UC Berkeley Graduation Regalia Costs Rise More Than Fivefold With New Partnership

New UC Berkeley graduation regalia tied to a partnership with Herff Jones and Cal Zero Waste will be markedly more expensive than last year’s options, with a bachelor gown priced at $260.45 and a cap at $49, compared with a spring 2025 receipt showing a combined gown-and-cap purchase for $47.

The campus plans to begin the updated program with spring 2026 commencement and is "looking to transition to a rental-based program" for the reusable gowns, according to campus communications. Lindsey Michels, a campus spokesperson, wrote in an email that "By transitioning from primarily single-use regalia to reusable gowns manufactured from recycled materials, the program reduces material waste associated with commencement ceremonies." Michels linked the change to campus sustainability commitments and to alignment with the UC Office of the President 2020 policy eliminating single-use plastics.

Reported pricing shows both purchase and rental routes. Purchase pricing lists the bachelor gown at $260.45 and the cap at $49; adding those two figures yields $309.45. The university is also offering rental bachelor regalia with a starting cost of $50.94, which includes cap and gown. Comparing the new gown price alone to last year’s $47 purchase produces a multiplier of roughly 5.5 times higher; combining the new gown and cap produces a multiplier near 6.6 times last year’s $47 purchase.

Students have reacted to the shift with affordability concerns and practical worries about reuse. Campus senior Chloe Anderson wrote in an email, "The change in regalia has definitely made me more stressed about preparing for commencement." Anderson added that she had planned to reuse or buy second-hand, writing, "I had hoped to buy regalia second hand or borrow from a friend, but new colors mean that’s not really possible." The campus has established a Graduation Gown Lending Program that supplies a limited number of free rentals to Educational Opportunity Program-qualifying students, including first-generation and low-income students, though program quantities and application details have not been released.

Social posts repeating the headline that regalia costs are "more than five times higher" have circulated, underscoring how the numbers are already shaping family and student preparations. For those considering a graduation gift, the reported rental starting price of $50.94 covers cap and gown and is the most direct way to offset the immediate cost of regalia; choosing to purchase would require covering $260.45 for the gown and $49 for the cap if families opt for the buy option. The spring 2026 commencement will be the first test of whether the rental model, sustainability goals, and limited lending safeguards together keep graduation both meaningful and accessible.