Top 200 Graduation Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”

— Dr. Seuss

Also featured in: Fiction Quotes, New Beginnings Quotes, Carpe Diem Quotes

2. “Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.”

— Ben Carson

Also featured in: Success Quotes, Short Motivational Quotes, Motivational Monday Quotes, Motivational Quotes About Life, Inspirational Life Quotes

3. “If you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? Carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”

— Robin Williams

Also featured in: Encouraging Quotes for Students, Real Quotes, Passion Quotes, Greatness Quotes

4. “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.”

— Steve Jobs

Also featured in: Cheer Quotes, School Quotes, Good Luck Quotes

5. “Please think about your legacy, because you’re writing it every day.”

— Gary Vaynerchuk

Also featured in: Inspirational Entrepreneurship Quotes, Business Quotes, Motivational Quotes for Success, Reflection Quotes

6. “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”

— Bill Gates

Also featured in: Leadership Quotes, Inspirational Quotes for Work, Empowerment Quotes, Future Quotes

7. “Stay curious, keep learning and keep growing. And always strive to be more interested than interesting.”

— Jane Fonda

Also featured in: Motivational Monday Quotes, Encouragement Quotes, Good Morning Quotes, Curiosity Quotes

8. “It’s not where you start but where you finish that counts.”

— Zig Ziglar

Also featured in: Short Inspirational Quotes, Powerful Motivational Quotes, Mindset Quotes, Winning Quotes

9. “Your life is a reflection of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, you change your life.”

— Brian Tracy

Also featured in: Optimistic Quotes, Positive Life Quotes, Short Positive Quotes, Powerful Motivational Quotes

10. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

— Steve Jobs

Also featured in: Inspirational Entrepreneurship Quotes, Courage Quotes, Interesting Quotes, Career Development Quotes

11. “Study hard. Work hard. Play harder. Don’t be bound by rules, don’t hurt anybody and never ever live somebody else’s dream.”

— Shah Rukh Khan

Also featured in: Live Life Quotes, Passion Quotes, Choices Quotes, Hurt Quotes

12. “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.”

— Ziad K. Abdelnour

Also featured in: Motivational Work Quotes, Motivational Quotes for Women, Empowerment Quotes, Smart Quotes

13. “Discipline yourself and others won't need to.”

— John Wooden

Also featured in: Coaching Quotes, Excellence Quotes, Personal Responsibility Quotes

14. “Determination, with an optimistic attitude, is the key to success.”

— Dalai Lama XIV

Also featured in: Short Motivational Quotes, Optimistic Quotes, Positive Life Quotes, Short Inspiring Quotes

15. “Life is so short, so beautiful. Don’t be so serious about work. Enjoy life.”

— Jack Ma

Also featured in: Sweet Quotes, Life Is Short Quotes, Appreciation Quotes, Being Happy Quotes

16. “All I want to do is change the world.”

— W. Clement Stone

Also featured in: Changing the World Quotes, Ambition Quotes, Purpose Quotes, Quotes About the World

17. “Let us remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look forward to the future with confidence.”

— Pope John Paul II

Also featured in: Perspective Quotes, Quotes About Hope, Gratitude Quotes

18. “Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”

— Leo Buscaglia

Also featured in: Blessing Quotes, Blessed Quotes, Sweet Quotes, Purpose Quotes

19. “We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it.”

— Barack Obama

Also featured in: Changing the World Quotes, Future Quotes, Vision Quotes, Progress Quotes

20. “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

— Steve Jobs

Also featured in: Inspirational Entrepreneurship Quotes, Change Quotes, Action Quotes, Life Lessons Quotes

21. “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”

— Rabindranath Tagore

Also featured in: Interesting Quotes, Self-Realization Quotes, Dreaming Big Quotes, Mindset Quotes, Life Philosophy Quotes

22. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

— John Quincy Adams

Also featured in: Leadership Quotes, Encouragement Quotes, Uplifting Quotes, Important Quotes

23. “Happiness is such an incredible advantage in our life. When the human brain is positive, our intelligence rises, we stop diverting resources to think about anxiety.”

— Shawn Achor

Also featured in: Life Quotes, Happiness Quotes, Motivational Quotes for Work, Psychology Quotes, Optimistic Quotes

24. “Surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself!”

— Zig Ziglar

Also featured in: Self-Esteem Quotes, Short Inspiring Quotes, Short Inspirational Quotes, Personality Quotes

25. “To live; to love; to learn; and to leave a legacy.”

— Stephen R. Covey

Also featured in: Meaning Quotes, Live Life Quotes, Positive Motivation Quotes, Legacy Quotes

26. “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

— Garrison Keillor

Also featured in: Happy Quotes, Caring Quotes, Communication Quotes, Goodbye Quotes

27. “Take your passion and make it happen.”

— Irene Cara

Also featured in: Happy Quotes, Passion Quotes, Ambition Quotes, Purpose Quotes

28. “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.”

— Lou Holtz

Also featured in: Motivational Quotes, Attitude Quotes, Motivational Work Quotes, Coaching Quotes, Excellence Quotes

29. “Your voice can change the world.”

— Barack Obama

Also featured in: Empowering Quotes, Changing the World Quotes, Moving Quotes

30. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.”

— Dr. Seuss

Also featured in: Positive Quotes, Goal Quotes, Self-Esteem Quotes, Education Quotes, Positive Life Quotes

31. “Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.”

— Denzel Washington

Also featured in: Change Quotes, Motivational Work Quotes, Positive Motivational Quotes, Sunday Inspirational Quotes, Helping Others Quotes

32. “Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”

— Gail Devers

Also featured in: Motivational Quotes, Believe in Yourself Quotes, Motivational Quotes for Success, Meaning Quotes, Encouragement Quotes

33. “It’s okay to fail; it’s not okay to quit.”

— Chris Gardner

Also featured in: Failure Quotes, Live Life Quotes, Giving Up Quotes, Struggle Quotes

34. “So let me tell you, as you prepare to go off into the world, remember six rules: Trust yourself, Break some rules, Don’t be afraid to fail, Ignore the naysayers, Work like hell, and Give something back.”

— Arnold Schwarzenegger

Also featured in: Friday Motivational Quotes, Ambition Quotes, Progress Quotes

35. “The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to find the pearls.”

— Chris Gardner

Also featured in: Prosperity Quotes, Optimistic Quotes, Live Life Quotes, Ambition Quotes

36. “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

— Conan O'Brien

Also featured in: Personality Quotes, Kindness Quotes, Quotes About People, Humble Quotes

37. “Education is our passport to the future.”

— Malcolm X

Also featured in: Learning Quotes, Future Quotes, Inspirational Quotes for Students, Smart Quotes

38. “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

— John Wooden

Also featured in: Coaching Quotes, Excellence Quotes, Greatness Quotes

39. “Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change.”

— William Arthur Ward

Also featured in: Learning Quotes, Impact Quotes, Helping Quotes, Teaching Quotes

40. “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

— William Arthur Ward

Also featured in: Education Quotes, Motivational Work Quotes, Good Morning Inspirational Quotes, Quality Quotes, Smart Quotes

41. “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”

— Maya Angelou

Also featured in: Positive Quotes, Love Quotes, Be Kind Quotes, Emotional Quotes

42. “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”

— Nelson Mandela

Also featured in: Change Quotes, Positive Inspirational Quotes, Short Inspirational Quotes, Sunday Inspirational Quotes

43. “Your purpose in life is to use your gifts and talents to help other people. Your journey in life teaches you how to do that.”

— Tom Krause

Also featured in: Impact Quotes, Values Quotes, Helping Others Quotes, Purpose Quotes

44. “Any dream is possible, if you have courage.”

— Walt Disney

Also featured in: Sweet Quotes, Quotes About Dreams, Quotes About Hope, Quotes About Believing

45. “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”

— Anne Sweeney

Also featured in: Perspective Quotes, Being Yourself Quotes, Being Happy Quotes, Purpose Quotes

46. “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”

— Lou Holtz

Also featured in: Short Motivational Quotes, Positive Life Quotes, Perspective Quotes, Positive Short Quotes, Being Strong Quotes

47. “Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

Also featured in: Perspective Quotes, Meaning of Life Quotes, Being Happy Quotes

48. “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

— Henry Adams

Also featured in: Impact Quotes, Teacher Quotes, Teaching Quotes, School Quotes

49. “If you think you can do it, you can.”

— John Burroughs

Also featured in: Perspective Quotes, Optimism Quotes, Expectations Quotes, Quotes About Believing

50. “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”

— Marian Wright Edelman

Also featured in: Change Quotes, Education Quotes, Positive Inspirational Quotes, Changing the World Quotes, Helping Others Quotes