The first graduating class of Iowa State College (University) received their degrees during a commencement ceremony held on November 13, 1872, in the College Chapel. During the first years of the ceremony, it was customary for each of the graduating students to present a speech. Of the 26 graduates of the first class, only six were excused from speaking during the ceremony. This practice would soon be dropped as class sizes grew.

As of 2005, commencement ceremonies occur at the end of each session of classes: fall, spring, and summer. Undergraduate ceremonies are held in Hilton Colliseum while graduate ceremonies are held in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. In 2010, the summer commencement ceremony was eliminated and graduating students could elect to participate in either the spring or fall ceremony. A summer list of candidates is included in the spring commencement program.