What mascot appears on the cover art for The College Dropout?

The mascot on the cover art for The College Dropout is the Dropout Bear.

The cover shows Kanye West wearing the bear costume and sitting slumped on school bleachers, surrounded by ornate gold framing. Art director Eric Duvauchelle selected the image because the lonely bear contrasted with the idea of school as a place associated with popularity and community.

The character was designed by graphic designer Sam Hansen and became a recurring visual symbol of West's early career. It first appeared commercially on the cover of the 2003 single “Through the Wire,” then returned for The College Dropout in 2004.

The bear is often called the Kanye Bear, Late Registration Bear, or Graduation Bear, but those names describe the same mascot in different eras. It reappeared on Late Registration and Graduation, with redesigned settings and costumes. “Graduation Bear” is therefore a later nickname, not the canonical name of the mascot on the debut album's cover.