Should you put your GPA on a resume? when it helps, how to format it, and honors.
Your GPA matters most at the start of your career and fades quickly after your first job. Here is when to include it and how to list academic honors correctly.
Include your GPA if the posting asks for it, or if you are a student or recent graduate and it is strong. Write it to two decimal places with the scale, for example '3.6/4.0', in your education section. Leave it off once you have a few years of work experience. List Latin honors such as magna cum laude next to your degree, and the Dean's List under honors.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
Education section with GPA and honors
When to use: Students and recent graduates.
Jamie Alvarez (illustrative) EDUCATION B.A., [Major], magna cum laude, [University] | [Month Year] GPA: [GPA]/4.0 · Major GPA: [GPA]/4.0 Honors: Dean's List ([number] semesters), [Scholarship name] Relevant coursework: [Course 1], [Course 2]
Without GPA
When to use: Experienced candidates.
EDUCATION B.S., [Major], [University] (no GPA and no graduation year once you have several years of experience)
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Include it?
| Situation | GPA on resume? |
|---|---|
| The posting asks for it | Yes, always |
| Student or recent graduate with a strong GPA | Yes |
| Your major GPA is stronger than your overall GPA | Show the major GPA, labelled |
| Several years of work experience | No |
| You are unsure it helps | Leave it off; be ready to answer if asked |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | GPA: 3.2 |
| Strong | GPA: [GPA]/4.0 (major: [GPA]/4.0), [Latin honor if earned] |
Why it matters: Giving the scale and, where helpful, the major GPA makes the figure clear. Never round up or relabel a GPA; it may be checked against your transcript.
Mistakes to avoid
- Rounding your GPA up.
- Listing a GPA without the scale.
- Keeping your GPA on the resume years into your career.
- Writing Latin honors you did not receive, or in the wrong form.
Build yours
Questions people ask
What GPA should I put on my resume?
How do I put magna cum laude on my resume?
Should I include my major GPA?
When should I take my GPA off my resume?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 2, 2026.