Alamance Community College sets May 15 graduation ceremonies in Burlington

Alamance Community College will split its Class of 2026 commencement into two ceremonies May 15 at The Lamb’s Chapel on the Airport Campus in Burlington, a sign of how many students the college is sending into local work and service fields.

The first ceremony is set for 3 p.m. for Business, Arts & Sciences, and Adult High School graduates. A second ceremony will follow at 7 p.m. for Applied Engineering, Agriculture & Skilled Trades, and Health & Public Services graduates. ACC said each graduate may invite up to six guests, seating will be first-come, first-served, and live-stream details will be posted closer to graduation day.

The schedule reflects the role ACC plays in Alamance County’s workforce pipeline. Students in applied engineering and skilled trades move toward jobs that keep local equipment, buildings and production lines running. Health & Public Services graduates are headed into the care and public-facing jobs that support families across Burlington, Graham, Mebane and the rest of the county. Business students, along with adults finishing high school credentials, fill another need for employers looking for workers who can step into office, retail and administrative roles without leaving the county.

ACC’s calendar says April 10 is the last day to apply for summer graduation and pay the graduation fee. Cap-and-gown pickup is set for April 14 and April 15, and students are being asked to submit the pronunciation of their names ahead of the ceremony.

The college has plenty of reason to treat the day as more than a routine procession. In 2024-2025, ACC awarded 967 graduates with degrees, diplomas, certificates, GED diplomas and HiSet diplomas. That total included 896 curriculum graduates, 71 high school equivalency graduates and 181 high school students who earned college credentials through Career and College Promise. The year before, ACC set a record with 1,468 graduates, including 1,415 curriculum graduates and 269 high school students in CCP.

Founded in 1958, ACC has long been one of Alamance County’s main training grounds for workers. Its commencement program also underscores that sense of institutional continuity: the ceremonial mace, which symbolizes internal authority and independence from external authority, was designed and crafted by ACC carpentry students in 2014. For Burlington-area employers and public agencies, the May 15 ceremonies will mark another class moving from classroom training into the county’s daily workforce.