How to list education on a resumé

You’ve spent years of your life studying and now’s the time to show off all that hard work. Educational achievements of all kinds are worth listing on your resumé. Depending on your career path, they can even be the most important details to highlight.

Listing your education on your resumé is important as it lets employers see at a glance what knowledge and skills you bring to a role. Read on to learn more about how to list your education on your resumé and position yourself as a prime candidate for the job you want.

Information to include in the education section of a resumé

When it comes to listing your education, there are a few important factors that hiring managers are looking for when they’re reviewing your resumé. Depending on how in-depth you want to make your education section, here are some details you might want to include:

• Your school’s name
• Location of your school 
• Any degrees, diplomas or certificates you obtained 
• Your field of study 
• The year you graduated or the years you studied
• Any academic recognition, coursework, activities or other achievements 

How to list completed education on a resumé (with examples)

The way you approach listing your education on your resumé depends on how long you’ve been in the workforce. Whether you’re a fresh graduate or a seasoned academic professional will change the level of detail you include. Here are some guidelines on how you should list your education for your circumstances.

Recent graduates (1–5 years)

If you graduated in the last five years, you should place your education section before your work experience. Chances are you haven’t gained much professional experience yet, so use your education to demonstrate your skills and knowledge instead. Be sure to include any extracurricular activities and if you received any special recognition. The exact formatting will depend on the style of your resumé, but remember to make sure it’s easily legible. For example:

Bachelor of Business Management, The University of Queensland

2016–2020

Achievements: Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence in Semester 2

President of University of Queensland Chess Club (UQCC), 2019

Experienced professionals (5 or more years)

If you’ve been in the workforce for more than five years, you should put your education section below your professional experience section. At this stage, most employers are more interested in your professional achievements, so you can remove any specific details, like attendance dates, extracurriculars and academic achievements. Here’s an example:

Bachelor of Business Management 

The University of Queensland

Graduates with multiple degrees

If you’ve acquired several degrees or qualifications, you should list them with the highest-level qualification at the top. You can check the Australian Qualifications Framework to see how they’re ranked. There’s no need to go into too much detail unless it’s relevant for the position – just be sure to include the name of your qualification and the educational institution. For example:

Master of Business Administration MBA

Melbourne Business School 

Bachelor of Business Management 

The University of Queensland

How to list incomplete or in-progress education (with examples)

If you haven’t finished your degree or you have an incomplete education, it’s still perfectly acceptable to include this in the education section of your resumé, as long as it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. 

For in-progress education, you should include your projected graduation date if you’re on track to finish your degree. You might want to consider adding optional information, like honours, relevant coursework and any extracurricular activities. An example of this would be:

Bachelor of Business Management 

The University of Queensland

Graduating in November 2024

If you started a degree but chose not to finish it, you might still want to consider including it on your resumé. List the coursework you’ve completed and any special recognitions that are relevant to the job. 

Bachelor of Business Management 

The University of Queensland

Completed coursework: Accounting for Decision-Making, Economics for Business, Business Law and Introduction to Management

How do you list education on a resumé without a degree? 

You don’t need a degree to be able to list education on your resumé. You can list your high school certificate, TAFE qualifications, online courses, professional training and any other certifications you might have. 

If you’ve recently graduated high school, then list your school, the years you attended, and any additional achievements or qualifications. If you’ve been in the workforce for five or more years, then you can drop your high school education and focus on your other qualifications or professional experience. List items starting with the highest level of education first: 

Diploma of Leadership and Management

TAFE Queensland, South Bank

2021–2022

Brisbane State High School

2015–2020

ATAR: 84.00

Electives: Accounting, Legal, English and Literature Extension, Economics

Achievements: Excellence Award in Economics (2019)

Tips for your resumé education section

While the education section may only be a small portion of your resumé, it provides potential employers with crucial information about your technical skills, subject knowledge and academic accomplishments. It’s an opportunity to make a positive first impression and get one step closer to landing the role.

Here are a few tips for putting together an effective education section on your resumé:

• Start with your highest level of education: always list your education, certifications and qualifications from the highest level to the lowest. 
• Include relevant details: make sure to include all the important information, including the name of your school or educational institution, the name of the degree or qualification and the major (if applicable). If you’re still studying, you should also include your expected graduation date.
• Include awards: list any academic awards, dean’s commendations, scholarships or other relevant recognitions
• List relevant coursework: if your resumé is lacking professional experience or your studies are incomplete, you might want to consider including the relevant coursework you’ve completed. 
• Include thesis or capstone project: completing a thesis or a capstone project is a huge achievement, so be sure to list it as part of your education.
• Detail study abroad or exchange programs: completing study overseas demonstrates cultural awareness and adaptability, so it’s also worth mentioning in your education section.
• List professional development certifications: include any certifications, qualifications or workshops relevant to your education or the job you're seeking.
• Omit high school details: if you’ve completed tertiary education or you’ve been in the workforce for several years, it’s often not necessary to include your high school education.
• Tailor to the job: you should customise the education section of your resumé based on the role you’re applying for. You only have limited space to work with, so be sure to highlight aspects of your education that are most relevant to the position. If you have several degrees or qualifications, it could be worth narrowing down your list to feature only those that are applicable.
• Proofread your resumé: double- and triple-check your resumé to make sure you haven’t missed any typos or grammatical errors. It’s also important to make sure you’re being consistent with your formatting throughout the education section so it’s visually appealing and easy to read.
• Use action verbs for descriptions: when incorporating action verbs into your education section, focus on describing your achievements, responsibilities and the impact of your activities. This will help to enhance readability and demonstrate your skills.

The education section is an essential part of your resumé. It demonstrates to potential employers that you possess the relevant skills and knowledge to succeed in the position you’re applying for. It also demonstrates commitment, diligence and other transferable skills that are important for success in the workplace. Whether you’ve recently completed additional qualifications or you’re applying for a new role, now’s a great time to review and refresh the education section on your resumé.  

FAQs

Is it okay to list all your subjects under the education section of a resumé or is just mentioning a degree's title good enough?

When it comes to listing your subjects under the education section of your resumé, it’s usually best to only include the coursework you’ve completed that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. Listing your subjects in addition to the degree’s title usually isn’t necessary if you’ve got multiple degrees, certificates or qualifications to include. Alternatively, if you’re including incomplete education, you’ve only recently graduated from high school, or you’re in the process of completing your degree, then including subjects can help to demonstrate relevant skills and knowledge for the position. 

Should I put education first on my resumé?

Your personal details and career objective or summary should always be listed first on your resumé. You should then include whatever is most recent from your work experience or education. If you’ve recently graduated, chances are you haven’t gained much work experience, so place the emphasis on your education and the relevant skills and knowledge you’ve gained. Alternatively, if you’ve been in the workforce for a few years, most employers will be more interested in your professional experience and how it can contribute to the position you’re applying for.  

Should I include my high school education on my resumé?

Unless you’ve recently left high school, there’s no need to include your high school education on your resumé. If you’re currently studying for a degree or other qualification, you might want to include more information about that than about your high school education. You can provide details about relevant coursework, academic achievements and your expected graduation date instead.

Should I list my GPA on my resumé?

If you’re a recent graduate of Law of Medicine and you achieved a high GPA, it can be a good idea to include your GPA in the education section of your resumé. After all, a high GPA demonstrates your academic achievement. With that said, the GPA grading system is not commonly used in Australia, and most employers scanning your resumé are only interested in your qualifications.

Should I include online courses or certificates in my education section?

Online courses, certificates and other qualifications all fall into the category of education, so if they’re recent and relevant to the position that you’re applying for, then it’s worth including them in the education section of your resumé. Completing courses and certifications helps to demonstrate your commitment to learning, as well as the skills and knowledge that you possess.