The Best Way How to List Education on a Resume

The education section on the resume of any candidate is one of the most underrated aspects of a great application. It shows the background of an individual and even certain achievements. A candidate with a well-composed education section that is relevant to a particular job stands out from the crowd and is quickly shortlisted.

Today, we will cover the following points for the job candidates to ace this crucial aspect. 

• The Importance of Listing Your Education on a Resume
• What You Need to Include in the Education Section of Resume
• How You Can Add Your Education to Your Resume
• Education on a Resume Example
  

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So, let’s dive into it.
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The Importance of Listing Your Education on a Resume

If we think about it, it has always been our education that helped us get our first jobs. Thus, no matter how many people try to change the norm, the education of candidates will always be one of the biggest determining factors when it comes to getting a job. Thus, it is highly important to list one’s education on resume so employers can see their most potent credentials.

What Employers Want to See in Your Education Section

Firstly, you must understand that when employers look at a candidate’s education, in their minds, they are already deciding the individual’s fate for the job. Basically, they are quite directly judging if the individual’s education matches the job role and requirements.

In this section, employers always want to see the most pertinent education to the job role they are offering. Thus, one’s resume education will only be the strongest when it exactly reflects their potential employer’s needs. To avoid failure, candidates should check job descriptions thoroughly and only apply to relevant ones.

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Here’s What You Need to Include in the Resume Education Section

Although resumes for various jobs often need to be created in different styles, there is always a generalized list of must-have items answering the question of what to put for education on resume. Here is some information that you can include in your resumes education section: 

• most recent certificate or degree;
• in-progress education;
• name and location of your school or college;
• your college’s or school’s accreditation, board, & ranking;
• start date, day of graduation, and/or expected graduation date;
• field(s) of study and majoring area(s);
• GPA if it is 3.5 and above;
• major academic certifications or honors like relevant coursework, making the principal’s list, being a valedictorian, etc.;
• participation in various extracurricular activities;
• achievements in various sports;
• any study abroad or student exchange programs.
  

Listing education on resumes comes down to knowing the exact requirements of the job role and the company’s or employer’s style of hiring. Want to have it done of the highest quality? Well, rely on a smart and fast resume builder service! Delegate and get promoted!

Here’s How You Can Add Your Education on a Resume

Here are some insights into how to add education to resume. 

• Always add your highest or most recent degree first.
• List your other certificates or degrees in reverse-chronological order.
• Don’t include your high school information unless you’re looking for an early internship opportunity or just starting college.
• Add all the key information for each completed degree, like the name of the institution, name of the educational board, start and end dates, and your achieved grade or score.
  

Now, let’s look at the resume format examples you can use for the education section resume to attract the recruiter.

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MA in Social & Political Sciences (2014-2018)

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

GPA – 3.6

Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA

B.S. in Chemical Engineering | 2006 - 2010

GPA – 3.8

DePaul University, Chicago, IL | 2016 – 2020

Bachelor of Arts – Major in Branding & Design; Minor in Photography

GPA – 3.7

How You Can List Your Ongoing Education

One’s education that is still in progress reveals the intentions of a candidate and the field in which they are interested. If relevant to a particular job profile, listing an ongoing education can certainly boost an applicant’s chances.

However, there are certain requirements with which one must comply when adding this section. Here are some tips on how to list education or resume if it is not completed yet. Mention the following:

• name of your institution;
• name of your certification, course, or degree;
• date of graduation;
• relevant coursework;
• extracurricular activities, sports achievements, and participation in student organizations;
• GPA (3.5 and above only);
• other achievements or awards.

Take a look at the good ongoing education on resume example: 

University of Michigan | St. Ann Arbor, MI

M.A. in Mechanical Engineering | Graduation in 2020

Awards – Rank 3 in the American Convention for Scientific Inventions 2018

Coursework – Introduction to Machines, Drone Engineering, & Combustion Solutions 

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And here’s a bad example: 

University of Michigan | Michigan

M.A. in Mechanical Engineering

Coursework – Various subjects related to mechanical engineering 

GPA – 3.2

Related:

What is Follow-Up Letter

How You Can Add Your High School Education to a Resume

A great resume format ensures great readability. This, in turn, can increase a candidate’s chances of getting the job and boosting their career. Adding high school information on the education section on resume is mostly relevant to entry-level job seekers without much professional experience. Thus, listing education on a resume can become crucial.

If one’s highest education is being a high school graduate, they should still mention it because many companies are always on the lookout for interns or freshers. Resume creators should always keep this section concise and sweet by providing the most appropriate information.

One should consider the perspective of the employer and what they need from this section. Adding the name of the school, graduation date, coursework, and other achievements and skills should be enough to get started.

• First, let’s look at the weak way to highlight high school education.
  

Washington Blue’s High School, Washington, DC

Graduated in 2016

• Now, let’s consider an example of how to write your education on a resume with relevant coursework information. 
  

Washington Blue’s High School, Washington, DC

Graduated in 2016

Coursework – Introduction & Specialization in Robotics

• Here’s an example with achievement and award.
  

Washington Blue’s High School, Washington, DC

Graduated in 2016

Awards – Young Changemaker for the Environment

• Lastly, see an example for those who have not completed high school yet. 
  

Washington Blue’s High School, Washington, DC

Expected to graduate in 2018

Giving your employers an introduction to your study background with some information on achievements and skills should be more than enough to impress them.

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How You Can Add Your Higher Education to a Resume

The higher education section on a resume shows the overall development of one’s education over the years. Listing education on resume in reverse chronological order emphasizes your recent accomplishments, providing employers with up-to-date information about the applicant. Several candidates are often chosen based on their achievements during their education.

Some recent graduates may also have little to no professional experience. In this case, one’s highest education will play a vital role in helping them land interviews and jobs. Resume creators can further boost their chances by listing the skills they got while studying for their degrees. 

For example, candidates can mention awards won, relevant coursework, descriptions of their honors program, participation in extracurricular activities, volunteering, publications, and more. Yet, remember to keep the section short and precise.

Look at the corresponding education section of resume examples below. 

University of Georgia | Athens, GA

Masters in Biology 2011

Terry Scholar

• Here’s an example of how to write education in resume with relevant coursework information. 
  

Master of Arts in Music Theory

The University of California (UCLA), Berkeley, CA

Coursework – Fundamentals of Music Theory, History of Chords, Composition & Melody, & Sound Healing

• Here’s an example with an award and honors program. 
  

Honors B.S. in Astrophysics | Salutatorian | Magna Cum Laude

Award – California Science Program: Breakthrough in String Theory

Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Graduated in 2015

Giving your employers a clear idea about your achievements and skills shows your self-presentation ability and makes you closer to the dream job offer. Take your chance to stand out from others!

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So, Where Should Education Go on a Resume?

A good resume education format is a must, but so is its overall placement on the document. The best and easiest way to approach this is to divide resume creators based on their overall professional experience – recent graduates and experienced professionals.

Recent Graduates

Recent graduates should place their education section before or just after any of their work experience. This is because, without any professional experience, their education automatically becomes the strongest part of their resume. Look at the following example. 

EDUCATION

Stanford University (2013-2018)

Masters in Sports Management (MSM)

Award – Business Essentials Certificate

Scholarship – Washington Sports Scholarship 

EXPERIENCE

Procter & Gamble (2017-2018)

Internship

Experienced Professionals

Experienced professionals should always place their education after their professional history. This is because employers are always more interested in their recent endeavors and accomplishments, especially in a real-life work environment. Here is the right example. 

EXPERIENCE

Amazon.com (2015-present)

HR Generalist

• implemented system and process improvements
• identified and managed understaffing
• handled conflicts
• developed a training program for newcomers, decreasing time spent on onboarding to 40%
  

EDUCATION

Harvard Business School | Boston, MA

Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

Masters of Global Business Studies (MGBS)

What to Write Under Education on a Resume?

Firstly, the process of listing education on resume begins with self-organization. Candidates should always strive to compose their resume documents in a concise yet informative way. The right approach involves providing all the necessary and relevant information about one’s background in a slick manner.

Thus, one should include as much of their educational background information as is required to get a particular job. Pay attention to corresponding points in a job description to match the employer’s expectations. When outlining special achievements or mentioning skills, one should organize these additional items in bullet points, tabular form, or short sentences.

Additional Tips on Listing Education on a Resume

Here are extra tips on listing one’s current education on resume. 

• Always list your most potent and recent achievements and experiences first.
• Do not mention a GPA lower than 3.5.
• The job applicant should always emphasize their education if they’re a recent graduate to keep the focus off the lack of experience.
• Try and list your educational information in not more than three to four bullet points or paragraphs.
• Create a template with the appealing education on resume format in mind.
• If required, always seek professional help from career experts.

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Education on a Resume Example: 2 Cases

Here are two examples of resumes with the perfect education sections. 

1) Joanne Smith

Joanne has created a very slick document highlighting her resume education part at the top. As we can see, her most recent degree is ongoing, but she has still mentioned some key details about it. 

She then goes on to show her other educational achievements (in reverse chronological order), like some associated certifications and diplomas. She has also highlighted her academic achievements and awards in a separate section that stands out.

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2) Jane Doe

Although Jane has a fair bit of experience, she has chosen to highlight her education in resume first. This is a very good thing because of the rankings of her college and her high scores (GPA). 

Jane has provided all the essential information so that her employers know exactly where she studied, what she studied, and how well she did. In her work experience, she goes on to state that she has been working at the same place where she got her degree. This also shows her dedication and loyalty towards the institution.

How to List Education on a Resume: Takeaway

• Think about the job you’re applying for and the company that will hire you.
• Keep your education section brief, informative, and to the point.
• Add as many relevant awards, accolades, achievements, and skills as possible to increase your chances of getting hired.
• Don’t forget to include your graduation dates (start and end) or expected graduation dates.
• Make the first sentence of the bullet point or paragraph bold (font) to accentuate the message.
• Add your education section first if you have less professional experience.
• Study resume education examples to learn how to list degree on resume to stand out.
  

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