136 Best Graduation Captions to Pair With Your Diploma Selfies

‘Tis the season for graduates – from kindergarteners to eighth-graders, high school seniors, college seniors, law and medical school students, and so many more – to don their caps and gowns and cross the stage to start the next chapter of their lives. In addition to festive parties, meaningful graduation gifts and thoughtful messages in graduation cards, capture the moment with plenty of photographs. Snap the graduate not only with their friends and classmates, but family that has gathered to celebrate the big day. And, of course, encourage your graduate to take plenty of selfies to post with the perfect graduation captions.

Make your graduate’s photos shine with captions that fit their personality, whether inspirational, funny, or sweet, inspired by their favorite artist, author, celebrity, or even friend or family member. We’ve hand-picked these 136 captions to get you started.

• Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
• When you have a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go.
• I took the road less traveled and that has made all the difference.
• It's time to plant the seeds of hope and a new, brighter future.
• Be bold. Be courageous. Be your best.
• I came, I saw, I conquered.
• There’s no need to try to fit in, when you were born to stand out.
• When you lean into your passions, you can’t go wrong.
• The things we are racing towards are better than what we leave behind.
• The future looks bright and I will keep on shining.
• This isn't goodbye, but see you later.
• The world is your oyster.
• May your cap fly as high as your dreams.
• Though our branches grow in different directions, our roots remain as one.
• Let your dreams be bigger than your fears, your actions louder than your words, and your faith stronger than your feelings.
• And so the adventure begins.
• This is the beginning of everything you want.
• Once you become fearless, life becomes limitless.
• What feels like the end is often the beginning.
• If it excites you and scares you at the same time, it probably means you should do it.
• The best way to predict the future is to create it.
• Not letting anyone or anything stand in my way.
• Whatever is good for your soul, that's what you should do.
• Every end has a new beginning.
• I believed I could, so I did.
• If you can dream it, you can make it so.
• The steps you take in life are the imprints you leave forever.
• Never stop believing in yourself. You’ll be amazed at how far it can take you.

• Accepting job offers now. Inquire within my DMs.
• Proof that I can do selfies and diplomas at the same time.
• Can I take a nap now?
• I got the skills to pay the bills.
• Turns out I wasn't too cool for school.
• Let me put that "hire me" sign on my front lawn now.
• Graduate: (N.) A person who now has carpal tunnel from note-taking.
• Very proud, very tired.
• Cs really do get degrees.
• What, like it’s hard?
• That’s all folks.
• I already forgot everything.
• Beauty and brains.
• Cheers to the memories.
• Now, who is going to pay off these loans?
• Next stop: Adulting
• Some graduate with honors, I am just honored to graduate.
• I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever invented copy and paste.
• Call me a chemistry cylinder because I am graduated.
• Proud of my B.S.
• The tassel was worth the hassle.
• Now, it's hotter in here by one degree.
• Thank you Mom, Dad, and coffee.
• I owe my diploma to coffee.
• I'm 100% certain that I am zero percent sure of what I'm going to do.
• Cap. Gown. It's going down.
• I graduated, so now I'm like all smart and stuff.
• Goodbye, ramen noodles, all-nighters and textbooks!
• I guess I’m all grown up now?

• Done...but also just getting started.
• I might just be proud of myself.
• How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
• Make today your day.
• Now, everything awaits me.
• One step closer.
• On to my next adventure.
• The first step is just showing up.
• Enjoy the journey. Success does not rush.
• The beauty of the future is found when you believe in yourself.
• Take the risk, make the mistake. It’ll all be worth it.
• I laugh without fear of the future.
• All good things must come to an end, but this is just the beginning.
• This is what dreams are made of.
• Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.
• The best feeling in the world is knowing your parents are smiling because of you.
• Behind you, all your memories. Before you, all your dreams. Around you, all who love you. Within you, all you need.
• May we continue to do amazing things in life.
• You’ve sacrificed a lot for my future. It may take a lifetime, but I’ll do everything to repay for what you have done for me. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
• Many dream, some try, but I achieved.
• Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.
• Dream big, work hard, stay focused, and surround yourself with good people.
• Reach for the stars. You might become one.
• Never stop dreaming and never lose your spirit.
• Your future is an unwritten symphony just awaiting your creative, daring and unique talent to make it a masterpiece.
• Savor the moment.
• All good things come to an end.

• “I'm happier than ever.” — Billie Eilish
• “There's nothing holding me back.” — Shawn Mendes
  
• “The best is yet to come.” — Frank Sinatra
• “So just think of your future, think of a new life, don't get lost in the memories, keep your eyes on a new prize.” — Paramore
• “Thank U, Next.” — Ariana Grande
• “Watch out for me, I'm bound to glow.”— Drake
• “All work and no play never made me lose it. All business all day keeps me up a level.” — Lorde
• “What didn't break me, made me better.”— Lil Baby
• “For every dark night, there’s always a brighter day.” — Tupac Shakur
• “What was once in the windshield, is now in my rear view” — Jonathan McReynolds
• “Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper.” —Beyoncé
• “It was all a dream.” — Biggie
• “And if at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again.” — Aaliyah
• “Before I had it, I closed my eyes and imagined the good life.” — Kanye West
• “Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side — it's the climb.” — Miley Cyrus
  
• “And this is the part where you find out who you are.” — The Maine
• “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” — George Fairman
• “There’s just no telling how far I’ll go.” — Moana
• “As we go on, we remember all the times we had together.” — Vitamin C
• “Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.”— Natasha Bedingfield
• “It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life.” — Green Day
• “Goodbye to you. Goodbye to everything that I knew.” — Michelle Branch
• “I wish that I could have this moment for life.” — Nicki Minaj
  
• “Long live all the mountains we moved.” — Taylor Swift
  
• “I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hangin' on a moment with you.” — Lady Gaga
  

• “Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow's reality.” — Malala Yousafzai
• “You're off to great places. Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way.” — Dr. Seuss
• “The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
• “Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing.” — Oscar Wilde
• “Did everyone see that? Because I will not be doing it again.” — Pirates of the Caribbean
• “Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”— Paul Brandt
• “Kid, you’ll move mountains.” — Dr. Seuss
• “One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.” — Maya Angelou
• “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” — Judy Garland
• “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle
• “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
• “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.” — Michelle Obama
• “Mischief Managed.” — Harry Potter
  
• “It is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world.” — Legally Blonde
• “She turned her cant's into cans, and her dreams into plans.” — Kobi Yamada
• “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” — Oscar Wilde
• “Dream big and dare to fail.” — Norman Vaughan
• “We know what we are but know not what we may be.” — William Shakespeare
• “The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse.” — Edward Koch
• “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” — William Arthur Ward
• “What she tackles, she conquers.” — Gilmore Girls
• “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C.S. Lewis
• “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  
• “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” — Nora Ephron

Cameron Jenkins

Staff Writer

Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.

Lilli Iannella

Editorial Intern

Lilli (she/her) is an editorial intern at Good Housekeeping and a senior undergraduate student at Syracuse University majoring in magazine, news and digital journalism. When she’s not looking into the latest news and trends, she’s seeking her new favorite ice cream flavor or dream travel destination. She has previously covered news at The Daily Orange and The Evening Sun and lifestyle content at The Fit Magazine and Jerk Magazine.