Should I Put High School on my Resume?

In the early stages of your career, you may find it challenging to determine what information to include on your resume. It’s a problem that many people encounter during resume writing, especially when you search for a job post that requires a university degree.

One question stands out the most— should I put high school on resume?

The answer is…

It depends.

When you’re a high school student, a college student, or a recent grad who has no work experience, adding your high school diploma to your resume is a must.

Listing your high school education helps cover up your lack of work experience by showcasing your achievements, knowledge, and interests instead.

When should you include your high school diploma?

Your decision to include your high school on your resume will depend on what stage you are in life. In case you are still a high school undergrad, only have a high school diploma, or in the first few years of college, you can include your high school information in your resume education section.

In some countries outside the United States, it’s a common practice that resumes also contain their high school information. When applying for a job abroad, research whether this information is necessary and relevant.

When should you take high school off a resume education section?

Once you have completed any other form of higher education, you can now leave this information off your resume. If you already have a university degree, including your high school diploma is no longer related to the position and career path you’re taking.

One good sign why you should not include this information in your resumes is to save space. It is standard practice to keep your resume to one page or two pages max. Employers are more interested in your accomplishments after you graduated, so it is acceptable to omit them from your resume. Moreover, listing this information in your resume document may reveal your age which could make interview opportunities limited.

What should a high school student put on a resume?

If you’re a recent graduate or still finishing high school, include the name of your school, the date of graduation, and any awards or achievements you have earned.

You don’t have to include all the sections below on your resume. Our goal here is to keep your resume balanced, without too many white spaces on it. Check out the  following sections you can include on your high school resume:

• Education (High School), including your GPA (optional)
• Jobs
• Clubs/Activities
• Achievements/Awards/Honors
• Projects
• Additional Skills
• Hobbies

Tip:

If you have no awards or honors to share in this section, it’s okay to leave it out. If you don’t have any notable projects, then no need to stress about it. Just focus on what you can show as your accomplishments.

 

How to List High School Education on a Resume

Put your high school’s name, location/address (city and state), as well as your graduation year in your resume’s education section. Also consider listing one or two achievements, such as being the team captain, a president, or founder of a club. If you attended college, list that information above the details of your high school.

This is an example of how a high school education should look on a resume:

Heritage High School, Charleston, SC

Class of 2018

Since you cannot graduate from high school without receiving a diploma, you don’t need to mention it.

What if you never graduated? Here’s how you should write it short, simple, and straight to the point:

Heritage High School, Charleston, SC

Attended 2014-2016

Tips:

• List your high school information correctly especially when listing it is the only choice you have.
• Don’t lie on your resume about having a high school diploma. A recruiter will perform a background check and verify the information you listed under the education section.

High School GPA on a Resume

The rule of thumb is your GPA should only be included on your resume if you’re a fresh grad and if it is impressive enough, which is over 3.5.

In the case of recent graduates, you should include any academic honors, such as scholarships and valedictorian or salutatorian statuses. Again, this is only meant for recent graduates.

When you should omit this information:

• Your GPA is below 3.5.
• You’ve been studying at a college or university long enough.
• You have several years’ experience working.

 

Here’s an example:

Heritage High School, Charleston, SC

Graduated 2018

GPA 3.8

Check out this high school resume example:

ANNA CLARK

Responsible and goal-driven high school student (3.8 GPA) with excellent time management looking to further her professional experience.

Phone: 123-456-7890

Email: annaclark@email.com

EDUCATION

Glendale High School of Science

Glendale, SC

September 2016 – Anticipated Graduation June 2020

• 3.8 unweighted GPA
• AP courses in English, Biology, and History

ACTIVITIES

Creative Writing Club – Member/President

September 2016 – Present

• Lead weekly meetings
• Maintain reading list
• Keep time for each reading, fairly distributing time between every render for the meeting
• Plan club events, at least once per semester

The Literary Magazine – Reader

October 2017 – Present

• Review all submissions for the printing of the magazine in a timely fashion.
• Collaborate with fellow readers to rate and agree upon submission

WORK EXPERIENCE

Purrfect Corner Store

Counter Clerk, Cook

2018-2019

Key Skills and Responsibilities:

• Opened and closed store, operated cash register.
• Commended 5x by the manager for attention to detail.
• Prepared and offered sandwiches, water, or coffee to shop customers.
• Provided excellent customer service.

SKILLS

• Typing Accuracy : 75 WPM/ 96% accuracy
• Communication
• Creative Writing
• Customer Service
• Leadership and planning

INTERNSHIPS

The Gazetteer, Content Writer 

June 2018- December 2018

Researched, reported, and published news articles for relevant school events.

ADDITIONAL

Sunday School

2016-2018

Taught bible study and stories to toddlers at church.

HOBBIES

• Written poetry, stories
• Cooking and Baking
• Softball

Key Takeaways

You may want to list your high school education in your resume, depending on your current educational and professional career path.

When listing your high school on your resume, remember these pieces of advice:

• Include your high school education only if you are still in school or if it is your highest level of education.
• Don’t put your GPA in unless it will impress the recruiter.
• Make sure you indicate your high school education correctly, whether you graduated or not.

You can find resume templates and cover letter examples at Resume Seed. They also offer career advice in creating professional documents to help you land an interview.