Houston Daily

More than 4,000 students from the University of Houston are set to graduate this fall, with commencement ceremonies scheduled for December 18. The Class of 2025 includes graduates from nine colleges, awarding 3,414 bachelor’s degrees, 613 master’s degrees, 108 doctoral degrees and 27 professional degrees.

“There are so many compelling student success stories to close out 2025, but we’re also looking forward to hearing what our graduates do next,” said Diane Chase, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This class of Cougars is resilient and ready for new opportunities! I know they are emerging from our institution as both leaders and change makers.”

The C.T. Bauer College of Business leads with the highest number of graduates at 1,057. It is followed by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences with 1,020 graduates. The Cullen College of Engineering will see 902 students graduate while the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has 501.

Among this semester's class are more than 1,500 honors graduates: specifically, there are 638 cum laude honorees, 567 magna cum laude recipients and 301 summa cum laude awardees. The oldest graduate is Andrew Cantu, age 65, who will receive a Master of Science in management and leadership from Bauer College. Jacqueline Bulnes is the youngest at age 19; she will earn a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Bauer College.

The first commencement ceremonies begin at the Fertitta Center for engineering graduates and at Cullen Performance Hall for nursing graduates. All events will be livestreamed.

Due to ongoing construction on campus related to the Centennial Construction Project, some traditional graduation photo locations are inaccessible. However, students can still take photos at sites such as the cougar statues outside the RAD Center during Centennial Plaza renovations or near TDECU Stadium’s large cougar statue.

Several graduating students shared their personal journeys:

Andrea Martinez Lozoya immigrated from Mexico as a child and credits her teachers’ support with inspiring her career path in bilingual education. “I was lucky to have teachers who really went out of their way to support and encourage me,” Martinez said. She balanced work with studies at UH’s College of Education while maintaining a perfect GPA: “I knew I wanted to give back to the community that supported me and become the kind of teacher who understands her students’ experiences,” she said.

Bilqees Fatima pursued pharmacy after caring for an ill relative in Pakistan but shifted focus toward research after clinical rotations revealed broader interests: “Your interests evolve over time," she said. Fatima now investigates medication adherence among high-risk patients under advisor Susan Abughosh at UH’s College of Pharmacy: “With the rapidly evolving pharmaceutical landscape, I’m keen on exploring the safety and effectiveness of treatments for chronic conditions, especially in oncology,” she said.

Nicholas Tijerina overcame partial paralysis following an injury before arriving at UH: “I was able to find a community that accepted me for who I was and allowed me to flourish in ways I never thought was possible," he stated about his experience as an engineering student. After earning his master’s degree in aerospace engineering he plans further work in industry while pursuing competitive wheelchair tennis internationally: “These next steps are the scariest and most exciting… For better or worse all these interactions compounded to help me get where I am today.”