The education section of your resume is usually the easiest part to write, but it's also where people make the most unnecessary formatting mistakes. Unless you are applying for a highly specialized academic role, recruiters spend less than two seconds looking at your education.

Here is exactly how to format it so they find what they need and move on to your experience.

In this guide
  1. Where to put the education section
  2. What details to include
  3. Examples for different situations
  4. Should you include your GPA?
  5. Should you include high school?

Where to put the education section

Location depends entirely on your experience level:

  • If you are a student or recent grad (under 1 year of experience): Put Education at the top of your resume, right below your summary or contact info. Your degree is currently your biggest asset.
  • If you have 1+ years of professional experience: Put Education at the bottom of your resume. Your work experience is now far more important than where you went to school.

What details to include

Keep it clean and standard. For every degree, you only need four pieces of information:

  1. The name of the degree: (e.g., Bachelor of Science in Computer Science)
  2. The name of the university: (e.g., University of Michigan)
  3. The location: (e.g., Berkeley, CA)
  4. The graduation date: (e.g., May 2024)

Examples for different situations

1. The Standard Degree

This is what 90% of education sections should look like. Clean, one or two lines.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | May 2023

2. Multiple Degrees

Always list your degrees in reverse-chronological order (newest first). If you have a Master's degree, list it above your Bachelor's.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Stanford University | Stanford, CA | May 2025

Bachelor of Arts in Economics
New York University | New York, NY | May 2021

3. You are still in school

If you haven't graduated yet, list your expected graduation date. You do not need to write "Expected," recruiters understand how dates work in the future.

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA | May 2027

4. You didn't finish your degree

If you attended college but did not graduate, list the school and the number of credits completed, or the years attended. Do not claim a degree you don't have.

Coursework towards B.S. in Software Engineering
University of Washington | Seattle, WA | 2020 – 2022
Completed 60 credits before transitioning to full-time employment.

5. Bootcamps and Certifications

If you transitioned careers via a bootcamp, treat it like a degree but make sure the word "Certificate" or "Bootcamp" is clear.

Full-Stack Web Development Certificate
General Assembly | Remote | Nov 2024

Should you include your GPA?

The rule for GPA is simple: Only include it if it is above a 3.5, AND you graduated within the last three years.

If your GPA is a 3.2, leave it off. It won't help you, and leaving it off won't hurt you. If you graduated five years ago, leave it off even if it was a 4.0. No one cares about your college grades once you have a proven track record in the workforce.

Should you include high school?

If you have a college degree (or are currently enrolled in college), do not list your high school. It wastes space. The only exception is if you are applying for a job where your high school alumni network is famously strong and relevant to the hiring manager.

If high school is your highest level of education, then absolutely list it.