When to Include Your GPA on Your Resume - A Complete Guide

job search personal brand Mar 19, 2022
When Should you Include Your GPA on Your Resume

Should you include your GPA on your resume?

A simple question, with a not so obvious answer.

While there is no hard and fast rule on when you should include your GPA on your resume, there are 2 questions you can ask yourself to make deciding super simple.

In this article, we'll give you everything you need to know on when should you include your GPA on your resume.

Let's dive in!

 

When to Include Your GPA on Your Resume

You should include your GPA on your resume if:

  1. You graduated college within the past two years
  2. Your GPA is above a 3.0

If you meet bot of those criteria, you should include your GPA on your resume. 

The reasoning behind this is that recent graduates typically have little to no work experience so your GPA is the only indicator of future performance at a job. Therefore, if your GPA is above a 3.0 it's important to include it on your resume to demonstrate your ability to perform to future employers.
 
Read the job description thoroughly to see if the company specifically asks you to include your GPA on your resume.

 

When NOT to Include Your GPA on Your Resume

You should NOT include your GPA on your resume if:

  1. You graduated college over 2 years ago
  2. Your GPA is less than a 3.0

If you meet one or both of those criteria, you should not include your GPA on your resume. 

Once you have over two years of work experience, it's probably time to remove your GPA from your resume. You've now matured into a working professional, so use that extra space on your resume to elaborate more on your work experience.

If your GPA is lower than a 3.0, including it has a higher chance of hurting you than benefiting you so do not include your GPA on your resume.

 

The Difference Between a Major GPA and Cumulative GPA, and Which You Should Include

A cumulative GPA includes the grades for every course taken at a university. A major GPA consists of only the grades for courses that fall under a student's major discipline.

If you have a lower cumulative GPA, you may consider also including your major GPA on your resume. Hiring managers often take candidates with lower cumulative scores into consideration when they have a high major GPA.

That said, hiring managers will weigh different factors depending on what they’re looking for in a candidate.

Some will value a major GPA because it directly aligns with the position, while others will value a cumulative GPA because it demonstrates you can be a generalist and are highly adaptable.

Adding a minor GPA is another way to showcase your expertise in a certain area if your cumulative GPA is lower than you'd like.

Adding your minor GPA alongside your major and cumulative scores could help you stand out as an applicant.

If you're adding a minor GPA to your resume, still include your cumulative GPA on your resume. A minor GPA is an extra way to demonstrate your performance abilities, but it should not be the only way.

 

Tips for Including (or Not Including) Your GPA on Your Resume

Put it in the education section of your resume. 

When you include your GPA on your resume, it should go in the education section of your resume. Your education section also includes where you went to school, what you studied there, and when you graduated. You can also mention any academic honors and awards in this section.

 

Consider including your GPA for your major. 

If your GPA for your major is higher than your cumulative GPA, you should consider including your major GPA instead of or alongside your cumulative GPA. Be sure to clarify which type of GPA you're including.

 

Be prepared to discuss it in an interview. 

If you do not include your GPA on your resume, it's not unlikely that the employer may ask why in an interview. In that case, have a short, honest statement prepared that addresses why you did not include your GPA and why you're confident that you're still an amazing candidate.
   

Don’t lie. 

It's absolutely okay to omit your GPA from your resume, but it's not okay to lie about your GPA on your resume. Employers can easily verify your GPA by looking up your transcript and if you get caught lying you risk being fired.   

 

Final Thoughts

So, should you include your GPA on your resume?

Well, that answer is uniquely up to you. Now you have the knowledge to make the best decision for your future and career.

Resume writing can be overwhelming, but hopefully now you have a clear framework when deciding if you should include your GPA on your resume.

Spend more time making your resume stand out in other sections, especially if you don’t have high GPA.

If you need some inspiration on where to include your GPA on your resume, check out our article on entry-level marketing resume examples for the recent graduate.

 

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