More than 4,000 graduate as CSUSM celebrates Class of 2026

More than half of Cal State San Marcos’ Class of 2026 became the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree as the university held its annual spring commencement ceremonies in May.

A total of 4,352 students graduated as part of this year’s class. Spring commencement, with 3,312 graduates, follows on the heels of CSUSM holding its annual fall commencement in December. Those ceremonies drew 1,040 graduates.

CSUSM’s spring commencement took place on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, at Mangrum Track & Field on campus, with five different ceremonies stretched across the two days.  

“Class of 2026, today you join a distinguished group of more than 75,000 CSUSM alumni,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “You are the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders who will bring to our communities and our world the ability to listen and understand multiple perspectives, to find creative solutions to the most pressing problems, and to help make our society a more just and equitable place for all. Something I say often is that our students are the change we so desperately need to see in the world. And now more than ever we need your passion, your intellect, your spirit of resilience.”

CSUSM’s commencement featured a notable guest this year as Adam Schiff, one of the two U.S. senators from California, addressed graduates and the assembled crowd Friday afternoon at the first of two ceremonies for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences.

In the Class of 2026, 52% of the graduates became the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. More than 43% come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Here are some other facts:

87% graduated from bachelor’s degree programs, while 13% completed master’s degree programs.

61% of graduates are women and 39% are male.

The ages of those graduating with a bachelor’s degree ranged from 20 to 68.

For the Class of 2026, the top 10
bachelor’s degree majors are:

• Business Administration (664)

• Psychology (344)

• Kinesiology (311)

• Nursing (242)

• Criminology And Justice Studies (227)

• Sociology (211)

• Computer Science (201)

• Biology (160)

• Liberal Studies (150)

• Fine And Creative Arts (134)

CSUSM awarded one honorary degree during commencement, with Theresa Mendoza Rios accepting a Doctor of Fine Arts degree on behalf of her late husband, Dan Rios, who died in 2023 at age 84.

Rios was a photographer who worked for the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers from 1968 to 2001. By the time he retired, he had amassed a collection of about one million photo negatives that he stashed in more than 40,000 envelopes and almost 200 boxes.

Nearly two decades later, Rios was connected with the CSUSM library, and in 2018 he donated his life’s work to the library’s Special Collections department. The Dan Rios Papers, as the collection is called, consists of not only the vast cache of images, but also large- and medium-format prints, contact sheets, and hundreds of letters that Rios received over the years from readers who were affected by his photos.

Before his death, the library hosted a ceremony to honor his legacy as a photographer who chronicled people and events in San Diego’s North County for decades. Rios said of his collection: “I can’t even express my feelings because it’s so overwhelming that they’re going to find a use for my photos and help students and researchers and people who are interested in history.”