Guide

How to list education on a resume: format, placement and examples for every stage

6 min read · updated 16 October 2026

The resume education section is small but gets more questions than almost any other: where it goes, whether to include a GPA, what to do with an unfinished degree, how to list certifications. The rules depend on how far you are from graduation. This guide gives the format, the placement rule, and examples for new graduates, experienced professionals, degrees in progress, no degree, and certifications.

The format

Degree and major, institution, location (city and state, optional), graduation month and year. Most recent first. Title the section "Education" so the ATS recognises it. Keep each entry to one or two lines.

B.S. Computer Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA · Jun 2024
M.B.A., University of Texas at Austin · May 2021 · B.A. Economics, Ohio State University · May 2016

Where it goes

Students and new graduates (under 2–3 years out): directly under the objective, before experience. Education is your strongest evidence.
Experienced professionals: after experience and skills, near the bottom. It confirms the credential; it is no longer the case.
Careers where the credential is the licence (nursing, law, teaching, accounting): keep it near the top regardless of experience, with the licence or certification beside it.

What to include, and when

GPA: only if 3.5 or above (or the posting asks), and only within about three years of graduating. Write "GPA 3.7/4.0".
Honours: Latin honours, dean's list, scholarships, on the same line or the one below. Drop them after a few years of experience.
Relevant coursework: a short line for students and career changers when the courses match the posting's skills. Not for experienced professionals.
Thesis or capstone: one line if it is relevant to the role.
Study abroad, minors: include if relevant or if space allows; drop otherwise.
High school: only if it is your highest education or you are still a student. Remove once you have any college.

Degree in progress

List it with the expected date: "B.A. Psychology, University of Michigan · Expected May 2027". If you are working while studying part time, say so in a short note. The ATS reads "Expected" fine; recruiters prefer it to a date that later turns out to be aspirational.

Unfinished degree, or no degree

List what you completed honestly: "Coursework toward B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2019–2021 (90 credits)". Never imply a degree you did not finish. If you have no college, list high school or GED and lead with certifications, training and experience; many roles no longer require a degree and a strong experience section outweighs its absence.

Certifications and training

Put professional certifications in their own "Certifications" section, with the issuing body and date, and keep the Education section for degrees. Certifications are keywords in many postings (PMP, CPA, AWS, RN, SHRM-CP), so spell them exactly as the posting does. List expiry dates only where they matter (e.g. BLS). Online courses go here too if they are relevant and recent; a dated Google or Coursera certificate counts, a list of twelve does not.

PMP, Project Management Institute · 2023
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate · Mar 2026
Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate · Jan 2026

Examples by stage

New graduate: "B.S. Nursing, University of Florida · May 2026 · GPA 3.8, magna cum laude · 700 clinical hours (med-surg, ICU, pediatrics)"
Mid-career: "B.A. Communications, Boston University · 2014"
Career changer with new training: "Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate · 2026" under Certifications, above "B.Ed., University of Minnesota · 2017" under Education.
Executive: "M.B.A., Wharton · 2008 · B.S. Finance, University of Illinois · 2002"

Frequently asked questions

Should I put my GPA on my resume?

Only if it is 3.5 or above and you graduated within the last three years, or if the employer asks. Otherwise leave it off; nobody assumes the worst from its absence.

Where does education go on a resume?

Near the top for students and new graduates, near the bottom for experienced professionals, and near the top for licensed professions where the credential is the qualification.

How do I list an unfinished degree?

State the coursework and dates honestly: "Coursework toward B.S. Biology, 2018–2020 (60 credits)". Do not imply completion.

Do certifications go under education?

Better in their own Certifications section, with issuer and date. That keeps Education for degrees and makes the certification keywords easy for the ATS and the recruiter to find.