Students | Columbia Law School

Caps and Gowns

The cap and gown rental cost is $169. This is paid by the Dean of Students’ Office, with a percentage of the cost coming from the Student Activities fee. In order to take advantage of this, you must order through the Columbia University bookstore by the deadline. In order to place your order at the bookstore, you must have picked up your Graduation Handbook from Student Services and completed your pronunciation requirements. For more information, please see: “Cap and Gown Information."

The deadline for placing your order is April 22 at 5 p.m. If you miss the deadline, you will have to pay the full $169 plus a late fee of $20 imposed by the bookstore and Oak Hall, the cap and gown distributors. In addition, there is no guarantee that the robes will be available in your size if you order late.

Receipt of your order form is official notice that you will walk in the graduation ceremonies. If we do not receive notice from the cap and gown company that you have ordered, we will assume that you will not walk through graduation, and your name will be removed from the list. Graduates who do not walk in the ceremony will not be given any tickets for either ceremony.

Cap and gown distribution for those who order by April 22 will begin at the Columbia University Bookstore, Lerner Hall, on Thursday, May 9 and will continue until University Commencement on May 22. It will not be possible to pick up a cap and gown after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22.

All gowns must be returned directly to the Columbia University Bookstore in Lerner Hall by Friday, June 7 during the bookstore’s normal business hours. The tams are yours to keep. Any regalia not returned on time will be considered purchases, and your credit card will be billed $694 plus tax, the difference in price between the rental fee and the purchase price.