Country music star and former App State student Luke Combs received an honorary degree of music at the May 7 commencement ceremony at Holmes Convocation Center.
The honor recognizes Combs for his achievements in the music industry and his “commitment to using his platform as a catalyst for service and community impact,” said senior director of public relations, Anna Oakes, in a press release from App State.
“In every sense, Luke Combs represents the character and heart of a Mountaineer,” Chancellor Heather Norris said during the ceremony. “His story inspires our students to dream big, work hard and always remember where they came from. He represents the very best of our university community: a life lived with purpose, driven by a commitment to excellence and a genuine care for others.”
Combs, a native of Western North Carolina, was born in Huntersville and raised in Asheville. He attended App State from 2008 to 2012 as a business major before switching to criminology. He built a loyal following in the Boone music scene before dropping out to pursue music in Nashville.
Combs’ long-term friend Adam Church, an App State alum and country music singer who has collaborated with Combs since their college days, wrote over text that he has been calling the new graduate “Professor” Combs.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Combs wrote.
Combs joked to Church that it took him 18 years to graduate high school and 18 more years to graduate college.
Since leaving Boone, Combs has become a household name in country music with songs such as “She Got the Best of Me” and “When it Rains it Pours.” He has been named the CMA Entertainer of the Year twice and was included among TIME Magazine’s TIME100 list of the Most Influential People in the world in 2026.
Combs has used his fame to support WNC through hard times, raising over $24 million for Hurricane Helene relief through the “Concert for Carolina” in 2024. His advocacy work also includes mental health awareness, support for veterans and music education.
Combs notably returned to campus in 2022 to serve as the celebrity guest picker for the first-ever appearance of ESPN’s College GameDay in Boone.
For many of those graduating, his appearance at their graduation ceremony was a heartfelt callback to a memorable moment in their freshman year.
“It was a complete surprise,” said senior middle grade education major Sarah Danner. “They saved it for the very end of the graduation. It was just very full circle. It was very, very awesome.”
