Listing Education on a CV may seem as easy as playing Tic Tac Toe for many, including the university name, degree, and graduation year. However, for others, it can be more challenging to determine how to present their schooling on a CV.

Questions may arise, such as whether education or experience should come first on a Resume, and how to list education if you are still in college. This article covers all scenarios on how to list education on a resume:

1. How to list high school education on a resume, even if you didn’t finish.
2. How to list education on a resume if you have graduated from college, are still a student, or have never attended one.
3. How to professionally present your education on a resume.
4. Where to include the education section on a resume and what details to include.

How to List Education on a Resume

Let’s begin with the fundamentals.

What To Put in The Education Section of Your Resume

A recent degree of yours (or education in progress)
Your institution’s name
Where your school is located
Dates of attendance and graduation (or expected graduation date)
Your primary academic focus and degree major
Your GPA (only if it is greater than 3.5)
Any academic distinctions, pertinent courses, or dean’s list placement
Extracurriculars that are pertinent, study abroad opportunities, and awards

The education section of your resume is typically the simplest to write.

The following advice:
Start with the degree you hold the highest.
In reverse chronological order, add all additional degrees.
Do not provide your high school information if you have completed college.

A resume’s GPA is not required to be included. If you graduated within the last three years and your GPA was more than 3.0, you should only include it. If not, lose it. The majority of recruiting supervisors don’t give a damn about GPAs.

Here’s an illustration:

Education

English literature MA from 2009

Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Harvard University

3.7 GPA

English literature BA from 2007

Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania

4.0 GPA

Pretty basic, yes?

Here are four additional suggestions to make things even simpler:

Master of Arts can be used as your degree’s full name or just the letters “MA.”
Periods can be used to separate the initials “M.A.” or they can be omitted.
You can either write out the name of your major, such as “MA in Psychology,” or you can just write “MA, Psychology,” separating your degree from your major.
You can order the information in many ways.

The candidate above, for instance, is a Harvard graduate.

She might believe that her degree in literature doesn’t immediately correspond to the position she’s looking for. Being an English major, that is possible.

In that instance, she could wish to start by mentioning that she went to Harvard:

Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Harvard University

English Literature MA

2009 graduate with a 3.7 GPA

Just be sure to maintain consistency in the formatting of the information in your schooling section.

For the majority of you, listing your education on a resume is a simple process. You can include more details if you’d like.

Anyone with some professional experience can benefit from the material above.

Read on; we’ve got you covered if you just graduated or haven’t finished your degree. Keep reading.

Where Should Education Go on a Resume?

For students or recent graduates with limited work experience, it is advisable to give priority to your education over your employment history. On the other hand, if you possess more than a year of professional experience, your work history should be listed before your schooling. Start with your most recent degree and consider including your GPA if it is 3.5 or higher. Additionally, highlight relevant coursework, honors, and dean’s list achievements.

While the standard format places the experience section first, it is acceptable to deviate from this norm if your education is more impressive and relevant to recruiters.

For experienced professionals, it is recommended to place the professional work history section ahead of the educational history. At this stage of your career, hiring managers will place greater emphasis on your work experience.

Pro Tip: To save time and learn how to craft an excellent resume tailored to your profession, refer to our guidelines and resume examples here.

How to Add Your High School Education to a Resume

Make an entry like this if high school is your greatest level of education:

In Newville, Ottowa, Newville High School

2005 graduate

You only need to do that. I’m not making this up.

When deciding what else to put on a student resume, focus on things that highlight your abilities and accomplishments.

This might include any work you did while in high school as well as accolades, awards, and extracurricular activities.

Your resume should be customized for the position. Therefore, choose activities that will demonstrate the important concepts presented there.

You might also want to list your schooling, highlighting any courses that relate to the duties of your new position.

What if, though, you weren’t a high school graduate?

Here is an illustration of how to write:

In Newville, Ottowa, Newville High School

Attended college between 2003 and 2005.

Just include your school’s name and the years you attended.

If you are still a high school student, format it as follows:

In Newville, Ottowa, Newville High School

Expected 2009 graduation

If you didn’t finish high school but later earned a GED, format it as follows:

High school diploma equivalent GED

2009, Ottowa’s Newville Adult Learning Center

In Newville, Ottowa, Newville High School

From 2003 to 2005, I went to school.

Say you graduated from high school and went on to earn a license or certificate that you want to list on your resume since it is pertinent to the position you are going for.

Your license or certificate should come before the information about your high school.

2009 Cosmetology License

In Newville, Ottowa, there is a beauty school.

In Newville, Ohio, Newville High School

2005 graduate

Yes, You Can Put Unfinished Higher Education on Your Resume

Consider a scenario in which you attended college but later decided that $30,000 in annual student debt wasn’t for you.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use the work you already completed.

Unfinished college coursework is still acceptable to list on a resume. You simply need to enter the credits you were able to obtain.

Following, list your high school coursework as follows:

Columbus, Ohio’s Ohio State University

2005 -2007 60 credits remaining for a BS in Psychology

In Cherryville, Ohio, Cherryville High School

2005 Graduate

It is yours if you paid for it. You can include the curriculum on your resume if it is pertinent.

We now come to higher education that is still being developed. midway through earning a degree?

Easy.

Write it like this on your resume:

English Literature BA student in progress

Bronxville, New York’s Sarah Lawrence College

The following list of words might be used to indicate that a degree is still being earned:

taking place
expected + date
Date + anticipated
Date plus anticipated graduation
Date to be completed plus

Here’s How to Put Your Higher Education on Your Resume

As mentioned earlier, if you have a university degree, it is advisable to place it at the top of your resume. However, what other information should you include in the education section?

If you have minimal or no prior work experience, consider adding some extra details to enhance this section. It can be beneficial to provide additional information that showcases your academic achievements or relevant activities, such as relevant coursework, academic projects, honors, scholarships, or extracurricular activities. These “bonus points” can help strengthen your resume and highlight your potential even in the absence of extensive work experience.

Honors and Awards
Relevant Academic Work
Additional Academic Activities
Publications

Put Latin honors next to your degree in the education part of your resume if you completed an honors program, received the highest honors (magna cum laude or summa cum laude), or were your class’ valedictorian or salutatorian.

Example:

Biology major with honors, valedictorian, and Magna Cum Laude

West Lafayette, Indiana’s Purdue University

a 2012 graduate

Other accolades and prizes can include:

any scholarship or academic award.
Academic distinctions other than enrollment in an honors program, such as being named to the Dean’s List or being admitted to honors societies (campus, national, or international).

Note that if you believe you have too many awards to list or wish to bring particular emphasis to them, you can create a separate Honors and Awards section.

The same applies to academic publications for PhD students.

If you have numerous publications to showcase on your non-academic CV, you have the option to create a separate section dedicated to them or include them all under your degree information.

However, remember that a student resume should be concise and not exceed one page in length.

In case you need to fill up space, adding sections like Hobbies and Interests can be beneficial. But avoid including excessive content that extends your resume to the second page entirely.

Additionally, providing a description of relevant coursework is a valuable addition to a student resume. Ensure that the courses you list are suitable for the position you are applying for.

A coursework summary can demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills necessary for the position even if you have little to no prior work experience.

Additionally, you can demonstrate that you completed classes pertinent to your professional sector if you have a degree in a different subject. For instance, you might be looking for a marketing position despite having a psychology degree.

Have you taken any classes in communication or business? These are appropriate to include in the description of your course work.

Example:

Psychology Bachelor of Arts

Berkeley, California’s University of California

Relevant Coursework: English Language Studies, Social Psychology, Business Communication, Grammar and Editing

It’s also acceptable if you want to elaborate on this further. You may describe a broad course of study that equipped you with a certain skill set you want employers to take notice of.

If you recently graduated and need to bolster your CV, you can also highlight your extracurricular activities.

Just don’t contribute anything contentious (political or religious).

Employers prefer the following abilities on student resumes:

Leadership
Teamwork abilities
Talents in communication
Abilities to solve issues

You can include it in your education section if you engaged in any activities that would demonstrate these abilities (or if you enrolled in a study abroad program).

Example:

Psychology Bachelor of Arts

Berkeley, California’s University of California

Relevant Coursework: English Language Studies, Social Psychology, Business Communication, Grammar and Editing

Captain of the lacrosse team(extracurricular activities)

Additionally, a strong cover letter that complements your CV will set you apart from other applicants. You can create one using this cover letter builder. Here’s what it might resemble:

Key Takeaway

When it comes to including your education in your CV, there are no rigid rules to follow.

You have the flexibility to place the education section either before or after the experience section.

You can choose to include as much or as little information as you deem necessary.

Especially for students or those with limited professional experience, the education section can play a significant role in showcasing your qualifications.

Even if you didn’t obtain a degree, you can still list the courses you completed on your resume.

In conclusion, consider the education section of your application as an opportunity to set yourself slightly ahead of the competition.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Resume Education Section

How should I list my education on a resume?

If you have a few years of relevant work experience, include your highest level of education with details about the subject studied, the institution’s name, and the graduation year. However, if you’re creating a resume without any prior work experience, it’s advisable to add additional information that highlights your important skills, such as:

• Relevant scholarly projects and coursework
• Academic achievements, like being named to the Dean’s list, earning a high GPA, or receiving an honors degree
• Memberships and involvements in societies, Phi Beta Kappa, study abroad programs, or extracurricular activities.

Where should you put your education on a resume?

If I’m still in college, how should I list my education on a resume?

On a resume, how do you list a double major?

Do you list your high school diploma on your resume?

GPA: Should you include it on your resume?