What Side Does the Tassel Go On? The Graduation Tassel Guide
What Side Does the Tassel Go On? The Graduation Tassel Guide
It is the question every graduate asks minutes before walking: what side does the tassel go on? The short answer is that you wear it on the right before your degree is conferred, then move it to the left once you graduate. But the tradition has a few wrinkles by school level, and knowing exactly what side the tassel goes on (and when to move it) saves a moment of panic on stage. This guide settles it.
Understanding what side the tassel goes on is really about understanding the turning of the tassel — the small ceremony-within-the-ceremony that marks the exact moment you become a graduate.
The simple rule
| Moment | Tassel side |
|---|---|
| Before the ceremony / walking in | Right |
| After your degree is conferred | Left |
When does it differ?
Some colleges have graduates begin with the tassel on the left, so there is nothing to move. Many high schools have the whole class turn tassels together at the end. When in doubt, follow the announcer or your school’s commencement instructions — they will tell you what side the tassel goes on for your ceremony.
The turning of the tassel
That collective flip from right to left is one of graduation’s most photographed traditions. It is a symbolic passage from candidate to graduate, which is why schools choreograph it for the big moment.
After the ceremony
Once it is over, many graduates keep the tassel as a keepsake — moving it to a rear-view mirror or a shadow box, often with a year charm marking the class.
So, what side does the tassel go on? Right before, left after — unless your school says otherwise. Confirm the local custom, watch for the cue, and enjoy the flip.
More: visit our homepage, or read about custom graduation tassels.
