| Year | Recipient | Degree Conferred |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Bryan A. Stevenson | Doctor of Humane Letter |
| 2023 | Joseph L. Fleischer '65 BA, '66 BArch | Doctor of Humane Letter |
| 2022 | Stanley Nelson | Doctor of Fine Arts |
| 2022 | Anthony S. Fauci | Doctor of Science |
| 2021 | Alondra Nelson | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2021 | Edward Blank | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2019 | Edward S. Plotkin '53 CE, '56 MCE, '58 MBA | Doctor of Science |
| 2019 | The Honorable John Robert Lewis | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2018 | Harold Scheraga '41 | Doctor of Science |
| 2018 | Seymour L. Moskowitz '54 ME | Doctor of Science |
| 2018 | Anita Hill | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2017 | David Diaz '65 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2017 | Robert E. Kahn '60 | Doctor of Science |
| 2017 | Deborah Meier | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2016 | Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2015 | Ursual Burns | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2015 | John O'Keefe '63 BA | Doctor of Science |
| 2015 | Michael Pope '44 BEE | Doctor of Science |
| 2014 | Lillias White '78 | Doctor of Fine Arts |
| 2014 | Millard (Mickey) Drexler | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2014 | Henry D. Perahia '71 BME, '73 MME | Doctor of Science |
| 2013 | Martin Cohen '70 | Doctorate of Science |
| 2012 | Kathleen Battle | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2012 | Harvey Kaylie '60 | Doctorate of Science |
| 2012 | Rafael Angel Suarez, Jr. | Doctorate of Humane Letters |
| 2012 | Sheldon Weinbaum | Doctorate of Science |
| 2011 | Bert E. Brodsky '64 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2011 | Anthony M. Johnson '81 | Doctor of Science |
| 2011 | Edward I. Koch '81 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2011 | Bernard Spitzer '43 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2010 | Mario Vargas Llosa | Doctorate of Letters |
| 2010 | H. Jack Geiger | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2010 | Sy Sternberg '65 | Doctore of Humane Letters |
| 2009 | Geoffrey Canada | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2009 | Thelma Golden | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2008 | Eli Weisel | Doctor of Letters |
| 2008 | Enrique Carbajal | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2007 | Larry Gralla '51 | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2007 | Johann Matzenauer | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2007 | Mario Jose Molina | Doctor of Science |
| 2006 | Howard Dodson | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2006 | Harry Lustig | Doctor of Science |
| 2005 | Oscar de la Renta | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2005 | Joseph H. Flom | Doctor of Laws |
| 2004 | Walter Mosley '91 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2004 | Richard Schiff '83 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2004 | Frank J. Sciame, Jr. | Doctor of Fine Arts |
| 2004 | William Jefferson Clinton | Doctor of Laws |
| 2003 | Reverend Calvin O. Butts | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2003 | Cristo and Jeanne-Claude | Doctors of Fine Arts |
| 2003 | Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2002 | Dr. Andreas Acrivos | Doctor of Science |
| 2002 | Dr. Irving Adler | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2002 | Frank O. Gehry | Doctor of Fine Arts |
| 2002 | Dr. David Satcher | Doctor of Science |
| 2001 | Rita Moreno | Doctor of Fine Arts |
| 2000 | Joyce R. Coppin '58 | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2000 | Nathan Glazer '44 | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2000 | George Lamming | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 2000 | Henry J. Stern '54 | Doctor of Laws |
| 2000 | David Halberstam | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 1999 | Robert Geddes | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1999 | Mario Runco, Jr. '74 | Doctor of Science |
| 1999 | Josh S. Weston '50 | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1998 | Rudolph F. Crew | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 1997 | Arthur Gelb | Doctor of Humane letters |
| 1997 | Leonard Kleinrock '57 | Doctor of Science |
| 1996 | Ellen V. Futter |