You’re holding a plain black cap and a sheet of glitter cardstock. Or you’re staring at a Canva blank canvas with zero idea what size to set it. Or you just got assigned to order 200 caps for a school event and you’re realizing every supplier lists different numbers.
All of these are real problems. And they all start with the same question — what are the actual dimensions of a grad cap?
Let’s get into it.
The Core Numbers First
A standard adult graduation cap has a square top that measures 8 inches by 8 inches. The full cap height — from the bottom of the skullcap to the flat board on top — sits around 7 inches. The inner band fits head circumferences roughly between 21 and 24 inches.
That’s the baseline. Most US college caps from major suppliers land right here.
The square top is what decorators care about. The inner circumference is what buyers care about. They’re two separate measurements for two separate problems, and mixing them up is where most confusion starts.
High School Caps Are Not the Same Size
This trips people up constantly, especially designers who make a topper for a high school grad using college cap specs.
High school mortarboards run 7 × 7 inches on top, with a height closer to 6.5 inches, fitting heads between 20 and 22 inches. College caps are the 8 × 8 standard because adult heads are wider.
A topper designed at 8 × 8 will hang off a high school cap by a full inch on each side. Not a little — noticeably. If you’re making something for a teen, design at 7 × 7 from the start.
What Different Brands Actually Sell
Brands don’t all land on the exact same number, and knowing the small differences saves you from a bad order.
| Brand | Top Square | Cap Height | Head Circumference Fit |
| Jostens | 8″ × 8″ | 7″ | 21.5–24″ |
| Herff Jones | 7.75″ × 7.75″ | 6.75″ | 20.5–23.5″ |
| GradImages | 8″ × 8″ | 7.25″ | 21–24.5″ |
| Collegiate Caps | 8.25″ × 8.25″ | 7.5″ | 22–25″ |
Jostens is the most common supplier for US universities. Their velvet finish is slightly textured — if you’re gluing anything directly to the top, a light scuff with sandpaper first makes adhesive grip far better.
Herff Jones caps run a touch smaller and lighter. Fine for ceremonies, but they compress more under heavy decorations.
Decorating? Your Real Work Surface Is Smaller Than 8 Inches
The cap top is 8 × 8, but that full space isn’t clean to work with. The edge of the board has a small lip where the fabric folds over. Your safe, flat decorating area is closer to 7 to 7.5 inches square.
Build your design to 7.5 × 7.5 inches inside an 8 × 8 canvas. That quarter-inch buffer on each side keeps everything from peeling at the corners or sliding off the edge.
A few other spots decorators use:
- Underside of the brim — about 8 × 2 inches, great for LED strips or a hidden message
- Side panels — roughly 8 inches wide, 7 inches tall, good for ribbon details
- Tassel hole — centered, 1 inch from the front edge, about 0.25 inches wide
For Canva, set your artboard to 8 × 8 inches at 300 DPI. If you’re cutting with a Cricut, that’s about 3500 × 3500 pixels for clean edges. Keep your actual design content inside the inner 7.5 × 7.5 zone.
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How to Measure Your Head (Takes 90 Seconds)
Wrap a soft tape measure around your head about one inch above your eyebrows. If you’re using string, mark it and measure it flat.
- 20–21 inches → 7 × 7 cap (high school size)
- 22–23 inches → 8 × 8 cap (standard adult)
- 24 inches and over → 8.25–9 inch cap (large/extended fit)
If you have thick or voluminous hair, add half an inch to whatever you measured. The cap sits on top of your hair, not your scalp.
Plus-Size Fit and Extended Options
Most guides just list standard sizes and move on. But if your head circumference is over 25 inches, a standard 8 × 8 cap sits too high and rocks around. It doesn’t drape — it perches.
Brands like GradShop carry extended fit caps with tops up to 9 × 9 inches, designed specifically for larger circumferences. Collegiate Caps also runs a premium felt line that scales up without losing structure. These exist and work well — they’re just not advertised loudly on most supplier sites. You may need to filter or search specifically for “extended fit” or call to ask.
International Caps Are Different
If you’re shopping for a UK university ceremony or ordering for an international institution, the sizing doesn’t follow US standards.
Oxford-style caps and most UK mortarboards use a soft square construction. The external top can measure 9 × 9 inches but it folds and drapes rather than sitting rigid. Templates designed for US caps won’t transfer directly — the material behaves differently and the structure underneath doesn’t match.
Kids’ caps for elementary events are their own category too: typically 6 × 6 inches on top, built for 18 to 20 inch head circumferences.
Things That Catch People Off Guard
Laminating your topper changes its thickness. Lamination adds about 0.125 inches to your sheet. That’s enough to cause corner curling if your adhesive isn’t strong. Use a strong double-sided tape or a glue designed for layered surfaces.
Foam core caps compress. Some budget caps use foam instead of cardboard inside the top. Under the weight of heavy decorations — thick fabric, resin letters, stacked photos — they can compress up to 0.25 inches. If your design is heavy, put a thin foam board under your topper sheet before attaching it.
The tassel position is directional. In most US ceremonies, the tassel starts on the right and moves to the left after the diploma hand-off. If your decoration has text or a design that faces one direction, the front of the cap is the tassel side. Design accordingly so your art reads the right way in photos.
Card templates skip tassel placement. Most free printable templates don’t mark where the tassel loop goes. It’s centered on the top, about 3 inches from the front edge, with a loop around 2 inches long. Mark that before you start decorating so you don’t cover it.
Kids and Elementary Caps
Just to cover it clearly: graduation caps for young kids — preschool ceremonies, kindergarten events, elementary school performances — run 6 × 6 inches on top with a height of about 5.5 inches. They’re built for head circumferences between 18 and 20 inches.
These aren’t just small adult caps. The inner construction is softer and lighter. Don’t order adult caps and try to make them work for little kids. They’ll be uncomfortable and look comically large.
Read Also: Flash Card Size: Everything You Need to Know Before You Make or Buy One
The One Thing to Sort Out Before You Do Anything Else
Before you design, order, cut, or glue a single thing — figure out whether you’re working with a high school cap or a college cap. That single decision determines your template size, your design canvas, and whether your topper fits or hangs over the edge.
After that, everything else is just detail. Measure the head once, check the brand spec against the circumference, give yourself a small border on your design, and test on paper before the real material.
The dimensions aren’t complicated. They’re just not explained well in most places. Now you have the full picture.
I am the editor and author of StoriesRadius.com, a blog about measurements and dimensions. I enjoy turning numbers and sizes into simple stories that anyone can understand. From everyday objects to curious facts, I share clear guides based on real research and experience. My goal is to make learning about length, height, and size fun, useful, and easy for all readers.
