grab them at least you’ll fall among the clouds.” -Celine Dion
80. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “The Possibilities Are Endless”
81. A quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
82. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Never Give Up!”
83. A quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
84. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Choose Your Own Adventure”
85. A quote from your favorite scientist: “It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.” -René Descartes
86. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Take The Leap!”
87. A quote from Albert Einstein: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
88. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Dream Bigger!”
89. A quote from your favorite inspirational leader: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill
90. An image of a graduation cap with the words “Make Your Own Path”
91. A quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
92. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Choose To Be Happy”
93. A quote from your favorite poet: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” -Helen Keller
94. An image of a graduation cap with the words “You Got This!”
95. A quote by Confucius: “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
96. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Follow Your Heart”
97. A quote from your favorite character: “Four years ago, I would’ve never thought I’d be here. But here I am, a graduate of Harvard Law School. What? Like it’s hard?” – Elle Woods
98. An image of a graduation cap with the words “ Fearless”
99. A quote by Ralph Waldo: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
100. An image of a graduation cap with the phrase “Knowledge Is Power”
Final Thoughts on College Graduation Cap Ideas
I hope these college graduation cap ideas help you make your cap stand out from the crowd and serve as a reminder of all the hard work you did to get to this milestone!
Whether it’s a quote, phrase or image, let your cap reflect your personality and show the world how proud you are to be a graduate.
Wear your custom grad cap in your college graduation photos to remember your college years.
Enjoy your graduation day and make sure to celebrate all of your accomplishments. You deserve it. Congratulations! Best of luck for the future.
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About the Author
Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.
Website: genthirty.com