How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips Examples]

How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips Examples] For most people, putting education on a resume is as easy as Tic Tac Toe.Name of University, Degree, Graduation Year - Done.But for others, figuring out how to put your education on a resume is harder than it looks.For example, what should go first in a resume, education or experience? And how do you list education on a resume if youre still in college?This article will tell you how to put your education on a resume in every case:How to list high school education on a resume, even if you never graduated.How to list education on a resume if youre still in college, never graduated from college, or did graduate from college.How to write education on a resume as a professional.Also, you will finally figure out where an education section goes on a resume and what to put in it. Weve covered all the bases.Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templa tes and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowInformation to Include in Your Resume Education SectionHiring managers need to see a few pieces of essential information when they read your education section. These include:The name of your schoolThe location of your schoolDates attended (including graduation date)The degree you earned (if applicable)Your field of studyYour GPA (if it's above 3.5)Any relevant coursework and academic honorsStudent activities, study abroad programs, and any other achievements gained during your education.1What Should Go First in a Resume, Education or Experience?Have you ever caught yourself wondering, in what order should I put my education and my work experience on my resume?If youve ever looked up resume formats online, Im sure youve seen it both ways. Education and experience can both play leading lady.So, how do you decide which is best for you?The two best places for your education section are:Before your experience section.After your experience section.If youve just graduated, consider putting your education section before your experience section.Thats because you probably have more educational background than work experience at this point in your life. And the top third of your resume is prime real estate for showing off your best accomplishments first.If youre a professional who recently went back to school to get a new degree, you may also want to consider putting your resume education section first.Thats especially if your new degree is relevant to the work for which you are applying.Education goes above the work experience too when you're writing an academic CV. For academic posts or fellowhips, your education matters way more than your experience outside of the academia.If you are a seaso ned professional, put your professional work history section before your education.Hiring managers will find your work experience much more relevant at this point in your career.Feel like there's just too much to keep in mind when writing your resume? We've got you covered. Get our free checklist and make sure you always submit a resume that'll land you that dream job: 46 Things You Need To Do Before You Send Your ResumePro Tip: If you want to save time and find out how to write a great resume for your profession, take a look at our guides and samples of resumes here.2Heres How to Put Your Education on Your ResumeFor the most part, the education section of your resume is the easiest to write.Here are the basics:Start with your highest degree first.Add all other degrees in reverse-chronological order.If you finished college, dont add your high school information.What information should you include?The type of degree you received.Your major or minor.The name of your school.The schools location.The year you graduated.Pro Tip:Putting a GPA on a resume is optional. You should only add it if you graduated within the last three years and if it was above a 3.0. Otherwise, lose it. Most hiring managers wont care what your GPA was.Hereis an example:Education2009 MA in English LiteratureHarvard University, Cambridge, MA3.7 GPA2007 BA in English LiteratureUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA4.0 GPAPretty simple, right?Here are four extra tips to make it even easier:You can either spell out your degree Master of Arts or just use initials MA.You can either use periods to separate initials M.A. - or not MA.You can write out the name of your major MA in Psychology or simply separate your degree from your major with a comma MA, Psychology.You can order the information in various ways.For example, the candidate above graduate from Harvard.As a literature major, she may feel like her degree isnt directly related to the job for which shes applying. That can happen when yo ure an English major.In that case, she may want to lead with the fact that she attended Harvard:Harvard University, Cambridge, MAMA in English LiteratureGraduated in 2009 with a 3.7 GPAJust make sure that the way you format the entries in your education section remains consistent.For most of you, putting your education on your resume is that straightforward. If you want to add extra information, you can.The above information is useful for anyone who has some professional experience.If youre a recent graduate or havent finished a degree, read on - weve got you covered. Read on...Our resume builder lets you choose from modern or basic resume templates. See more templates here.See more templates and create your resume here.3How to Add Your High School Education to a ResumeIf your highest level of education is high school, make an entry like this:Cherryville High School, Cherryville, OHGraduated in 2005Thats all you have to do. No, Im not joking.When considering what else you should inc lude on a student resume, stick to things that show off your skills and achievements.That can range from honors, awards, and extracurricular activities, to any work you had during high school.Youll want to tailor your resume to the job description. So, pick activities that will illustrate the keyword skills listed there.You might also want to include a coursework description, adding classes that are relevant to the work you will do in your new job.But what if you didnt graduate high school?Here is an example of what to put:Cherryville High School, Cherryville, OHAttended school from 2003 - 2005Just write the name of your school and the years you attended.If you are still in high school write it like this:Cherryville High School, Cherryville, OHExpected to graduate in 2009If you didnt graduate high school but completed a GED later write it like this:GED High School Equivalency DiplomaCherryville Adult Learning Center, Ohio, 2009Cherryville High School, Cherryville, OHAttended school from 2003-2005Lets say you graduated high school and then received a license or certificate you want to put on your resume as its directly related to the job for which you are applying.Put your license or certificate first followed by your high school information.Cosmetology License - 2009Cherryville Beauty Academy, Cherryville, OHCherryville High School, Cherryville, OHGraduated in 20054Yes, You Can Put Unfinished Higher Education on Your ResumeLets say you went to college and then realized $30,000 worth of student debt per year wasnt for you.That doesnt mean you cant use what you did finish.If you started and didnt finish a college or university level degree, you can still put it on your resume. All you have to do is write in the credits you did manage to get.List your high school education after like this:Ohio State University, Columbus, OH2005 -2007 Completed 60 credits toward BA in PsychologyCherryville High School, Cherryville, OHGraduated in 2005If you paid for it, its yours. If the coursework is relevant, you can put it on your resume.Which brings us to higher education that is still in progress. In the middle of obtaining a degree?Easy.Put it on your resume like this:BA in English Literature in ProgressSarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NYHere is a handy list of phrases you can use to describe degrees that are still in progress:In progressAnticipated + dateExpected + dateExpected Graduation + dateTo be completed + dateFor more, see: How to List Expected Graduation Date on a Resume5Heres How to Put Your Higher Education on Your ResumeAs mentioned above, youll put your highest degree first if youve graduated from university.But what else would you want to include in an education section?Lets say youve got little to no work experience.Its not a bad idea to include some extra points in that case.As mentioned above, youll put your highest degree first if youve graduated from university.But what else would you want to include in an education section?Lets s ay youve got little to no work experience.Its not a bad idea to include some extra points in that case.Awards and HonorsRelevant CourseworkExtracurricular ActivitiesPublicationsIf youve graduated from an honors program, graduated with the highest honors (magna cum laude or summa cum laude), or were the valedictorian or salutatorian of your class, put Latin honors on your resume next to your degree in your education section.Example:Honors BS in Biology, Valedictorian, Magna Cum LaudePurdue University, West Lafayette, INGraduated in 2012Other honors and awards could include:Any academic award or scholarship.Academic honors besides being in an honors program including making the Deans List or acceptance into honors societies (campus, national, or international).Note, you can make a separate Honors and Awards section if you feel that you have too many awards to list or want to draw special attention to them.The same goes for academic publications for Ph.D. students.You can either list y our publications under your degree or add a separate section if there are several youd like to mention on your non-academic resume.Do keep in mind that the length of a student resume should be short and not exceed one page.If youre struggling to fill up space, adding sections (e.g., Hobbies and Interests) can be great. But dont add so many that youre resume spills over onto a second page.Another nice thing to add to a student resume is a coursework description. Make sure that you choose courses that are relevant to the job for which you are applying.If you have little to no work experience, a coursework description can show that you have the knowledge and skills required for the job through your education.Also, if you have a degree in a different field, you can show that you took courses relevant to your professional field as well. For example, youre applying for a job in marketing, but have a degree in psychology.Did you take any business or communication classes? Those would be go od to put in your coursework description.Example:Bachelor of Arts in PsychologyThe University of California, Berkeley, CARelevant Coursework: Business Communication, Social Psychology, English Language Studies, Grammar and EditingIf you feel like going into more detail here, thats also okay. You could explain an overarching course of study that gave you a particular skill set that you want employers to notice.You can also list extracurricular roles if youve graduated within the last three years and need to flesh out your resume.Just avoid adding anything controversial (political or religious).Here is a list of skills employers like to see on student resumes:LeadershipAbility to Work on a TeamCommunication Skills (Written)Problem-solving SkillsCommunication Skills (Verbal)If you participated in any activity that would highlight these skills (or took part in a study abroad program) you can add it to your education section.Example:Bachelor of Arts in PsychologyThe University of Califor nia, Berkeley, CARelevant Coursework: Business Communication, Social Psychology, English Language Studies, Grammar and EditingExtracurricular Activities: Captain of the Lacrosse TeamBonus: Download FREE ultimate checklist of 54 things you need to do before you send your resume. Resume 101 Checklist.Want to include a different kind of education on your resume? This guide will help you out: How to List Continuing Education on a ResumeKey TakeawayThe thing to remember is that there are no hard and fast rules about how to add education to your resume:You can put your education section before or after your experience section.You can add as much or as little information as you need.For students, your education section can do the heavy lifting until youve gained enough professional experience.Even if you didnt finish a degree, the courses you did finish are yours to put on your resume.In the end, you should think of your education section as an opportunity to position yourself just ahead o f the rest.Do you have any other questions about how to put your educational background on a resume? Let me know in the comments.