75 Best Graduation Quotes Every 2025 Grad Needs to Hear
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
Graduation is a moment filled with both joy and nostalgia. It marks a significant achievement, yet it also brings a wave of emotions as you prepare to leave behind the place where you've learned, grown, and built lasting friendships. Ree Drummond understands this feeling well—when her youngest daughter, Paige, graduated, she admitted, "Those tears were going to come no matter what." And that's completely okay! If you're experiencing this milestone yourself or know someone who is, these graduation quotes will surely resonate.
A lot of these quotes can double as graduation Instagram caption ideas. Each and every one of the sentimental, happy quotes and uplifting quotes compiled here will inspire you, delight you, and leave you laughing or reaching for a box of tissues. Choose from beloved quotes like this one from Eleanor Roosevelt: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." There are also graduation quotes for daughters and graduation quotes for sons by actors, athletes, singers, revolutionaries, and more.
Get more graduation ideas and inspiration:
Michelle Obama
"You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen."
Jesse Owens
"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it."
Tim Cook
"Call upon your grit. Try something."
Selena Gomez
"It's okay not to know what to do with the rest of your life."
Albert Einstein
"A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness."
Tom Bodett
"They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for."
Aristotle
"Happiness depends upon ourselves."
Alicia Keys
"Be unafraid to be completely you, and accept all those other individuals that you meet as they are."
Maya Angelou
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
Babe Ruth
"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up."
Beverly Sills
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
Debbie Millman
"Start now. Not 20 years from now, not two weeks from now. Now."
Maria Shriver
"Before you go out and press that fast-forward button, I'm hoping, I'm praying, that you'll have the courage to first press the pause button."
Lin-Manuel Miranda
"This act of choosing—the stories we tell versus the stories we leave out—will reverberate across the rest of your life."
Dr. Seuss
"You're off to great places."
Matt Bondi
“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.”
Steve Prefontaine
“To give any less than your best is to sacrifice a gift.”
E. E. Cummings
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
Michael Jordan
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Mindy Kaling
“Understand that one day you will have the power to make a difference, so use it well.”
Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.
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