How to List Education on a Resume: Examples and Tips

Your education section provides employers with important information about your academic background, degrees, certifications, and other relevant qualifications.

For some job seekers, education is one of the most important sections of the resume. For others, particularly those with many years of professional experience, it may take up less space.

The right way to list education depends on your career stage, the position you are applying for, and the type of education or credentials you have.

What Should You Include in the Education Section?

A typical education entry can include:

• Degree or credential
• School or institution
• Location
• Field of study
• Graduation year
• Relevant certifications
• Academic honors, when relevant

For example:

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• University of Georgia — Athens, GA
• 2024

You do not necessarily need to include every detail about your education. The goal is to provide the information that is relevant and useful to the employer.

Where Should Education Appear on a Resume?

The position of your education section depends largely on your experience.

Recent Graduates

If you recently graduated and have limited professional experience, education may appear near the top of your resume. This allows employers to quickly see your degree and academic background.

Experienced Professionals

If you have several years of relevant work experience, your work history will generally be more important. In this situation, education can usually appear after your professional experience.

Students

Students may place education near the top because they may not yet have extensive professional experience. Relevant coursework, projects, internships, and academic achievements can also be included when they strengthen the application.

How to List a College Degree

When listing a college degree, start with the degree and field of study. For example:

• Bachelor of Arts in Communications
• State University — Atlanta, GA
• 2023

You can also include an abbreviated degree when appropriate:

B.A., Communications State University — Atlanta, GA 2023 The important thing is consistency. If you use a particular format for one degree, use a similar format for other degrees.

How to List Multiple Degrees

If you have multiple degrees, list them separately. For example:

• Master of Business Administration
• State University — Atlanta, GA
• 2025

• Bachelor of Science in Marketing
• University of Georgia — Athens, GA
• 2022

Your most recent degree should generally appear first. This follows the same reverse chronological approach commonly used for work experience.

Should You Include Your Graduation Year?

Whether you should include your graduation year depends on your circumstances. Recent graduates will often benefit from including it because it provides useful context about their education.

Experienced professionals may choose to leave graduation years off their resumes, particularly when the year does not add value to the application. There is no universal rule that requires every resume to display graduation dates.

Focus on what information is useful for the particular position.

How to List Education Without a Degree

If you attended college but did not complete a degree, you can still include the education if it is relevant. For example:

University of Georgia — Athens, GA Coursework toward Bachelor of Business Administration You can also include the number of credits completed or relevant coursework when appropriate.

Do not imply that you earned a degree if you did not. The education section should always accurately represent your academic history.

How to List High School Education

If you have a college degree, you generally do not need to include your high school education. For someone who has not attended college, however, high school education may be appropriate.

Example:

• Northside High School — Atlanta, GA
• High School Diploma, 2024

Once you have completed college or accumulated substantial professional experience, high school information generally becomes less important.

How to List Certifications

Certifications can be included in the education section or in a separate Certifications section. Whether a certification deserves its own section depends on how important it is to the job.

For example, someone applying for a technology position may want to highlight relevant technical certifications separately. Example:

Certifications

• CompTIA A+ Certification
• Google Data Analytics Certificate
• Certified Project Management Professional

Only include certifications you have actually earned.

Should You Include Your GPA?

A GPA can be useful for students and recent graduates, particularly when it is strong. For example:

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science State University — Atlanta, GA 2025 GPA: 3.8/4.0 Experienced professionals generally do not need to include GPA unless there is a specific reason to do so.

If your GPA is not particularly strong, there is usually little benefit to highlighting it.

Should You Include Relevant Coursework?

Relevant coursework can be useful when you have limited professional experience. For example, a recent graduate applying for an accounting position might include:

Relevant Coursework:

• Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Taxation, Auditing

Experienced professionals usually have less need to include coursework because their work history provides more direct evidence of their qualifications.

Only include coursework that supports the position you are pursuing.

Should You Include Academic Honors?

Academic honors can strengthen a resume, especially for recent graduates. Examples include:

• Dean's List
• Magna Cum Laude
• Summa Cum Laude
• Academic scholarships
• Departmental honors
• Academic awards

Include honors when they are relevant and meaningful. You do not need to list every academic achievement from your entire education history.

How to List Online Education

Online degrees and educational programs can be listed in the same basic way as traditional programs. For example:

• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
• ABC University — Online
• 2025

The important information is the institution, credential, and field of study. You do not need to emphasize that a degree was completed online unless it is relevant to the application.

How to List Trade School or Vocational Education

Trade school and vocational training can be important qualifications for many careers. For example:

• Electrical Technology Certificate
• ABC Technical College — Atlanta, GA
• 2024

For skilled trades, specialized training may be just as important as a traditional college degree. Make sure relevant training is easy to find on the resume.

How to List Education When You Have Extensive Experience

If you have decades of professional experience, your education section does not need to dominate the resume. A simple format may be sufficient:

• Bachelor of Science in Business
• University Name

Your professional accomplishments are likely to be more important than extensive academic details. Focus your resume space on the experience and qualifications most relevant to the position.

• Education Section Examples
• Recent Graduate

Bachelor of Arts in English University of Georgia — Athens, GA 2026 GPA: 3.7/4.0 Dean's List

Experienced Professional

• Master of Business Administration
• State University — Atlanta, GA

• Bachelor of Science in Marketing
• University of Georgia — Athens, GA

College Coursework Without a Degree

State University — Atlanta, GA Completed coursework toward Bachelor of Business Administration

High School Graduate

• Northside High School — Atlanta, GA
• High School Diploma, 2025

Certification

Certifications

• CompTIA Security+
• Google Project Management Certificate
• Certified Associate in Project Management
• Common Education Section Mistakes
• ❌ Listing Incorrect Information

Check degree names, school names, dates, and certifications carefully.

❌ Claiming a Degree You Did Not Earn

If you did not complete a degree, describe your education accurately.

❌ Including Too Much Detail

Experienced professionals generally do not need lengthy descriptions of basic academic information.

❌ Listing Irrelevant Coursework

Coursework should support the position you are applying for.

❌ Using Inconsistent Formatting

If one education entry includes the location and graduation year, format other entries consistently.

❌ Including High School When It Is No Longer Relevant

Once you have substantial college or professional experience, high school information usually does not need to remain on the resume.

Should Education Come Before Work Experience?

There is no single placement that works for everyone. Put education earlier when:

You recently graduated You have limited work experience Your degree is highly relevant to the position Your academic achievements strengthen your application

Put work experience earlier when:

You have several years of relevant experience Your professional accomplishments are stronger than your academic background Your education is less directly related to the position

The goal is to make the information most valuable to the employer easy to find.

Education Section Checklist

Before submitting your resume, check:

✓ Degree or credential is accurate ✓ School name is correct ✓ Field of study is correct ✓ Graduation information is accurate ✓ Certifications are listed correctly ✓ Relevant coursework is included only when useful ✓ Academic honors are included when appropriate ✓ Formatting is consistent ✓ Education is positioned appropriately ✓ No inaccurate credentials are listed

The education section should provide a clear and accurate summary of your academic and professional training. Recent graduates may need to give education more prominence, while experienced professionals can generally keep the section shorter.

Focus on the credentials that are relevant to the job, use consistent formatting, and make sure every detail accurately represents your education and qualifications.