How to List Education on Your Resume

Why the Education Section Matters

Your education section helps employers confirm training, credentials, and job requirements. It should be easy to find and easy to verify.

The right placement depends on the role. A recent graduate may put education near the top. Someone with years of relevant work may place it after experience.

Step 1 Is the Right Location

CareerOneStop says the education section usually lists your most recent education first, then continues in reverse chronological order. Use that as the basic structure, then adjust the placement based on what matters most for the job.

Step 2 Is the Core Detail

Keep the section clean. Include the details the employer needs without adding clutter.

Core details

• Institution name and location: Use the full school name and city or state.
• Degree and major: Spell out the degree when space allows.
• Graduation date: Include the date when it helps. You can leave dates off older degrees when they do not matter.
• GPA: Add it mainly when you are early in your career and the number helps you.
• Honors and coursework: Include these when they connect to the role or help replace limited work experience.

Example for a recent graduate

Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, May 20XX
Sycamore University, Sonoma, California
GPA: 3.75

Step 3 Is Current or Incomplete Education

Be honest about what you earned and what is still in progress. Do not imply you completed a degree if you did not.

Current enrollment

List the expected graduation date when you are still enrolled.

Example

Bachelor of Arts, expected May 20XX
State College, Hamilton, Virginia
Current GPA: 3.72

No completed degree

Show completed credits or relevant coursework if it helps the application.

Example

Unionville University, Schenectady, New York
2015 to 2017
Completed 42 credits. Coursework included Accounting, Finance, and Human Resource Management.

Step 4 Is High School or GED

List high school or GED details when that is your highest level of education or when the application asks for it. Leave high school off once you have a college degree or stronger postsecondary training.

High school graduate

Example

Cherryville High School, Cherryville, Ohio
Graduated 2005

GED holder

Example

GED High School Equivalency Diploma
Cherryville Adult Learning Center, Ohio, 2009
Cherryville High School, Cherryville, Ohio
Attended 2003 to 2005

Review the section for accuracy before you submit the resume. Education details are simple, but simple errors can make the whole document feel careless.

For a related Working Nomads article, read references on your remote resume and when to share them action plan before you decide your next step.

What to Read Next

Read adaptive skills for your resume and why they matter if you want a related next step on resume writing.
Use why a one-page remote resume usually works best action plan when you need more context before your next decision.