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what side do you turn your tassel after graduation

You almost always turn your tassel from right to left at the moment you officially graduate.

Quick Scoop

  • Before graduation is conferred (for most high school and bachelor’s students), the tassel sits on the right side of the cap.
  • When the presiding official announces that you’ve graduated, everyone turns the tassel from right to left together.
  • This motion symbolizes your transition from “candidate” to “graduate” and is usually one of the last formal moments before caps start flying.

By education level

  • High school & most associate/bachelor’s:
    • Start: tassel on the right.
    • After graduation is declared: move to the left.
  • Master’s, doctorate, and many other graduate programs :
    • Tassel often starts and stays on the left the whole time; the hooding ceremony is the main symbolic act instead of a tassel turn.

Important detail

Individual schools sometimes have their own twist on this tradition, so always follow what your ceremony organizer or program says if it conflicts with the general rule above.

If you remember one line:
Start right, turn left when they say you’re a graduate. 🎓

Meta description (SEO) :
Wondering what side you turn your tassel after graduation? Learn the simple rule (start on the right, move to the left), how it varies by degree level, and what it symbolizes. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.