This manuscript presents impacts of gradation of material functions and axial load functions on critical buckling loads and mode shapes of functionally graded (FG) thin and thick beams by using higher order shear deformation theory, for the first time. Volume fractions of metal and ceramic materials are assumed to be distributed through a beam thickness by both sigmoid law and symmetric power functions. Ceramic-metal-ceramic (CMC) and metal-ceramic-metal (MCM) symmetric distributions are proposed relative to mid-plane of the beam structure. The axial compressive load is depicted by constant, linear, and parabolic continuous functions through the axial direction. The equilibrium governing equations are derived by using Hamilton's principles. Numerical differential quadrature method (DQM) is developed to discretize the spatial domain and covert the governing variable coefficients differential equations and boundary conditions to system of algebraic equations. Algebraic equations are formed as a generalized matrix eigenvalue problem, that will be solved to get eigenvalues (buckling loads) and eigenvectors (mode shapes). The proposed model is verified with respectable published work. Numerical results depict influences of gradation function, gradation parameter, axial load function, slenderness ratio and boundary conditions on critical buckling loads and mode-shapes of FG beam structure. It is found that gradation types have different effects on the critical buckling. The proposed model can be effective in analysis and design of structure beam element subject to distributed axial compressive load, such as, spacecraft, nuclear structure, and naval structure.