Include Graduating Class Ranking in Resume?

Question

Dear,

I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree at a target university and have completed my Bachelor’s degree. During my undergraduate studies, I ranked 7th in my cohort. While I do not have the exact cohort size, I'm guessing it was approximately 30–50 students based on class and exam attendance. My institution is notorious for its pretty tough grading standards, which may make the nominal GPA appear quite underwhelming.

As I have not yet completed my Master’s degree, I do not have a final ranking for that program.

Would you recommend including both my GPA and cohort ranking for my Bachelor’s degree, and only my GPA for my Master’s? Or would you suggest a different approach? Should I guesstimate the cohort size or just put the ranking?

Many thanks

Answer 1

Hi! Couple of thoughts:

First, it might be worth reconnecting with your undergrad uni to confirm your ranking & cohort size (esp. if this was not too long ago)
Second, to factor for tough institutional grading or in general, to give a relative sense of your performance, you can use percentiles to communicate your grades - for e.g., GPA x.y (90th percentile or top 10% of class)

Answer 2

I would definitely include the ranking from your Bachelor’s, especially since 7th is a strong signal. In consulting recruiting, relative performance often matters more than the absolute GPA, particularly if your school is known for strict grading. That ranking helps put your GPA into context without you having to “explain” it.

For your Bachelor’s, you can list GPA and then add something like “Ranked 7th in cohort.” I would not guess the cohort size. If you do not know the exact number, just state the rank. Making up a range like 30 to 50 can look imprecise and raises unnecessary questions.

For your Master’s, it is completely fine to list only your current GPA and expected graduation date. Nobody expects a ranking before completion.

If you want to strengthen the signal further, you can also add distinctions such as scholarships, awards, or merit based achievements if relevant. That often speaks louder than explaining grading culture.

If you’d like, feel free to share your exact CV wording and I can give you very concrete feedback on how to phrase it cleanly and credibly.

Alessa