how to write current college education on resume

• Career Development

How to List Education in Progress on Your Resume (+ Examples)

10 min read

Are you unsure about how to list your in-progress education on your resume? Many people are, including current students, students taking online classes, and people taking a break from their degree programs.

Is it acceptable to include unfinished degrees on a resume?

ZipJob’s career experts agree that education in progress should usually be included on a resume. A degree in progress is still important to employers, as well as a degree that was started and holds relevance to a position. However, it needs to be included in an honest way so it’s an accurate reflection of your learning and accomplishments.

If you’re currently pursuing a degree, here is how you can list education in progress on your resume – plus some examples for you to use as templates on your own resume.

Key Takeaway

KEY TAKEAWAY: Are you working on a degree and want to tell prospective employers about your efforts? These tips can help you to list your in-progress education on your resume.

How to list education in progress on a resume

There are two things you need to learn if you want to know how to list education in progress on your resume. The first is how to provide that information in a way that clearly conveys your education status to an employer. The second is where to place that information in the body of your resume. With respect to the how, there are a few different ways to convey these details. There are only a couple of basic rules to follow when you list these education details:

Be as clear as possible. You don’t want to give the employer the wrong impression, after all. If you have completed one degree and are pursuing advanced education, be sure to clearly state that fact. If your degree is not yet complete, be clear about that as well.

Be honest. If you are in the process of withdrawing from school, don’t list that educational program. Don’t try to enhance your education section in any way. Just state the facts in an honest way.

Feel free to include in-progress university degrees , as well as online degrees that you may be pursuing. Both are popular in 2023/2024.

Resume degree in progress examples

When you include details indicating that you’re currently pursuing a degree on your resume, it’s important to provide clarity. The last thing you want is to inadvertently leave the impression that you’re trying to pretend like you’ve completed the degree. And while it might be tempting to just note that the degree is still a work-in-progress, we believe that you should be even more specific. The best way to do that is to include the anticipated graduation date.

Now, if you’re like many students, you may not be entirely sure that you’ll complete your degree by a set date. However, that shouldn’t stop you from providing an anticipated date of completion. In fact, it’s essential that you provide this information so that employers know that you’re serious about your studies. This is especially true in cases where the job you’re seeking requires that degree. Fortunately, it’s a relatively easy task to accomplish.

We wrote a good post here on how to include an MBA on a resume.

For example, check out this listing from a sample resume with a master’s degree in progress:

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Human Resources Program

Dynamic University, Anytown, AnyState. Expected completion 2025

If you’re closer to graduation and are more certain about the date, you can use something like this:

Graduate Studies, Computer Engineering

XYZ University, MyCity, MyState, Graduation Date: Spring, 2024

What if I don't expect to finish the degree?

If you are taking a break from your education (or a permanent hiatus) you need to consider whether or not the coursework you did complete is relevant. Ask yourself:

Is this degree related to the job I'm applying for?

Is this degree more relevant to the job than my other relevant experience including jobs, volunteer work, or certifications?

Is this in-progress degree recent enough? (Can I still remember what I learned? Has a lot changed in the industry since I learned it?)

Is having a degree required for this job?

While you should never lie about having a degree you don't have, including any progress made toward a required degree may help you reach the interview stage. The trick is you have to be qualified for the job in every other aspect. If you don't have an MBA, but you do have 10+ years in the business field, you may still have a shot at landing the interview.

To accurately represent this on your resume, don't include a prospective graduation date. Instead, try including the number of credits and the years you attended.

University of California, Riverside (2019 to 2021) | Riverside, CA

36 units toward a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies

EXPERT TIP: View 200+ more professional resume samples for all industries, along with a guide to writing resumes from our career experts.

Should I include other information about my degree?

You may want to consider whether you should list relevant coursework and major projects on your resume. In general, work experience is more compelling than education, but either way, adding classes that you’ve taken or capstone-type projects can elevate your resume with more relevant keywords.

Relevant coursework

Adding relevant coursework to the education section of your resume can be a great idea, especially if you lack the professional experience needed to set you apart from other job seekers. The great thing about adding coursework is that you can include it whether you’ve finished your degree or not. Here’s what it would look like:

Bachelor of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies | University of Chicago (GPA: 3.89) 

Relevant Coursework: Media Technology, Games Culture, Intercultural Communication, Web Design, Advanced Video Production, Multimedia Performance, and Strategic Social Media

Adding coursework isn’t a place to dump every class you took pursuing your degree. Rather, it’s a place to inject relevant keywords into your resume. So, if the job description calls for someone with experience in video production and you haven’t had a job that allowed you access to that but you did take a class in college, then you can add it to your Education section. 

Related read: Relevant Coursework on a Resume: Good or Bad?

Capstone or other major projects

Similar to adding coursework, you can talk about projects you’ve worked on. Remember that relevancy is critical. You should always be thinking about how your experience and education relate to what the prospective employer is looking for in a new hire. If you need to add something else on your resume that helps you demonstrate skills or knowledge, a project from school can be just the ticket. Write the project details in your Education section in the same way you’d write a job role – meaning, use bullet points to call attention to things you achieved as you worked on the project. Here’s what that looks like:

Notable project: Project title

Describe the project and goals along with how many team members were involved

Talk about what you did – your role – to achieve the project goals

Mention the skills you gained – “Honed skills in [skill 1], [skill 2], and [skill 3]

If you won an award or earned some recognition for a project well done, write about it

Where to place education in progress on your resume

The second issue you need to address is placement. Where should you place these details when you’re trying to figure out how to list education in progress on a resume? There are two main possibilities, depending upon whether the degree is needed for the job you’re seeking.

If the job requirements include the degree that you’re pursuing, then you should try to emphasize that information in your resume. Position it near the beginning of your resume, after the summary section. That way, the employer will see that you’re close to completing that requirement before he or she delves any further into the document. This placement helps showcase your interest and suitability right away.

On the other hand, you should place this detail later in the resume if the degree isn’t needed for the position. In that instance, you can put your work history and skills higher up in the resume and leave your education for the end.

Tie it all together in your cover letter

Don’t forget about the power of your cover letter . Since your cover letter is meant to complement your resume, a degree in progress could give you another opportunity to sell the point that you are qualified for the role. Talking about education in progress or unfinished education in your cover letter can also allow you to explain any gaps on your resume that are related to pursuing education. 

Gaps can happen if you decide to go to school, and then change your mind. If you didn’t work while you were in school, then you’ll have a gap. It’s not something to fret about, gaps happen all the time. You just have to be ready to explain why it exists and being able to tell a story about how you were actively working to improve your qualifications and skills can go a long way in showing future employers your dedication to continuous improvement. 

As always, whether you bring up unfinished education in your cover letter depends on whether it’s relevant to the job you’re applying to. If it doesn’t add value to your job application, then leave it off. 

Here are some example statements you can use when mentioning a resume degree in progress on your cover letter:

I am currently pursuing a degree in [field or industry] to enhance my skills in [skill 1], [skill 2], and [skill 3].

While my education journey is still ongoing, I’m excited to apply the knowledge I’ve gained to the [position name] role.

I am actively working toward completing my [degree name] to meet the educational requirements for this position.

A final note: grade point average

We should also address another common question that we encounter: do you need to include your grade point average ? There are different schools of thought on this, so it’s really up to you. As a rule, however, most experts agree that it’s generally unwise to include anything less than the best GPAs. That typically means leaving it out unless it’s at least 3.5. In most instances, however, you won’t need to include that detail unless the job description requires a certain grade point average or you’re seeking a job at a major firm.

For your resume, a degree in progress is one more tool for success!

As you can see, it is not difficult to enhance your resume with a degree in progress. Yes, you need to know the right format to use, and where to list that information. Still, it is a relatively simple thing to handle if you stick to the basic principles we’ve outlined here. So, be sure to include those educational details, to showcase your developing skills and help you stand out from the crowd!

Recommended reading:

7 Free Certifications To Enhance Your Resume

How to List Online Courses on a Resume (Examples and Tips)

200+ Resume Examples for Every Job & Industry

Marsha Hebert, Professional Resume Writer

Marsha is a resume writer with a strong background in marketing and writing. After completing a Business Marketing degree, she discovered that she could combine her passion for writing with a natural talent for marketing. For more than 10 years, Marsha has helped companies and individuals market themselves. Read more advice from Marsha on ZipJob's blog .

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How to List Education on a Resume in 2022 (With Examples & Tips)

Not sure what degree to list? If you should include a GPA? It just so happens that there's a variety of ways to effectively list your eduction.

The education section of a resume may not always be the star of the document but knowing how to properly list your education can be essential for advancing into the next phase of the hiring process.

In this guide, we will cover all the ins and outs of crafting an education section for your resume. 

We'll cover the following:

• What to Include in an Education Section?

Tips for Listing Degrees (College, High-School, GED)

Listing incomplete education.

• Where to Include Education on a Resume?

What Employers Look for in an Education Section

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job.

What to Include in an Education Section

As we've covered, different formats of resumes may require different information to be included within an education section.

In general, there is some basic information that should be included within the education section of a resume:

• The name of the school — "e.g. Georgia Institute of Technology"
• The location of the school
• Your degree ( high-school diploma, GED, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, etc. )
• Graduation year ( if applicable )
• Major field or department of study (if applicable )
• Minor field or department of study (if applicable and relevant )
• GPA ( If you're a student or graduates who held lower GPAs, this bit of information may be good to omit unless specifically requested by the employer )

Here's what that looks like for and university grad:

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA B.S. in Computer Engineering, 2006 - 2010 GPA: 3.9/4.0

For high-school students, you can do something like the following:

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA High School Diploma, Graduated in 2010 GPA: 3.9/4.0

Remember, including a GPA  is optional. Only add it if it's required by the job listing or it's relatively high. If your GPA is low (under 3.5), it's better to just leave it out.

Listing Education with Limited Work Experience

In resumes that have limited or no work experience , as may be the case with college students or recent graduates, the education section may be a good opportunity to show off educational achievements instead.

Additional information that can be included in longer education sections can include:

• Internships completed as part of a curriculum 
• Academic awards or sponsorships
• Relevant coursework
• Academic assistantships with professors or other academic professionals

As covered, in documents such as CVs the education section could be fairly lengthy.

However, the education section for most resumes will be one of the shortest sections.

This is mostly because standard resumes will be used for entry-level or mid-level positions, while longer-form resumes like the CV will only come into play for more prestigious or hard to obtain positions. 

It is much more important to show either a robust work history or detail relevant and transferable skills, using your education as support rather than the main point of interest. 

Here are some quick tips for deciding what educational information to include in a resume:

1) When including professional hobbies and extra curricular activities, it is important to keep relevance in mind

Incorrect: Do not include information about sports clubs or other clubs that cannot be connected back to your qualifications for a job.

Correct: If you held leadership positions in clubs or other extra-curricular activities, this can be useful information to include to highlight non-paid leadership or management experience.

Keep your descriptions simple and concise

Incorrect: Including long-winded and wordy paragraphs explaining the relevance of a certain piece of information. If a piece of information is relevant, it should be easily explained in one, simple sentence.

Correct: Use bullet points to separate bits of information to keep your resume easy to read or skim.

The readability of a resume can be the defining factor of whether or not a job recruiter or potential employer moves the candidate into the next phase of the hiring process.

As such, using clear and concise wording and formatting is essential for not just the education section, but for all sections. 

Here are a few tips for different formatting options depending on the level and type of education you have completed.

1) Adding High School and GED on Resume

• If your highest level of education is a high school diploma or a GED, this should still be included as there are many jobs that are open to high school graduates as well as college graduates.
• Generally, this type of education section should be kept short and sweet. Listing that you have received either a diploma or a GED should be sufficient.
• If you have recently graduated high school or received your GED, including additional high school-related achievements may be beneficial (such as leadership positions, honor roll awards, athletics, etc.)

2) Adding Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees on Resume

• When listing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree on a resume, always include the name and location of the institution, as well as the date or expected date of graduation.
• While the education section should still be kept short, inclusion of any collegiate level academic achievements, such as honor societies or dean’s lists, can be useful to include.
• Don’t go too crazy including coursework of extracurricular information – stick to including the most relevant information. 

3) Adding Graduate School or Doctoral Programs on Resume

• Graduate and doctoral students may feel inclined to always include this information; however, it is important to be wary of including too much academic information in scenarios where it may render you overqualified for the position.
• Graduate and doctoral information is more likely to come into play for candidates seeking higher level positions at the management level. 
• For candidates seeking jobs in academic or scientific fields, a CV-style resume and longer-form education section providing higher level of details regarding graduate or doctoral programs may be necessary.

4) Adding Certifications on Resume

• In some cases, a candidate may not have attended college but may have completed a trade school or other program that resulted in various certifications. These certifications should be included when relevant.
• Certifications such as CPR or First Aid can be useful to include in most resumes, although they should perhaps be saved for a separate certifications section .

5) Listing Incomplete Education on Resume

Incomplete education can be tricky to include in a way that sounds positive — as such, if you have incomplete education, be wary of your wording and avoid words such as “incomplete” or “unfinished.” Instead try to do the following:

• Include relevant coursework or credits earned during your duration of education before the point of departure from the institution.
• Omit any wordy or lengthy explanations of why the education is incomplete. 

However, we've seen this be a common problem that many candidates have. Continue reading below to see how to effectively list education that is left incomplete. ‍

In some cases, a job applicant may have a partially-complete or incomplete educational credential they want to list on their resume.

Incomplete education can result from a variety of circumstances, including:

• A person who is still in the process of earning their diploma, GED, or degree, but has not yet earned the credential or graduated.
• A person who started a degree and completed relevant coursework, but ultimately did not finish the degree program.
• A person who chose a different career path than what they studied for, but still has relevant coursework for the new career path.

When listing incomplete education on a resume, it is important to stay highly mindful of how you are wording your limited educational credentials — as words such as “ unfinished ” or “ incomplete ” are not ideal to include within a resume. 

Here are some quick examples on how to properly list incomplete education in the education section of a resume:

For applicants who are in the process of completing a degree, it is important to note the expected timeframe of completion.

Incorrect: ‍ B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Not yet complete

Correct: B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Expected graduation May 2021

For applicants who began a degree, but ultimately did not complete the degree, it is key to be mindful of how you frame the education you did receive. 

Incorrect: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC

Why is this incorrect? Sure, this example indicates you, at some point, attended a university.

However, it provides no insight as to what relevant coursework or studies you may have completed.

Here's the correct way to describe your educational experience instead:

Correct: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC Completed 20 credits towards a BS in Communications

Alternatively: This could be a good opportunity to include a bulleted list of relevant coursework.

For applicants who did not complete high school, it is important to note if you either earned a GED or are in the process of earning a GED.

Incorrect: ‍ Watauga County High School Boone, NC Incomplete

Correct: General Educational Development Diploma Earned May 2021 — OR — Expected to earn May 2021

Generally speaking, the majority of jobs will require applicants to have earned at minimum a GED certification in order to qualify.

In some cases, an applicant may lack a degree but may be certified by a trade school.

For instance, a beautician would want to include any beauty and health related certifications or licenses earned under the education section. 

Take a look at this resume example of a college student below to see how to do this.

Where to Include Education on a Resume

When it comes to placing your educational credentials on a resume, there are many considerations to make.

Resumes can serve a variety of purposes and, as a general rule of thumb, should be tailored for specific jobs . 

It is also important to take into consideration the level of education you have completed, as this will impact how it should be presented as well.

For instance, a job applicant seeking a position in academia would have a much heavier emphasis on education and academic-related achievements — than someone seeking a job in a corporate environment.

Ultimately, not all resumes are the same, so the placement of the education section will differ depending on the type of resume being used and the intention behind its structuring. 

Choosing the right resume format

There are several different types of resume formats to choose from, but the main ones that are used are as follows:

1) Reverse-Chronological

‍ Emphasis is placed on the most relevant work experience, listing jobs from most recent to oldest. Education can be placed before or after the work experience section. However higher degrees that qualify a candidate for the position may be beneficial to mention sooner rather than later. 

2) Functional

‍ Functional resumes place a much heavier emphasis on skillsets and areas of expertise. This format of resume is typically used by job applicants lacking the relevant work experience or educational credentials. In this format, the education section may lead if the applicant has educational credentials but limited work experience but should follow after the skills section if education is limited. 

‍ Hybrid resumes combine the reverse-chronological work experience ordering with the emphasizing of skills. This can help to supplement resumes of applicants who may have some relevant work experience but still need to beef up their resumes with a skills section . The placement of the education section will depend on how applicable or high level the credentials are and should generally be kept brief. 

4) Curriculum Vitae (CV)

‍ CVs are a type of long-form and multi-page resume used most commonly by applicants seeking positions in either academic or scientific fields. In a CV, the education section will be a prominent component and should appear early in the document. This type of education section should include all credentials, published works, projects, awards, or other academic achievements — no details should be spared. 

The below example of a Physician Assistant's resume is listing education in the bottom-right corner as it's using a reverse-chronological resume format to shine on it's work history.

Employers can gather a variety of information about a job candidate from an education section, including:

• A job applicant’s work ethic, reflected through GPAs or other grade-related information
• Relevant skills or training an applicant has received through their schooling
• Name recognition of specific universities, such as ivy leagues, that may give a candidate a leg up on the competition
• Insight into a candidate’s interests or talents based on academic-related extracurricular activities included 

Understanding what employers are looking for in an education section included on a resume is key to understand how much or how little information to include.

What an employer is looking for will vary depending on the nature of the job being offered. 

For instance, an entry-level communications job at a corporation is likely to require a bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.

Comparatively, a job in the welding industry may require the completion of a trade school program but not require a four-year degree. 

It is of the utmost importance when you are applying to various jobs that you read the job descriptions provided carefully, as this is where you will find the necessary information regarding what educational credentials are required of eligible candidates.

This will also help you to tailor your education section according to what credentials or qualifications you have that meet the requirements of the job. 

In general, what an employer is mostly looking for is simply that an education section exists on a resume.

The majority of employers will want candidates who have shown a commitment to their education, reflected through the inclusion of an education section.

For candidates lacking a completed education, it is still considered best practice to include some information regarding what level of education was reached before the point of incompletion, as well as the inclusion of any relevant coursework and knowledge gained from the time the candidate spent pursuing further education. 

Here is a quick rundown of a few key factors to consider for applicants who may be unsure how much information to provide in an education section for a specific employer or position:

• The education section should prove that you have the credentials necessary to complete the job at hand.
• Oversharing of education can be detrimental in some situations, as overqualified candidates may not be considered by employers.
• Job descriptions will always be the best place to look for indicators regarding how much educational background information an employer is looking for.
• Never lie or over-exaggerate — while not all employers double-check applicants’ educational histories, many still do, and dishonesty can cost you the position in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Unless you are crafting a longer-form resume, such as a CV, the education section will generally be a fairly short summary of your academic credentials and achievements.

Education sections can be longer in some cases where job applicants may have hefty academic backgrounds but limited work experience.

Ultimately, the key to making a strong education section is to include only the most relevant information.

Always avoid deceptive wording, as employers can fairly easily run academic background checks if need be. 

Check out our resume templates to get your creativity flowing and get started on your ideal resume today. 

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How to List Education on a Resume [13+ Real-Life Examples]

At first glance, there’s nothing profound or too complicated about listing education on your resume.

You insert all the schools you have ever attended in chronological order, and bam, you’re done.

Easy, right?

Well, let me ask a (hint: tricky!) question:

Do you list education before work experience if you are still in school but also have worked a bit?

Should you still list your GPA next to your education entry when all you did in college was skip classes, drink, and swipe right on Tinder?

Yeah, we know you’ve got your stuff together now and want to get everything right.

So read on and we’ll answer both those questions and more! 

• Where exactly to position education on your resume
• How to list education on your resume [+ Template]
• Specific real-life examples on how to list:
• High school education
• GED certificate
• University degree
• Associate’s degree
• Certificates
• Graduate school degree
• Unfinished education

Where to Position Education On Your Resume

So, should your education or experience come first in your resume?

Think of it this way:

The top third of the resume is reserved for your accomplishments that are most relevant to the job you are applying for .

So before you continue, ask yourself: Is your education your most relevant accomplishment?

The answer most of the time will be no . Work experience will be a more important requirement for just about any position above entry-level.

However, education can take priority in some particular cases.

Education comes first if you’ve just graduated from college and don’t have relevant work experience to list. Imagine you are an employer and the first thing you see in someone’s resume when they’re applying for an entry-level marketing associate position is their summer job as a bodyguard at their local town pool. 

It’s also wise to list education before work experience if you’ve recently gotten back to school to get a degree that’s relevant to your potential job.

For example, if you’re switching to a career in sustainable energy after having finished a related program, but have work experience predominantly in engineering, you would want your new education to be the first thing the hiring manager sees.

Getting a fresh MSc, Ph.D., or MBA is another case where you would want to highlight those degrees more than the work experience. 

An example would be if you’ve been a line manager for several years but went back to school to get an MBA and are reaching for that executive position. The deciding committee would want to see your MBA first and then your experience as a line manager.

Be careful if you are applying for a job in Academia and are writing a CV instead of a resume though. In that case, your education always comes before the work experience. 

Not sure if you need a CV or a resume? Check out our guide on CV vs Resume and learn what’s the difference between the two (and when to use which). 

How to Put Down Your Education in Your Resume [+ Template]

Now that you have an idea of where to put your education section, let’s start with the basics.

In terms of structuring your education section, the general practice is to follow a reverse chronological order : list your latest educational entry first, and then go backwards from there. 

Okay, but how far back should you go? Do you put your high school education in there as well? 

Usually, if you have a relevant university degree, it’s not advisable to waste precious space on your resume by listing your high school education.

Now that we’ve got all of that out of the way, we can show you a general template of how to write down your education. You list the following features in this particular order:

• Name of degree (Minor - optional): e.g. B.A. English Language and Culture, Minor in Teaching*
• Name of educational institution: e.g. University of Groningen 
• Years attended: e.g. 2016 - 2019
• Location of the program (optional): e.g. Groningen, the Netherlands
• GPA (optional): e.g. 3,84. Keep in mind, though, that you only list education if it’s at an “impressive” scale (i.e. 3.5+). This shows determination and hard work on your part. If it’s lower, you might want to omit it altogether.
• Honors (optional): e.g. Magna Cum Laude
• Courses that are relevant to the job (optional): e.g. Modern Popular Literature track
• Exchange programs (optional): e.g. Exchange Program in Oslo, Norway
• Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Culture with a Minor in Teaching
• B.A. English Language and Culture (Major), Teaching (Minor)
• BA, English Language and Culture

The full listing for this educational entry, then, is:

Of course, as we mentioned, many of these entries are optional . Listing all of them like ingredients for a recipe makes the resume look a bit cluttered. It’s going to be up to you to decide which ones are relevant for the job you are applying to.

For example, if our Jane Doe was applying for a librarian position at a local bookstore, her entry would look much shorter:

B.A. English Language and Culture, Minor in Teaching

University of Groningen 

2014 - 2017 

The only useful information for this position would be what, where, and when she studied. Notice how that would change if the position was at an international bookstore and one of the requirements was a “global mindset”:

Exchange Program in Oslo, Norway

Jane would now mention her exchange program since it’s relevant directly to her job position, which requires some sort of international experience.

• If you graduated from a famous university with a good reputation, you might want to highlight that first if you think it will make a good impression. So you would list “Harvard University” before the name of the degree.

As you can see, there’s plenty of freedom on how you decide to list your education. The main thing is to keep it short, relevant, and consistent throughout the resume.  

13+ Examples of Listing Education on Your Resume

In this section, we’ll give you a clearer idea of how to list your education on your resume, through practical examples for all types of education. 

Feel free to skip through the examples that don’t apply to you.

How to List High School Education & GEDs on Your Resume

If you’re a student in high school, the chance is you probably have some volunteer work and extracurriculars under your belt. If these aspects are relevant to the job you are applying for, you can put them before the education section.

In all other cases, the education section would take the upper hand, and would look something like this:

Chapel Hill High School

Courses: AP Science, Mathematics, Advanced Chemistry

If you’re still in high school, you can list it in your resume by omitting the finishing year

2017 - Present

If you were homeschooled or haven’t graduated high school but still received a General Education Development certificate, you can mention that in your resume in the following way:

GED High School Diploma

Durham Literacy Center

Note here that you can also add relevant courses or the location of your high school or GED center if you see it fit and you have enough space.

How to List Undergraduate Education on Your Resume

We already gave you an example of how to list a Bachelor’s Degree in the previous section.  

Here’s how you would, for example, list an engineering degree in three different cases.

If you have already finished university and have gotten the degree, list it according to the following template:

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering

University of California, Berkeley

2002 - 2006

If you obtained a double major, you would write it down as:

B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering

Keep in mind, though, If you have two or more majors, you would want to list the major that is most relevant to the job you are applying to.

If you’re still attending college , though, you omit the finishing year, by adding “Present” instead:

2019 - Present

You can use other words & phrases instead of Present, as well, such as:

• Expected Graduation + year (So 2019 - 2023)
• In progress
• To be Completed + year.

And if you did go to university but realized frozen pizzas and ramen noodles weren’t your thing and dropped out , you can still list your unfinished education in your resume:

34 credits completed towards B.Sc. in Civil Engineering

2018 - 2019

How to List Community College Education on Your Resume

You list community college education pretty much the same way as any other undergraduate degree. 

The rules we explained on how to mention that you’re still studying or dropped out also apply here.

Now, let’s look at some real-life examples of different types of degrees.

Graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from a community college:

AA. in Business Designation, Summa Cum Laude

Community College of Denver

2015 - 2016

In pursuit of an Associate’s of Applied Science degree in a community college:

AAS. in Medical Assisting 

2018 - Present

A certificate from a community college:

30 credits completed towards a Medical Assisting Certificate

How to List Graduate Level Education on Your Resume

Graduate-level education is, in general, more detailed, since you have participated in a more focused area of research and graduate-level work. 

You most probably have also put out a dissertation of your own, which you should include in your resume.

Often, there are scholarships, fellowships or outside funding involved, which you might want to include in addition to all the general information. 

Here are some real-life examples:

MBA in Business Administration

Magna Cum Laude

University of Maine

Avangrid Scholarship

Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences

University of Rochester

Dissertation: Imaging, Computational Analysis, & Neural Representations in Young Children

MSc. in Information Systems

WU Vienna University of Economics & Business

Salutatorian, Summa Cum Laude

2015 - 2017

Dissertation: Leveraging User-Generated Content for Advertising Purposes Through Information Systems

There’s a lot more to creating a good resume than just the education section. Become an expert with our complete guide on how to write a resume .

Key Takeaways

Now, let’s wrap up everything we learned in this post:

• Your education section belongs under your work experience section. If you don’t have any work experience, or just want to fault that new degree, though, you can put it on top instead.
• When listing your educational entries, do it reverse-chronologically. Meaning, start with the most recent ones and go backward from there.
• If you have a university or community college degree, don’t list your high school education.
• If you don’t have an exceptional GPA, do not list it.
• There are many ways to list your education depending on the type of school you went to (scroll back up for the examples!).
• And finally, if you didn’t finish your education, you can still put it down on your resume.

In all, the best way to avoid making mistakes or forgetting something important when you list your education on your resume is to use a reliable resume builder .

Want to know how that looks like?

Novorésumé makes your life much easier by offering many free templates that you can fill out online. 

It’s free, it’s reliable, and it can really make your resume shine.

And if there’s anything else you want to learn about the job hunt process, you can always check out our  career blog  for the latest news.

Suggested Reading:

• How to List Work Experience on a Resume - 10+ Examples
• 150+ Must-Have Skills for Any Resume [With Tips + Tricks]
• Use Resume Keywords to Land the Job [880+ Keywords]

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• Ask Amanda: What's the Best...

Ask Amanda: What's the Best Way to List Education on a Resume?

4 min read · Updated on December 14, 2021

Each week, TopResume's career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions on Quora like the one below . We'll be republishing those answers here. A certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for over 10 years. Have a question for Amanda? Submit it here .

Q: How do I list education on my resume?

Should I keep old diplomas on my resume? What if I didn't complete a degree?

When it comes to including the detail of your education on your resume (assuming we're talking about a standard professional resume for the United States job market and not a federal resume , U.S. academic CV, or an international curriculum vitae), the diplomas you provide will depend upon your education history, your current level of experience, and your current job goals.

Below I've listed a few different scenarios and how I recommend treating your resume's education section.

You possess an undergraduate degree, graduate degree, or other advanced certification:

Typically, an employer expects to find information about your undergraduate degree and any graduate work or additional graduate degrees you've earned, such as a master's degree, PhD, law degree, and so forth, on your resume.

The same goes for any certifications or advanced training you've received that's relevant to your current job goals and career path, such as an RN, PMP, SSBB (Six Sigma Black Belt) … you get the idea.

If you've earned an advanced degree or certification that's considered very important for your field of work, include the acronym for the credential after your name at the top of your resume in addition to including the details of your education at the bottom of your resume in an Education and Professional Development section.

You recently graduated from college:

Once you graduate from college and start searching for your first entry-level position, it's assumed that you'll remove any information that refers to your high school activities and focus on your new undergrad degree.

If you're new to the workforce and your new degree is your best selling point, the education section will appear towards the top of your resume. After you have a few years of relevant experience under your belt, the education section gets shifted to the bottom of your resume, and your work history will get pushed farther up on the page.

You started college at one place, but finished somewhere else:

If you attended college at one institution — perhaps a community college — and then completed your education at another place, you only need to list the university where you completed your degree. All the employer wants to know is which college supplied you with your degree at the end of your education; they don't necessarily care or need to know how you arrived at this place. Save that resume space for more important information.

You didn't attend or finish college:

If you didn't go to college, and the jobs you're applying for specifically list a high school diploma or equivalent as one of the job requirements, be sure to include your high school diploma on your resume.

If you attended college but didn't graduate, you may want to list the relevant courses you took, especially if you made it to some of the higher-level classes, to demonstrate the skills you built or the disciplines you were exposed to during your coursework.

You're still pursuing a college degree (undergrad or grad program):

If you're still attending college for your undergraduate or graduate degree, you can simply add an expected graduation year to this information. I only recommend adding a list of a few courses you've completed if (a) they're higher-level courses — i.e. beyond the basic 101 classes — that are relevant to your job goals, and (b) you don't have a lot of relevant work experience to market on your resume.

You earned your degree more than 15 years ago.

If you earned a degree or certification more than 15 years ago, list the degree on your resume, but remove the graduation date. It's important to demonstrate you've earned the degree, but there's no need to draw attention to how long ago this occurred.

Read Amanda Augustine 's answer to "Should I keep old diplomas on my resume?" on Quora.

Recommended Reading:

How to Write an Excellent Entry-Level Resume

Tips for Writing a Mid-Level Professional Resume

How to Craft a Senior-Level Professional Resume

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

From Bland to Beautiful: How We Made This Professional's Resume Shine

See how your resume stacks up.

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• Careers & Jobs

How to List Education on a Resume: Complete Guide and Examples

Are you having some trouble figuring out how to list education on a resume check out this quick guide for resume education section tips and examples that will help you through it.

It’s that time of your life again—time to write a resume .

We’ve covered how to include work experience on a resume , achievements on a resume , and skills on a resume already. Even hobbies and interests and other resume sections .

But, what about education on your resume?

In the summer of 2020, entry-level jobs were down  68% due to the pandemic . However, with the world starting to open up again, you’re going to want to make yourself stand out amongst the competition.

You’ll need to list your education on a resume because it makes up the bulk of your experience. So how do you show potential employers that the skills you’ve acquired in school are practical in the workforce? 

And, how do you write an education section better than the others?

Whether you are still in school or have at least one degree, you’ve come to the right place. Read this guide to learn about how you should organize the education section on your resume. 

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What Information to Include in a Resume Education Section? 

First, state your college or university’s name. Often schools will have a well-known program, and if you’ve participated in it, employers may be more interested in moving you through to the interview process. Furthermore, if there are any alumni from your school working at the companies you’re interested in, it might be easier to  network with them  and get your resume viewed by a hiring manager. 

Your university location is also worth noting when you try to get an internship or campus part-time job during the school year. If you’ve graduated and no longer live near your university, add your current address to your resume. Employers might ask for it on the application anyway because they may want someone who lives near the office. 

It’s worth mentioning the years you attended college or university. Companies want to know you have or are about to graduate to ensure that you can fill the role as soon as possible. 

Listing your degree is the final important detail included in putting your education on resume. Below it, write your major(s) and minor(s). Both show what degree you earned and gives a hiring manager a sense of the topics you’ve studied. 

Related Read : Researching Companies Before Writing a Resume

Optional Educational Information 

There are a few other pieces of information you can include to give potential employers a better sense of who you are as a person. You can also utilize these areas to showcase your transferrable skills. 

Never lie about any of the information on your resume. Your employer will eventually find out about it, either when they conduct your background check or assign a task involving a program you said you could use. By doing so, you could jeopardize your credibility in the workplace or your chances of getting hired. 

1. GPA and Honors

The first one is your GPA, which you might not want to include if it’s lower than 3.4. The reason why you don’t need to mention it is that companies don’t always value your GPA over the experience you’ve acquired during your academic career. If yours isn’t that high, you can focus on other awards or achievements. 

However, students who graduate with a high GPA tend to graduate with distinction or honors. If you graduated magna cum laude or summa cum laude, list it right next to your GPA. You might’ve also made your school’s Dean’s List, which you can add to this section of your resume as well. 

Related Read : Listing Interpersonal Skills on a Resume

2. Extracurricular Activities

The hobbies and clubs you participate in portray your passions. You don’t want to go overboard with this list, so just mention the ones that might be relevant to the job listing. 

Sometimes companies have a specific culture, and they want to hire someone who fits in well. Other times, you can use the experiences you’ve gained through those activities to prove that you make a good fit for the job.

Therefore, make sure to mention your role in the club you were a part of or any accolades you received because of your hobby. For instance, you might be the team captain of your intramural soccer team, which means you’ve gained leadership skills during your time in this role.

Another example would be if photography is your hobby and you put it to use by taking photos of big events like weddings, birthday parties, or fundraisers. Potential employers will see that you dedicated enough time to photography that it ended up becoming a freelance job or weekend job . Hobbies highlight your hard work and consistent effort when it comes to learning new things. 

Related Read : How to Plan Your Career Path

3. Study Abroad

Those who had the opportunity to study abroad for the semester should put it on their resume. The challenges you had to overcome while away translate well in the workforce.

Furthermore, if living in another country allowed you to become proficient in another language, it’s worth mentioning. According to NBC News,  multilingual employees  are becoming more coveted because the economy is globalized now. 

4. Certificates 

Lastly, during your academic career, you might earn certifications, which prove you have mastered a program or skillset for a specific profession. For instance, business students often have to take the Excel Certification Test because companies want their potential employees to have it. Having one could increase your chances of getting hired. 

Related Read : Best Resume Tips and Advice

Examples of How to Write Education on a Resume 

If you are going for the minimum amount of information in the education section of your resume, it should look like this: 

• Rutgers University | New Brunswick, NJ | Bachelor of Arts — English | 2017-2021

However, if you want to add more background information regarding your education, you can do so by formatting it like this: 

• University of Massachusetts | Amherst, MA | Bachelor of Science — Biology | 2016-2020
• GPA: 3.9 — Magna Cum Laude
• Editor in Chief of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian 
• Studied Abroad in Madrid, Spain 

Related Read : How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter

Where to Put the Education Section on a Resume

The less work experience you have, the higher your education should be on your resume. Any professional work experience, like former internships , you might have should go on the top of your resume. Afterward, you can put your college education.  

You don’t need to add your high school degree once you get your Bachelor’s degree because employers can assume you have your GED. You’ll likely find this extra space helpful because when you apply for entry-level jobs , your resume should only be one page long. 

Transfer students don’t necessarily have to put the first school they attended on their resume. Most employers only care where you received your degree. If there are courses you took there that you feel showcase your experience, you can still add them to your resume. 

If you attend or recently graduated from high school, place it at the top of your resume. If you’ve held any summer jobs , part-time ones, or you’ve done some volunteering, you can list that experience afterward.

Additionally, this is a time when academic achievements and extracurricular activities are necessary. When employers hire high school students, they want to see that you’ve developed soft skills, like the ability to work well with others, because you likely don’t have much real-world experience. 

Related Read : Putting a College Minor on a Resume

How to List Education in Progress on a Resume

Just because you haven’t completed the coursework for your degree yet, doesn’t mean you can put your higher education on your resume. There’s just a few tweaks you need to make to let employees know that you are still in school.

For the date, write what year you expect to graduate. Also, state what degree and major you are pursuing at the moment. If high enough, you can also put your current GPA. 

There’s a chance that you’ve already earned a certificate for a software program or led a major project presentation so far in your academic career. Maybe you’ve even taken a course that was practically a mini-internship. Listing the classes relevant to the experience companies are looking for is a strategic way to prove that you have what it takes to work in the real world.  

Related Read : How to Write a Resume with No Work Experience

In Progress Education Section Example

Current students should put down both their high school and college education. Since you haven’t finished getting your degree and your GPA isn’t set in stone, employers want to see how you’ve done academically in the past. Your education section should look similar to this: 

• San Diego State University | San Diego, CA | Bachelor of Arts — Accounting 
• Expected Diploma, 2022
• Current GPA: 3.7
• Coursework: Fundamentals of Finance, Managerial Accounting 
• Certificates: Excel Certification 
• Fairview High School | Boulder, CO | 2014-2018
• Graduated Valedictorian 
• GPA: 4.5 
• Clubs and Sports: Debate Team and Varsity Golf 

Related Read : How to Get a Job Without Experience

Begin Drafting a Resume With an Awesome Education Section  

The education section isn’t a one size fits all situation.

It differs depending on where you are in your academic journey, as well as the activities and courses you’ve participated in while being there. With several new tips under your belt and some examples to go by, you should be all set to list your education on a resume. 

Next, get working on writing a great cover letter !

Need more information on how to tackle the other sections on your resume? Got any questions about community college, relevant coursework, or a high school diploma on your resume? Write a comment below, and we’ll get back to you with the answers you need!

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