What to Know About Including a GPA on Your Resume

GPA on Resume

Your GPA, which stands for grade point average, is an important aspect of your academic experience. High school and college students typically need a specific GPA to graduate, and a higher than average GPA can say something about who you are and how much you know. As a recent graduate trying to get a job, featuring your GPA in your job application can be a great way to make up for the fact that you might not have much professional experience. Here’s what you should know about adding a GPA to your resume.

How To Decide if You Should Put Your GPA on a Resume

You can include GPA if:

• Your GPA is above 3.5. A fairly high GPA shows academic achievement, and this can place you above other job seekers whose resume is about the same as yours, but with a lower GPA.
• You have less than two years of work experience. Work experience will always outweigh academic achievements because someone can do very well in school and very poorly on the job market or vice versa. If you have limited work experience, your GPA can show off your work ethic.
• The job description requests it. If the job description specifically requests that you include your GPA, include it even if it’s not very high. For a lower GPA, you’ll just have to compensate with skills, training, and work experience.

You shouldn’t include your GPA if:

• You have a GPA under 3.0. Openly listing a low GPA on your resume will do nothing at best and hurt your chances of getting the job at worst.
• You have lots of educational experience. If you have lots of experience, you’re best off only listing your GPA from your most recent education. If you have a bachelor’s degree and a grad school degree for example, list only the GPA for your grad school degree.

You have at least three years of work experience. Most career experts suggest ditching your GPA after 2-3 years of work experience. At this point, it’s no longer relevant.