Sometimes, Dean's list on a resume adds value. Sometimes, it doesn't.

If you've made the Dean's list in college, you have a reason to be proud of yourself. But is it an accolade you should include on your resume? That's a great question, considering you want to ensure your resume follows standard practices and only captures those items that make you stand out in the best light possible. 

Adding Dean's list to your resume is optional. In some instances, it might make sense to include it, and in other instances, you should likely leave it off. Which scenario do you fall under? 

In this post, we cover:

  • What defines the “Dean's list” across colleges

  • The benefits of adding Dean's list to your resume

  • When you should include Dean's list on a resume

  • The downside of adding Dean's list to your resume

  • When you should avoid including Dean's list on resumes

  • Where and how to include Dean's list on your resume

  • Dean's list resume examples

What defines the “Dean's list” across colleges?

It's difficult to know what percentage of students make the Dean's list each semester or year. What we do know is that it's an accolade given to those who meet the Dean's list requirements for a particular college, typically based on GPA. 

At some schools, achieving a Dean's list acknowledgment might be presented to the top 10% of students, whereas at other schools, it might be presented to the top 20% of students, depending on the number of students out of the total student population that meet the college's criteria or the percentile level required. Though the minimum GPA to be on the Dean's list varies based on each student population, it's typically 3.5 or higher and can change with each semester or award cycle. 

It's often the case that different schools or programs within a university will have different minimum GPA requirements to be on the Dean's list. For example, you might need a 3.8 minimum GPA in the School of Business and a 3.6 minimum GPA in the School of Creative Arts within the same overarching college to achieve Dean's list status. 

In most instances, a student has to be a full-time student with the required number of hours per semester to be included on the Dean's list. However, some community colleges allow part-time students to be included, as well. Also, only classes that are assigned a grade are included in GPA calculations, so classes that only give a Pass/Fail rating would not be included. 

Finally, only undergraduate students, including online undergraduate students, can make the Dean's list. Graduate students can receive Latin awards, discussed later, but not make the Dean's list, simply because it's not available to them. 

Dean's list notifications typically occur after all grades are captured and GPAs are calculated following each semester. 

What are the benefits of adding Dean's list to your resume?

In addition to highlighting your ability to complete your coursework successfully, showing you were on the Dean's list on your resume indicates you're a hard worker. It also says you're likely to take your work seriously, with the drive to learn and succeed on the job. 

When should you include Dean's list on a resume?

If you meet one of the two criteria, below, it can be beneficial to include Dean's list on your resume.

1. You were on the Dean's list consistently

If you were on the Dean's list all semesters or many of the semesters you attended college, it can add value to include it. However, if you only made the Dean's list a couple of times, it's better to leave it off unless you went to a prestigious school, mentioned next. 

2. You graduated from or attended a prestigious university

Attending and graduating from a prestigious university says a lot in and of itself. Due to the high standards of such schools, if you were on the Dean's list, hiring teams are likely to take notice. This even holds true if you only achieved it once or twice while attending these types of colleges.

Of course, Ivy League schools, like Princeton, Yale, and Harvard, fall under the prestigious college category. But, so would highly ranked colleges in your field of study, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for technology majors, or those that are highly ranked in the US or world, in general, like Brown, Duke, and Stanford. 

What's the downside of adding Dean's list to your resume?

There are some potential cons of adding Dean's list to a resume, including:

  • You can come across as inconsistent if you only achieved it once or twice

  • Listing it along with your GPA or Latin honors can appear redundant

  • Due to different schools having different requirements to make the list, it could be confusing or not clear what criteria you had to meet, especially for lesser-known schools

  • It appears odd or confusing as to why you're including it if you have plenty of work experience under your belt

When should you avoid including Dean's list on resumes? 

Considering the previously mentioned disadvantages, there are three main reasons you shouldn't include Dean's list on your resume. 

1. You haven't maintained it consistently

As previously mentioned, it's best to leave Dean's list off of your resume if you've only attained it a couple of times. When you include it under such circumstances, it can appear that you're inconsistent to hiring teams and also might make them question what you were doing during the semesters that you didn't achieve the accolade. So, if you made the Dean's list less than three times, leave it off of your resume.

To reiterate, the exception to this is if you went to a prestigious school. In that case, include your achievement of being on the Dean's list regardless of how many times you were on it. 

2. You have Latin honors to include

If you've achieved any of the Latin honors one can achieve while in college, it's wisest to list those with your degree instead of Dean's list or your GPA. These accolades would include:

  • Cum laude (with praise)

  • Magna cum laude (with great praise)

  • Summa cum laude (with the highest praise)

Where dean's list requirements can vary greatly between colleges, Latin honors are more clearly and narrowly defined across schools. This makes Latin honors more prestigious and clearly understood as high honors by hiring teams. 

Suppose you would still like to include the Dean's list on your resume, especially if you went to a prestigious school. In that case, you can always include it in an Awards section of your resume, discussed later. 

3. You're an experienced professional 

Your relevant experience is more important to employers than your college GPA or being on the Dean's list. If you're an experienced professional with relevant work history, there's no need to include being on the Dean's list. In fact, you should really only include Dean's list if you're applying for your first job out of college or a college internship. 

It's also standard practice to leave your GPA and other details related to your college degrees, like being on the Dean's list, off your resume once you've been out of school for three years or more. 

How and where to include Dean's list on a resume

Let's say after reading this content that you decide it's a wise move to include your Dean's list accolade on your resume. The next question is, how and where should you include it? 

Include how many times you made the list

First, when you mention that you were on the Dean's list, it's best to include how many times you made the list. It's worth noting that this is not a requirement, though it is recommended. 

Next, let's look at the two options you have in terms of where to include it:

  • The Education section

  • A standalone Awards section

Include Dean's list in your Education section

Since it's part of your educational history, the most common place to include Dean's list on a resume is in the Education section. In the Education section, you'll list it with your degree, where hiring managers expect to see it. 

As far as placement, if you include your GPA, include Dean's list on the same line immediately after it. With that said, it's assumed that, if you made the Dean's list, you had a 3.5 GPA or higher, so you can forgo including both if you choose to do so.

Examples of Dean's list on a resume: Education section

Education

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, 2020

West Virginia University

GPA 3.6, Dean's List for 5 semesters 

Education

Bachelor of Science in Political Science, 2021

University of Houston

Dean's List for 8 semesters 

Education

Bachelor of Art in Film and Media Studies, 2023

Columbia University

GPA 3.5, Dean's List for 3 semesters

Include it in an Awards section

Another place you can choose to include Dean's list on your resume is in a standalone Awards or Awards and Accomplishments section with other awards you've received or accomplishments you've achieved. Here are a few reasons why this can work well:

  • This is a good option if you have Latin awards to include with your degree in the Education section and still want to highlight the Dean's list achievement somewhere.

  • If you don't want to be redundant by including both your GPA and Dean's list together with your degree, you can add Dean's list to the Awards section, instead. 

  • Including your Dean's list accomplishment in an Awards and Accomplishments section is ideal if you've been inconsistent in achieving it - you can still highlight it, while showcasing that you were able to obtain other awards, as well, providing a positive spin. 

Examples of Dean's list on a resume: Awards section

Awards and Accomplishments

  • Server of the Month January 2020, Texas Roadhouse 

  • The President's Award 2021

  • Dean's List, 4 semesters

Awards and Accomplishments

  • Student of the Year, 2021

  • Dean's List

  • Art Club Secretary

Dean's list key takeaways

  • Making the Dean's list is something to be proud of, regardless as to how many times you've been on it, though you should use caution as to whether to include it on your resume

  • Being on the Dean's list indicates you're a hard worker with a drive to succeed on the job

  • Adding Dean's list to your resume can add value if you were on the list consistently 

  • Recruiters and hiring managers will take note you were on the Dean's list at a prestigious university, even if you only achieved it once or twice 

  • You can include Dean's list in the Education section or Awards section of your resume

  • It's generally best to leave Dean's list off your resume if you achieved it less than three times

  • Don't include Dean's list on your resume if you have more than three years of relevant work experience

  • There's no need to include Dean's list on your resume if you've achieved a Latin accolade

  • Only add Dean's list on your resume if you're applying for a college internship or your first job out of college

  • Though optional, it's best to include how many times you were on the Dean's list when adding it

Dean's List on your resume: a few final words

It's not all that common to see Dean's list on a resume, though there are cases where it can add value, as outlined above. If you achieved it several times throughout your college career or during your tenure at a prestigious college, then it's likely to grab the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. Regardless, it's your choice to decide what's best for your scenario. Allow the above tips to guide you in highlighting Dean's list (or not) as you craft your resume to land your first job or internship!

Are you still on the fence as to whether to include your Dean's list accolade on your resume? Why not submit your resume for a free resume review and let our experts help you decide?

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