Tips for Adding Your Expected Graduation Date to Your Resume

Your expected graduation date indicates when you’ll have a degree or diploma. Here’s how to list it correctly on your resume.

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Expected Graduation Date on a Resume

Your expected graduation date can be an important part of the education section of your resume. If you’re currently a college student, you need to include your graduation year on your resume. This can be helpful if you’re trying to line up a job right after you get your college degree or if you’re currently engaged in additional education that may give you a boost against other job applicants. Adding this information to your professional resume can make a hiring manager take notice. Here’s what you need to do to add your anticipated graduation date to a resume.

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What Is Your Expected Graduation Date?

Your expected graduation date is simply the year you expect to graduate from your degree program. You can usually find your expected graduation date by contacting the school where you’re receiving your certifications or by looking at what class you’re in, such as “Class of 2022,” which means you’re graduating in 2022.

Format for Adding an Expected Graduation Date

When you’re planning to add an expected graduation date as part of your resume writing, how do you do it? No matter what kind of degree you’re getting, this is typically the format:

Name of degree
School name, city, state
Graduation date YYYY (expected) or Expected graduation date YYYY

Here are a few resume examples:

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Graduation date 2024 (expected)

Master’s degree in Business Administration

University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Dartmouth, Massachusetts

Expected graduation date 2024

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting

Baruch College, New York, New York

Expected graduation date 2023

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Grand Canyon University • Phoenix, Arizona

Graduation date 2024 (expected)

List any education credentials that will help you get a job, as a degree gives potential employers an incentive to give your resume a closer look. Include any grad school or general education experience. These all help recruiters put you above job seekers that don’t have a college education, even in entry-level jobs.

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Getting the Most Out of Your Expected Graduation Date

There are many ways you can potentially improve your expected graduation date return. Here are a few ways to make this work for your job search.

If applicable, include a list of related coursework. Your coursework helps a recruiter see that your full-time education really matters for your job. Showcase the type of coursework that relates to the job description. If you did any work or volunteering at your college, you can also include this as relevant work. This can go in your work experience section to help fill it out.

Most career experts suggest against including your current GPA on your resume. Your grade point average doesn’t hold very much weight on a resume, especially if you’re not a college graduate yet. Instead, consider including specific honors or awards you’ve earned, such as being on the Dean’s List. These awards show that you’re regularly excelling in school.

Lastly, include your expected graduation date even if it’s just your best guess. Even if you’re only taking part-time night classes and don’t know for sure when you’re planning to graduate, including your expected graduation date can still help you create a timeline for when you’ll be a recent graduate. That’s what a hiring manager wants to see in your resume.

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FAQ: Expected Graduation Dates

Q: Should I put my starting date for my education?

There’s no need to list your start date for attending school. Just include the date of your expected graduation. When it comes to your work experience, putting your starting date gives a hiring manager a better understanding of your past experience, including when you’ve been employed and for how long. However, in education, it only matters that you eventually got your degree. Your expected graduation date is the only thing a hiring manager is going to be looking for.

Q: Can I put an expected graduation date for high school?

You should if you’re currently a high school student. Most of the time, high school students can only work part-time because they’re going to school full-time. However, by including your expected graduation date as a high school student, you’re signaling to the hiring manager when you might be available to work full-time.

Q: Do I need to put an expected graduation date?

It’s best to put an expected graduation date even if you’re not completely sure. A guess is better than nothing, and it signals to a hiring manager that you’re actively working on the degree. Plus, “Expected graduation date” looks much better on a resume than “Degree (Unfinished).” If you include “Unfinished,” the hiring manager may think you’ve given up on finishing it, which might not be the image you’re trying to cultivate. When you’re using a resume builder to craft your resume, include your expected graduation date so the resume looks great.

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