Highlighting the degrees and certificates you've earned is a powerful way to show a recruiter you have the credentials needed to add immediate value in a role.

Naturally, you’ll want to include your education on your resume. This should take up a relatively small portion of your resume. 

Include the following:

Name of Institution

• If you went to a school that’s known by its nickname, include that nickname. Example: “Louisiana State University (LSU)” instead of just “Louisiana State University.”

Degree(s) Obtained

• If you obtained multiple degrees, that’s usually interpreted as impressive. It can also be distracting, depending on the story you want to tell. 

• Don’t feel obligated to spell out the names of odd degrees. Example: If your major was technically named “Romance Languages & Literature,” it’s fine just to put “Spanish & French.”

Year of Graduation

• Some people say that you only need the year you graduated on your resume and that if you put the full years “2008-2012,” it will look like you didn’t graduate. Other people say that some ATSs throw out resumes that don’t specify how many years you were in school for. We recommend just putting the graduation year.

Accolades (optional)

• If you have significant and meaningful sports or leadership experience (e.g., D1 Soccer Captain, President of Student Government), it’s great to include those.

• Don’t include activities that you weren’t highly committed to (e.g., off-and-on volunteer experience).

• If you graduated college less than 3 years ago and your GPA is above 3.6, it’s great to include it.

Location of Institution

• If you went to a school that’s not well-known, it’s helpful to put the schools' location to help paint a picture for the reader.

• If you went to a school with its location in the name, there’s no need to add the location. Example: “Middle Tennessee State University.” 

Should you include high school on your resume?

Great question! For jobseekers with a college degree, you can usually omit your high school. There are situations where it is helpful to include it, though.

Include it when:

• High school is the highest level of education you have, and college degrees are not usually required for the job you are seeking.

• You are a recent grad, and your high school GPA was high, or you achieved honors.

• You went to an elite preparatory school that potential employers may recognize.