What Should I Put For My LinkedIn Degree?

What’s Happening

Think of your LinkedIn profile as your digital business card. The education section? That’s your academic credibility in a nutshell. Whether you’ve already graduated, are still slogging through textbooks, or somehow collected multiple degrees, recruiters will notice. LinkedIn lets you customize this section, but they also expect accuracy—especially since hiring managers use keyword searches to find candidates. According to LinkedIn’s own rules, all profile details must be truthful, including your education history.

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Sign in to your LinkedIn account and open your profile page.
2. Look for the “Add profile section” button—it only appears when you’re editing your profile—and pick “Education” from the dropdown.
3. Hit “Add education.” A form pops up with these fields:
   • School name (e.g., “Stanford University”)
   • Degree (e.g., “Bachelor of Science” or “BS”)
   • Field of study (optional; e.g., “Computer Engineering”)
   • Start and end years (e.g., “2020 – 2024” or “2023 – Present” for ongoing study)
4. For double majors or dual degrees:
   • Scroll down and click “Add another education entry.”
   • Fill in the second degree separately—don’t try to cram it into the first one.
5. Hit “Save” at the bottom of the education section to lock in your changes.

Here’s a pro tip: If you started a degree but didn’t finish, you can still list the school and add “Degree expected” with your anticipated graduation year (e.g., “Bachelor of Arts in History, expected 2026”).

If This Didn’t Work

• Clear your browser cache or switch to a different browser. LinkedIn’s desktop site can be glitchy with old browser versions or cached data.
• Use the LinkedIn mobile app (iOS or Android). Sometimes the app handles profile edits more smoothly than the website.
• If the problem won’t go away, reach out to LinkedIn Support. Select “Profile” > “Education” for targeted help.

Prevention Tips

Update your education details as soon as you earn a new degree or change schools. Stick to standard degree abbreviations—recruiters use these for keyword searches, and non-standard versions might get overlooked. Only include your GPA if it’s 3.5 or higher and you’re early in your career; otherwise, skip it. High school education? Only list it if you’re still a student or recent grad.

Here’s a handy table of common degree abbreviations to keep on file:

Oh, and students—LinkedIn hooks you up with a free Premium trial through Microsoft’s Visual Studio Dev Essentials Program (you’ll need a .edu email). Worth grabbing if you’re job hunting.

For more branding tips, check out the LinkedIn Help Center.