Tassel Colors for Academic Dress
Color Standards   Merchandising    Color Forecasting    Printing    Dyeing    Fashion Schools

Note: CHECK WITH YOUR SCHOOL TO CONFIRM THE PROPER COLOR.  ABOVE IS GENERAL STANDARDS BUT IS NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT.  CHECK WITH YOUR SCHOOL FOR THE PROPER COLOR.

School graduation tassels are a timeless tradition that has been around for centuries. The tassel is a symbolic representation of graduating from an educational institution and is typically worn on the side of a mortarboard cap. Graduates take great pride in wearing their tassels and taking part in the commencement ceremony.

In the US, academic dress is rarely worn outside commencement ceremonies. In many American schools, the color of the hood represents the school or department that the wearer is graduating from. A number of other items, cords or sashes, may be also seen worn, representing various academic achievements.

The tassel worn on the mortarboard may indicate the university's colors, or the colors of the specific college or discipline from which the student is graduating. There is in some universities a practice of moving the tassel from one side to the other on graduating, but this is a modern innovation which would be impractical out of doors due to the vagaries of the wind. However, this mark of transition to graduate status has the benefit of taking less time than more traditional indicators such as the conferring of the hood (which is done at some Scottish universities), or a complete change of dress partway through the ceremony (as at Oxford).

Inter-Collegiate colors

The colors allocated to the various academic disciplines have been largely standardized, and are:

  • Agriculture - Maize
  • Arts, Letters, Humanities - White
  • Business - Tan
  • Commerce, Accountancy, Business - Drab
  • Dentistry - Lilac
  • Economics - Copper
  • Education - Light Blue
  • Engineering - Orange
  • Fine Arts - Brown
  • Forestry - Russet
  • Journalism - Crimson
  • Law - Purple
  • Library Science - Lemon
  • Medicine - Green
  • Music - Pink
  • Nursing - Apricot
  • Oratory (Speech) - Silver Gray
  • Pharmacy - Olive Green
  • Philosophy - Dark Blue
  • Physical Education - Sage Green
  • Public Administration - Peacock Blue
  • Public Health - Salmon Pink
  • Science - Golden Yellow
  • Social Work - Citron
  • Theology - Scarlet
  • Veterinary Science - Gray

Note: CHECK WITH YOUR SCHOOL TO CONFIRM THE PROPER COLOR.  ABOVE IS GENERAL STANDARDS BUT IS NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT.  CHECK WITH YOUR SCHOOL FOR THE PROPER COLOR.

Just incase you truly love color, and are interested in almost useless facts, you can learn about the colors used on tassels in regard to academic dress.

The tradition of wearing tassels during graduation ceremonies has been around since the 14th century. During the Middle Ages, universities would hold graduation ceremonies for students who had completed their studies. As part of the ceremony, a student would receive a cap with a tassel attached to it. The tassel was a sign of prestige and accomplishment, and it was believed to bring luck to the graduate.

Over the centuries, the graduation tassel evolved from a single color to a wide variety of colors and styles. In the 19th century, schools began to use different colors to denote different levels of academic achievement. In the United States, the tassel was typically black and was worn on the right side of the mortarboard cap.

Today, school graduation tassels are still a popular tradition. Schools use different colors and styles of tassels to represent different levels of academic achievement. Some schools even allow students to customize their own tassels with unique colors and designs.

School graduation tassels are a timeless tradition that is steeped in centuries of history. They are a symbol of academic achievement and a reminder of a student’s hard work and dedication. Graduates take great pride in wearing their tassels and taking part in the commencement ceremony.

You may have interest in learning about Fashion Schools.

 Fashion
 Fashion Forecasting Services
 Fashion Stylist Agencies
 Graphic Artist Directory & Guide

Pantone Books

Fashion Books

Merchandising Books

Textile Books

Thank you for using the Apparel Search website.