How To Add Anticipated Graduation Date On Your Resume

As a new college grad or a soon to be college grad, now it’s time to start making that anticipated degree pay off and start looking for that higher paying job.

Here we’ll share best practices to help your soon to be conferred degree stand out and catch the attention of potential employers.

Key Takeaways:

• When adding your anticipated graduation date you want to include college or university, month and year of anticipated graduation, degree name, and your GPA/honors.

• Don’t lie about your anticipated graduation date or give a false GPA because your potential employer will do a background check.

• If you are young with no job experience, you should place the education section with an anticipated degree above your professional experience.

• If you are an older student who has previous industry job experience, you can place it below your professional experience section.

How to List Your Upcoming Degree on Your Resume

Sharing the education you are pursuing and when it will be completed is important information for employers. Here are the vital details to include about your soon to be completed degree.

• College or University attended. List the educational facility where you pursue your degree.

• Location including City and State. Share the location of the educational establishment.

• Month and Year of Anticipated Completion. This can be different depending on your program and if you are a full time or part time student.

• Degree Name. Name the degree you are getting and any minors that you are pursuing as well.

• Grade Point Average GPA. If you graduated with honors, definitely list this on your resume. This can be a designation of distinction such as Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude or Magna Cum Laude. If your cumulative GPA is 3.0 or below, do not list it on your resume.

Examples of Anticipated Graduation Date

Here is the format you should follow when putting your education on your resume:

College Name
City, State
Degree (Expected graduation date)
GPA or Honors if over 3.0

1. University of Missouri
   Columbia, Missouri
   Bachelor of Science in Business (Expected to Graduate in June 2021)
   Graduating Magna Cum Laude

2. Harvard University
   Cambridge, Massachusetts
   Bachelor of Arts in English (Expected to Graduate May 2023)
   GPA 3.8

3. University of Pittsburgh
   Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
   Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Activity and Health Services
   (Expected to Graduate December 2022)
   GPA 4.0

Where to Place An Anticipated Degree On Your Resume

Depending on your situation you should place your anticipated degree in different locations on your resume.

• If you are young with no job experience, you should place the education section with an anticipated degree above your professional experience. Since you have little relevant experience at this point, your degree bears more weight and should be listed closer to the top.

• If you are an older student who has previous industry job experience, you can list that first and place the education section lower in your resume beneath your professional work experience.

Tips for Adding Your Anticipated Graduation Date

Keep these tips in mind when adding your anticipated graduation date:

• Don’t include the start date of your education. There is no need to add the start date of your education. This is because some schools have different degree programs and they could have different lengths.

• Proof read. Always proof read and double check dates before sending your resume. Check that you have the right year that you are anticipating graduating.

• Don’t lie. Don’t lie about when you will graduate. If you are graduating later than expected, put down that date. There isn’t a time limit to finish your degree. It takes some people longer than others and that’s okay.

• Don’t give a false GPA. A potential employer will check the information on your resume with background checks and will find out if you lie about your GPA. Adding your GPA only grants additional consideration if your score is high. Employers are looking for your skills more than what your GPA is.

• Put Education above experience. While you are still in school, or a recent graduate, your education should be above your experience section. During the early stages of your career, employers will be looking at your education over your experience.

• Don’t add high school graduation date. Once you have entered college and are pursuing a high degree there is no need to add your high school graduation date.

Anticipated Graduation Date on Resume FAQ

1. What does an anticipated graduation date mean?

   Your anticipated graduation date is the month, day, and year that you are scheduled to complete your degree requirements. For most colleges and universities, it can take four to six years of full-time study to complete the coursework for graduates to earn their diplomas. Some accelerated college programs allow graduates to get their degree in a year. So degree completion varies depending on the program you are in and whether you are attending school part of full-time.

   Employers are interested in learning your anticipated graduation date to understand how far along you are in your training and when you may be free to start work.

   For instance, if the employer was filling a position on October 15, 2020, and your anticipated graduation date was December 15, 2020, they know that you would not be free yet to fill the position.

2. Why shouldn’t older college graduate list a graduation date on a resume?

   While it’s not necessary to list a graduation date on a resume, older college graduates shouldn’t list their graduation date on a resume because they could fall victim to ageism. While it is against the law for any company to discriminate against a job applicant who is 40 or more years of age, it does happen from time to time.

   While employers aren’t allowed to ask about age, they do have ways around finding out how old you are. One of those can be finding out your anticipated graduation date or when you graduated from college. If you are an older applicant, you may want to pass on listing the date of your completed degree. It reveals your age and can cause an employer to wrongfully pass you over for a younger applicant.

3. How long should my resume be for a new college graduate?

   One page is the recommended length for new college graduates or entry-level workers. If you are struggling to keep your resume down, here are 5 easy steps to make your resume one page.

   Plus, keep in mind that your resume is a working document that you can tailor for each job you apply for. Here’s some simple advice on how to customize your resume for every job in 5 easy steps.

4. Should I add an anticipated graduation date on my resume?

   Yes you should add an anticipated graduation date on your resume if you have not graduated yet. This will help you when applying for entry-level positions. Most college students don’t have the experience that most jobs are looking for so the anticipated graduation date shows that you are getting the education for the position.

   This also tells the employer how much time you have left of your studies and what accommodations are needed to work around your work schedule.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Expert

Don Pippin, MHRM, CPRW, CDCS

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.