Should I Put My GPA on My Resume [Where How to List It]

Should I Put My GPA on My Resume [Where How to List It] A high GPA is something every employer would like to see on your resume.Or is it?And what is considered a high GPA in the first place?Fret not.Youre about to find out all there is to know about whether or not you should include GPA on a resume.This article will show you:What to do if your GPA isnt that great.How to make the most of your grade point average.What GPA to include in the first place? General, Major GPA?Can you round it up to make it look better?Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowLooking for other resume writing resources? Check out our guides:Ho w to Make a ResumeWhat to Include in a ResumeHow to Put Your Education on a ResumeResume With No ExperienceEntry-Level ResumeCollege Student ResumeHigh School Student ResumeCollege Graduate Resume1Should I Put My GPA on My Resume?First off:Know that putting a GPA on a resume is optional. Most of the time, at least.That being saidPut your GPA on a resume:If the employer requests it.If it was 3.5 or higher, andYoure applying for your first job, orYou graduated within the last 23 years.Why?The first point is pretty much self-explanatory. If the employer asks you for your GPAs (or transcripts, or test scores, etc.) you obviously should produce them.Pro Tip: Its better to leave out your GPA entirely than make untrue statements. Dont lie about your GPA on a resume. In fact, lying on a resume is never a good idea.If your GPA is 3.5 or higher (on a 4-point scale), put it on your resume.When your professional experience is non-existent, your GPA could be seen as a kind of performance indicat or by certain employers.Some of you may ask: Should I put a 3.44 GPA on my resume? Or Can you round up a GPA on a resume?Listen:We do NOT recommend rounding your GPA on a resume. Neither up nor down.Just put your GPA on a resume the way it is.Why?If the recruiter sees a discrepancy between your resume and academic records, you'll have to explain it.Which may not be very comfortable.NowIf for some reason your GPA has three decimal digits, simply truncate the last one. Thats always your safest bet.Heres how it works:If a 3.443 GPA is on your transcript, make it 3.44.Remember:Rounding up is dodgy. After all, why not round off 3.7 to 4.0? See the point?Pro Tip: There are certain occupations (investment banking for one) where your GPA is of paramount importance and listing it on your resume is required.2When Not to Put GPA on a ResumeTruth be told:Its enough to flip all the conditions from the previous section to know the answer.SoDo NOT put a GPA on your resume:If the employer doesnt re quest it.If it was lower than 3.5, andYoure not applying for your first job, orYou graduated more than 23 years ago.Lets break it down quickly.Listing a GPA on a resume is optional. If the employer doesnt request it, youre under no obligation to put it there.If your GPA is lower than 3.5, theres nothing to brag about. Sorry.If you already have work experience it will matter much more than your grades.Even though the 2019 NACE Job Outlook Survey shows that more and more employers will be screening fresh grad resumes for GPAsThe same survey shows that a GPA ranks 8 on a list of attributes that influence hiring decisions (with a score of 3.3 on a 5-point scale).Why?As mentioned above, if your professional experience is tiny, your GPA is a kind of additional performance indicator.But at the same time, employers are well aware ofgrade inflation, and pay much more attention to things other than your grades.Pro Tip: If the employer requires the applicants to have a GPA score of 3.0 at mini mum, and your GPA happens to be in the range between 3.0 and 3.4, do include it. No, its not stellar but if the employer needs it, and you meet the requirements, you shouldnt leave this out.3What About Major GPA on a Resume?Heres how it works:You can list the GPA for your major.If its higher than your overall GPA you can put your major GPA instead.If your overall GPA and major GPA are equally impressive, consider including both. Label them accordingly, though.Pro Tip: Always check what kind of GPA the employer asks you to provide. Dont present your major GPA score as your overall GPA if the former is higher. This would be a lie.4Where to Put Your GPA on a ResumeYou can put your GPA directly in your resume education section.This option works best when your GPA is the only academic achievement you want to display on your resume.GPA on a ResumeExamplesEducation2009 MA in English LiteratureHarvard University, Cambridge, MAGPA 3.82009 MA in English LiteratureHarvard University, Cambridge , MAOverall GPA 3.74 | Major GPA 4.0You can also put it in a dedicated awards and achievements resume section.This way of putting a GPA on a resume works great if you have other achievements to show off.Pro Tip:If your GPA is above 4.0 (which is possible at certain colleges and universities) just round it down to 4.0 to avoid confusion.Awards and AchievementsGPA on a ResumeDeans List 2014-2017Student of the Year Award 20171st Prize in a Student Essay ContestOverall GPA 4.0Major GPA 4.0When making a resume in our builder, drag drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.Create my resume nowWhen youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.Key TakeawaysHere's everything you should know about including your GPA on a resume:Putting a GPA on a resume is optional (most of the time).List your GPA if the employer requires you to.Add your GPA if its equal or higher than 3.5.Consider putting your GPA only if you have under 3 years of experience.Dont add your GPA if youre an experienced candidate.Always follow the rules laid out in the job offer.Do you have any other questions about listing a GPA on your resume? Give us a shout out in the comments below! Always happy to help.