TL;DR
List your highest degree first: institution, degree name, field of study, and graduation year. Add GPA only if it is 3.5 or above and you graduated within the last three years. Move education below your work experience once you have two or more years of relevant jobs. Include certifications in a separate section below Education. Skip high school once you have any college degree.
The education section looks straightforward, but it trips up more candidates than you would expect. New graduates who list too little, experienced professionals who leave in details that date them, career changers unsure whether their degree works for or against them. Here is exactly what to include, what to cut, and where to put it.
What always goes in
Every education entry needs four pieces of information:
- Institution name - the full name of the university, college, or school
- Degree - the full degree name (Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, and so on)
- Field of study - your major or area of concentration
- Graduation year - the year you completed the degree, or "Expected [Year]" if you are still studying
List your highest degree first. If you have a master's degree, the bachelor's goes below it. You do not need to list both a start and an end year. The graduation year is enough. Including a start year lets readers calculate your age, which introduces unnecessary bias risk without giving the recruiter anything useful.
Match the job description language
ATS systems scan education sections for keywords. If the job description says "Computer Science degree" and your degree is in "Computing and Software Engineering", a brief parenthetical clarification can help. For more on keyword matching, see our guide to ATS-friendly resumes.
What to add when it helps
The following extras are worth including in the right circumstances:
- GPA: Only if it is 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale) and you graduated within the last three years. Outside those bounds, leave it out.
- Honours and distinctions: Dean's List, first-class honours, summa cum laude - include these if they are recent and relevant. They add weight without taking much space.
- Relevant coursework: Only for entry-level candidates with no work experience in the field. List three to five courses that map directly to the job requirements. A software engineer with two years of experience does not need to list their algorithms course.
- Senior thesis or capstone project: Name it and give a one-line description if it is directly relevant to the role you are applying for.
- Study abroad: Worth a brief mention if language skills or international exposure are relevant to the role or company.
If you are a recent graduate with limited work experience, your education section carries more of the weight on the page. See our guide on how to write a resume with no experience for the full entry-level approach, including how to structure the sections when you do not have a long work history yet.
What to leave out
Several common additions do more harm than good:
- High school diploma: Drop it once you have any college or university degree. It takes up space without adding value and draws attention away from stronger credentials.
- GPA below 3.5: Leave it out. Recruiters understand that the number is there if you have not listed it; a below-average GPA is not a deal-breaker for most roles, and there is no reason to highlight it.
- GPA more than three years after graduation: Once you have built a work record, GPA is no longer the relevant signal. It can also suggest you have nothing stronger to lead with.
- Irrelevant coursework: Padding the list with unrelated courses dilutes the relevant ones and wastes space that belongs to your work history.
- Start year: List only the graduation year. Your start year introduces unnecessary age information without helping the recruiter.
- Outdated expected graduation date: Update this as soon as you finish. A resume that still says "Expected 2024" in 2026 signals neglected application materials.
Where to place it on your resume
Placement depends on how much relevant work experience you have and whether your degree is the main qualification for the role.
New graduates and students: Put Education at the top, directly after your summary (or first, if you do not have a summary yet). Your degree is your primary credential. If you are still building your summary, see our guide on how to write a resume summary.
Two or more years of relevant experience: Move Education below your Work Experience section. Your jobs are the stronger signal now. Leaving Education at the top when you have a solid work history can make it look like you are compensating for thin experience.
Career changers: This depends on whether the new degree or qualification is the main thing qualifying you for the target role. If you completed a degree or bootcamp specifically for the new field, put Education near the top. If you are pivoting on transferable skills and the degree is in an unrelated area, keep it below the experience section. For format guidance, see our overview of which resume format works best for different career situations.
Entry-level vs experienced: what changes
| Element | Entry-level / New graduate | Experienced candidate (2+ years) |
|---|---|---|
| Placement on page | Top of resume or below summary | Below Work Experience |
| GPA | Include if 3.5+ and within 3 years | Omit in most cases |
| Relevant coursework | 3-5 courses that match the job description | Omit (work experience replaces it) |
| Honours and distinctions | Include recent awards and honours | Include only if exceptional or recent |
| Thesis or capstone project | Include if directly relevant to the role | Only if highly relevant or published |
| High school | Omit if you have any college degree | Omit |
| Space on page | Up to 4-6 lines with extras | Keep to 2-3 lines per degree |
The three-year GPA rule is a widely-used practitioner guideline, not a universal recruiter policy. Adjust based on your industry and the seniority of the role.
Certifications and online courses
Certifications do not belong inside the Education section. Put them in a separate "Certifications" or "Professional Development" section, placed directly below Education.
Include a certification if it is directly relevant to the role. A Google Analytics certification belongs on a digital marketing resume; it is clutter on an engineering one. For each entry, list the certification name, the issuing organisation, and the year (plus the expiry date if the credential expires and is still current).
Online courses from platforms such as Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or edX are fine to list with the platform name if they match the job description. Be straightforward about what they are: a Coursera certificate is not equivalent to a university degree. Recruiters know the difference, and overstating them damages credibility.
Name the credential precisely
"Data Science Certificate, Coursera, 2025" is clear and honest. "Data Science" with no issuer listed is vague and raises questions. Name the exact credential and where it came from.
International degrees
If your degree is from outside the country where you are applying, add a brief equivalence note so ATS systems and recruiters can parse it correctly. For example: "Bachelor of Engineering, University of Tehran (equivalent to US BSc in Mechanical Engineering)". This prevents ATS misclassification and removes any guesswork for a recruiter who may not be familiar with the grading system or degree structure.
If you completed a significant portion of your education in another language and language skills are relevant to the role, note it briefly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include GPA on my resume?
Only if it is 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale) and you graduated within the last three years. Below 3.5, leave it out. Recruiters will assume the number was low if you omit it, but a below-average GPA is not a deal-breaker for most roles, so there is no point drawing attention to it. If you graduated more than three years ago, drop GPA regardless of the score. Your work experience is the stronger signal now.
Where should the education section go on a resume?
New graduates and students: put it at the top or directly below the summary, because the degree is your primary qualification. Once you have two or more years of relevant work experience, move Education below your Work Experience section. Career changers should consider whether the degree directly qualifies them for the target role - if yes, move it higher; if not, keep it below the experience section.
Do I need to include high school on my resume?
No, once you have any college or university degree. High school is redundant at that point and takes up space that belongs to more relevant credentials. The only exception is if you have not completed any post-secondary education, in which case a high school diploma or equivalent is worth listing.
Should I list online courses and certifications on my resume?
Yes, if they are relevant to the role, but put them in a separate "Certifications" section below Education rather than inside the education block itself. Name the course and the platform. Be honest about what the credential is: a Coursera certificate is not a degree, and recruiters know the difference. Relevant certifications from credible sources (Google, AWS, Microsoft, recognised industry bodies) carry real weight and are worth listing clearly.
Make sure your education section is working for the role
MORT is an AI job-matching platform for people who want to apply to more relevant jobs in less time. It scans thousands of company career pages, scores every job 0-100% for compatibility with your skills and experience, and generates a tailored resume for each application. The ATS checker scores your resume against a live job description, including whether your education section keywords match what the role is asking for.
Sources
- No external statistics are cited in this post. All guidance reflects widely-used resume writing practitioner standards. No figures require external verification.