Back to Graduation

    College Graduation Hood Colors

    What Color is Your Hood?

    In addition to the graduation gown, stole and cap there is also the graduation hood.

    The graduation hood comes in three sizes to help distinguish the college graduate’s degree, with the smaller hood signifying a bachelor’s degree, the medium-sized hood representing a master’s degree and the large-sized hood representing a doctoral degree.

    In addition to various sizes, the hood also comes in various colors. The color of the satin lining of the hood will represent the school of the graduate and the soft velvet border will indicate the field of the graduate’s study.

    While there are specific colors that have been established for certain degrees, (defined by the 1893 the inter-Collegiate Costume Code) a few schools may have established their own colors for certain degrees. Below you will find which color the American Council on Education prefers for which degree.
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    Hood_Maize - Agriculture
    Agriculture (Maize)
    Hood_White - ArtsHumanities
    Arts, Letters, Humanities (White)
    Hood_Drab - CommerceAcctBus
    Commerce, accountancy, Business (Drab)
    Hood_Lilac - Dentistry
    Dentistry (Lilac)
    Hood_Copper - Economics
    Economics (Copper)
    Hood_Light Blue - Education
    Education (Light Blue)
    Hood_Orange - Engineering
    Engineering (Orange)
    Hood_Brown - Fine Arts Architecture
    Fine Arts, Architecture (Brown)
    Hood_Russet - Forestry
    Forestry (Russet)
    Hood_Crimson - Journalism
    Journalism (Crimson)
    Hood_Purple - Law
    Law (JD, LLD, LLB) (Purple)
    Hood_Lemon - Library Science
    Library Science (Lemon)
    Hood_Green - Medicine
    Medicine (Green)
    Hood_Pink - Music
    Music (Pink)
    Hood_Apricot - Nursing
    Nursing (Apricot)
    Hood_Silver Gray - Oratory
    Oratory Speech (Silver Gray)
    Hood_Olive Green - Pharmacy
    Pharmacy (Olive Green)
    Hood_Dark Blue - Philosophy
    Philosophy (Dark Blue)
    Hood_Sage Green - Phys Ed
    Physical Education (Sage Green)
    Hood_Peacock Blue - Public Admin
    Public Administration, Foreign Service (Peacock Blue)
    Hood_Salmon Pink - Public Health
    Public Health (Salmon Pink)
    Hood_Golden Yellow - Science
    Science (Golden Yellow)
    Hood_Citron - Social Work
    Social Work (Citron)
    Hood_Scarlet - Theology
    Theology (Scarlet)
    Hood_Gray - Veterinary Science
    Veterinary Science (Gray)
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