High School Education on Resume: When to List It, 8 Examples

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-27 · Updated 2026-10-27

6 min read

List your high school education on a resume if it is your highest education, if you are still a student, or if the job asks for a diploma; drop it once you have a college degree. The one constraint: it takes two lines at most, with the school, the city and the graduation date. The US Department of Labor's CareerOneStop says to "Place Education near the top if it's an essential requirement for the job or you're a new grad, otherwise place this after Work History." Below are eight complete examples and the cases where high school should come off. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

A manager reading a 17-year-old's resume is not checking whether you went to school. They are checking whether you finished, when you are free, and whether you can be trusted with a till.

The simplest version, done correctly

For most teenagers and recent graduates the education section is two lines. A high school senior applying for a weekend job:

Three things make this work: the school and city, the date written as "expected", and one extra detail that a manager might care about. Nothing else is needed.

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When to list high school, and when to drop it

The rule comes down to what else you have. The Honors Carolina guide from UNC puts it this way: "Employers care way more about what you've done in college than what you've done in high school". Use these cases:

• You are in high school: list it, always. It is your education.
• You graduated and have no college: list it, with the graduation year, as your highest credential.
• You have a GED or equivalency: list it the same way, with the exam name and year.
• You are in college: list your college. The UNC guide says "It's okay to include high school info if your resume is otherwise too sparse", and the usual cut-off is early in your degree.
• You have a degree: drop it. Use the space for work experience, certifications or skills.
• The job requires a diploma: put it on, even with a degree, if the posting says so, because some systems screen for the credential.

That last point is not a guess. CareerOneStop notes that "An ATS can be set to filter out resumes that lack certain essential criteria, such as software skills, an education credential, or years of management experience." If a diploma is the criterion, a resume that never mentions one can be filtered out before a person reads it.

Seven ways to write it

Each example below is complete and can be adapted.

High school graduate with no college

GED holder

Student with a diploma and some college

College freshman, still showing high school

High school student with limited experience, where school activities carry weight

A diploma plus a trade or certificate

Unfinished school, written honestly

Honesty matters here. A reader can forgive an unfinished diploma that is being finished. They cannot forgive one that is hidden or, worse, listed as complete.

What to leave out

The extras that look helpful often are not. Leave these off:

• Street address of the school. City and state are enough.
• Your GPA if it is low. Under about 3.0, leave it off; the UNC guide suggests not listing it "unless it's above 3.5" for its own students.
• Every club and sport. Choose the two or three that match the job. UNC advises that leadership in a club closely aligned with your field is "a better choice to include than a high school sport or an award that has nothing to do with your major".
• A graduation date that is more than a few years old, once you have work experience to show instead.
• Your age, date of birth or a photo. a US resume does not need them.

For the overall layout of an entry-level page, see our first job resume guide and our GED on a resume page. If you have no work history yet, things to put on a resume lists what can fill the space, and our college freshman resume guide shows the switch from high school to college.

Purdue's Online Writing Lab has an Education section guide of its own, written for students, if you want a second set of examples.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I put high school on my resume?

Put it on if it is your highest education, if you are still a student, or if the job asks for a diploma. Take it off once you have a college degree, or early in your degree, when your college and work experience carry the page. Keep the entry to two lines.

How do I list high school education on a resume?

Write the school name, city and state, then the graduation date or "expected graduation" plus the month and year. Add a GPA only if it is 3.5 or higher and one detail that matches the job, such as a club or a vocational track. Place the section near the top if you are a student.

How do I list a GED on a resume?

Write "High School Equivalency (GED)", your state and the year, in the same place you would put a diploma. Add one relevant detail, such as a certification you earned after it. Do not apologize for the route; a GED is a recognized high school equivalency credential.

Should I include high school if I have some college?

Include the college first, with your expected degree and date. Add your high school below it only if the resume is otherwise thin, or if the job lists a diploma as a requirement. By the second year of college most people drop it and use the space for experience.

More in this series: related guides

• Associate Degree on a Resume: How to List It, 7 Examples
• Awards on a Resume: Where to List Them, With 6 Examples

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