How to Write Your Degree on a Resume
Format your resume consistently., Write the institution, its location, your degree, and any honors., Avoid including unnecessary or obvious words., Place the education section near the top if you’re a recent grad., List your most recent degree...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Format your resume consistently.
There’s no set way to format a resume, but the biggest rule is to format consistently.Use one font size for section headings and another for general text, and include consistent bold or italic emphases.For example, if you bold employers’ names in your experience section, write your college in bold, especially if it’s a prestigious school or one known for excellence in your field.
Use a standard sans-serif font, like Arial, for easy readability.
Use a 10-12 point size for general text and 14-16 point for section headings. -
Step 2: Write the institution
Always include the name of your institution, its location, and the name of your degree.
You can either write out your full degree name (like Bachelor of Arts) or use its acronym (like B.A.) if you need to save room.Include honors you were awarded instead of your GPA, especially if you’re not a recent grad.If you’re a recent grad with a high GPA, you could opt to include your GPA.
Just be sure to explain your GPA system by writing, for example, “3.92/4.0.” You can also include your graduation year if you’re a recent grad.
Otherwise, you should avoid including dates, especially if your degree is older than 15 years.An example degree listing could be:
Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Bachelor of Arts in English, Magna cum laude. , Using “Education” to head the appropriate section is the only descriptive word you’ll need.
Including words like “College:” or “Degree:” before the appropriate information is superfluous.Avoid unnecessary words elsewhere in your resume, too.
For example, don’t write “Email:” or “Phone:” before listing your contact information.
Just write your email address and phone number. , If you’ve just graduated, you might not have substantial professional experience.
Place your education section at the top of your resume, just under your contact information and, if you’ve included one, your career objective.
You can also include the year you received the degree if you’ve graduated in the last one to three years.If you’re not a recent grad or have substantial professional experience, place your relevant experience section ahead of your education.
In general, professional experience is more valuable information than your education. , If you have more than one degree, list them in reverse chronological order, or the most recent degree first.
In general, you should also list advanced degrees first.If you double majored, you can just list both degrees in the same section under your university:
Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Double major:
Bachelor of Arts, English.
Bachelor of Arts, Art History. , If you have completed work toward or have earned a college degree, you shouldn't include information about your high school.
You can also skip it if you have significant work experience.If not, and if your high school diploma is your highest degree, include your high school's name and location, graduation date (if it's within the last three years), and, if it's above a
3.5/4.0, your GPA:
Nashua High School, Nashua, New Hampshire High School Diploma,
2016.
GPA:
3.8 If your highest degree is a GED diploma or state equivalent certificate, include it if you don't have substantial work experience:
Education General Educational Development Diploma,
2016.
Education CHSPE (Certificate of Proficiency from the State of California),
2016. -
Step 3: its location
-
Step 4: your degree
-
Step 5: and any honors.
-
Step 6: Avoid including unnecessary or obvious words.
-
Step 7: Place the education section near the top if you’re a recent grad.
-
Step 8: List your most recent degree first.
-
Step 9: List your high school diploma if it's your highest degree.
Detailed Guide
There’s no set way to format a resume, but the biggest rule is to format consistently.Use one font size for section headings and another for general text, and include consistent bold or italic emphases.For example, if you bold employers’ names in your experience section, write your college in bold, especially if it’s a prestigious school or one known for excellence in your field.
Use a standard sans-serif font, like Arial, for easy readability.
Use a 10-12 point size for general text and 14-16 point for section headings.
Always include the name of your institution, its location, and the name of your degree.
You can either write out your full degree name (like Bachelor of Arts) or use its acronym (like B.A.) if you need to save room.Include honors you were awarded instead of your GPA, especially if you’re not a recent grad.If you’re a recent grad with a high GPA, you could opt to include your GPA.
Just be sure to explain your GPA system by writing, for example, “3.92/4.0.” You can also include your graduation year if you’re a recent grad.
Otherwise, you should avoid including dates, especially if your degree is older than 15 years.An example degree listing could be:
Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Bachelor of Arts in English, Magna cum laude. , Using “Education” to head the appropriate section is the only descriptive word you’ll need.
Including words like “College:” or “Degree:” before the appropriate information is superfluous.Avoid unnecessary words elsewhere in your resume, too.
For example, don’t write “Email:” or “Phone:” before listing your contact information.
Just write your email address and phone number. , If you’ve just graduated, you might not have substantial professional experience.
Place your education section at the top of your resume, just under your contact information and, if you’ve included one, your career objective.
You can also include the year you received the degree if you’ve graduated in the last one to three years.If you’re not a recent grad or have substantial professional experience, place your relevant experience section ahead of your education.
In general, professional experience is more valuable information than your education. , If you have more than one degree, list them in reverse chronological order, or the most recent degree first.
In general, you should also list advanced degrees first.If you double majored, you can just list both degrees in the same section under your university:
Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Double major:
Bachelor of Arts, English.
Bachelor of Arts, Art History. , If you have completed work toward or have earned a college degree, you shouldn't include information about your high school.
You can also skip it if you have significant work experience.If not, and if your high school diploma is your highest degree, include your high school's name and location, graduation date (if it's within the last three years), and, if it's above a
3.5/4.0, your GPA:
Nashua High School, Nashua, New Hampshire High School Diploma,
2016.
GPA:
3.8 If your highest degree is a GED diploma or state equivalent certificate, include it if you don't have substantial work experience:
Education General Educational Development Diploma,
2016.
Education CHSPE (Certificate of Proficiency from the State of California),
2016.
About the Author
Diana Hamilton
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: