Should education be first on a resume?
It depends on how far you are from graduation. If you are a student or graduated within the last two or three years, put the education section first, because it is your strongest credential. Once you have several years of work in your field, move it below your experience: the reader wants to see what you have done lately.
Two exceptions. When the job asks for a specific degree or license, such as nursing, teaching or engineering, keep education near the top even with experience, so a screener can confirm the requirement at a glance. When you did not finish a degree, put it below your experience and state the credits or years completed. The rest of the order is covered in what to include in a resume.
How to write education on a resume
Use a single line for each degree, with the most recent first. The elements, in order, are the degree, the field, the school, the city and state, and the graduation year. Write the degree in full the first time (Bachelor of Science in Accounting) or with the standard abbreviation (B.S.), but be consistent. Do not list the month unless the dates are close together or a posting asks for it.
Leave out your high school once you have a degree or are in college. Add your GPA only if it is 3.5 or higher and your degree is recent; after a few years of work it adds nothing. Honors such as magna cum laude or Dean's List go on the same line or just below it. Under the degree, you may add one line for a thesis, a capstone project or a scholarship, if it relates to the job.
Resume education section examples for each case
These are education resume examples for the cases that come up most. The schools, degrees and dates are invented; use your own and copy the pattern.
| Your situation | How it reads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Westbrook State University, Columbus, OH, 2024 |
| Master's degree | Master of Public Health, Lakeview University, Denver, CO, 2022 |
| Associate degree | Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene, Pine Valley Community College, 2023 |
| Degree in progress | B.A. in Communication, Harlan College, expected May 2027 |
| Unfinished degree | Coursework toward B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Westbrook State University, 2021 to 2023 (72 credits) |
| High school only | High School Diploma, Riverside High School, Tulsa, OK, 2025 |
| Certificate or bootcamp | Certificate in Web Development, Brightpath Coding School, 2025 (see certifications) |
How to list a degree on a resume does not change with the level: the field comes after the degree and the school after the field. For a master's and a bachelor's, give two lines, the higher one first. For an associate degree, write the full name (Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Science), since the abbreviation can mean different things in different states. Credentials that are not degrees go in a separate block, as in how to list certifications on a resume.
Expected graduation date: how to write it
If you are still in school, write the word Expected and the month and year: Expected May 2027. Some writers shorten it to Anticipated or In progress; any works, if you use one throughout. An expected graduation date on a resume tells the employer when you could start full time, so keep it honest, and update it if the date moves.
Do not write the date as a past year, and do not leave the line blank, since a degree with no date reads as a gap. If you are close and applying for jobs that start after graduation, you can add a short note: Graduating June 2026. The same pattern covers an internship application: add the field and a line on relevant coursework, since you have little else to show.
Minor, double major and relevant coursework
A minor on a resume goes on the line after the major: B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Spanish. Add it only if it helps with the job; a minor in Spanish helps in a hospital and a minor in theater helps in sales training. A double major on a resume goes on the same line with the word and: B.S. in Economics and Statistics. If the two majors were awarded as separate degrees, list them on two lines.
Relevant coursework on a resume is for students and new graduates. Put it under the degree as a single line of four to six course titles that match the posting: Relevant coursework: Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Auditing, Business Law, Excel for Analysts. Pick courses by the posting, not by your best grades. After your first job, drop the line, because experience now answers the question.
What to leave off the education section
- High school, once you are in college or have a degree (keep it only if it is your highest level).
- A GPA under 3.5, or any GPA several years after graduating.
- Courses that do not relate to the job, and long lists of them.
- Degrees you did not earn. Say “coursework toward” and give the credits.
- The street address of the school and the start date of the degree, which the reader does not need.
A short education section is a good thing: it leaves room for the part employers read longest. For a student with little else, see college student resume examples and resume with no experience.
Sources
Checked on 13 October 2026.